Raser to show off a new electric motor at EVS-22
In all the progress and developments we've seen on with hybrids, electric cars and fuel cells, it's a bit strange how little we've reported on the advancement of electric motors. That's something that Raser is definitely looking to change. At the 22nd Electric Vehicle Symposium (October 22 to 28) in Yokohama, Japan, the electric motor specialists will unveil a new 100 kW AC induction-based electric motor design called the Symetron P-100.
Raser's AC induction-based technology was recently awarded the Drive System Technology Innovation of the Year Award by Frost & Sullivan, so you can imagine they're pretty proud of it. Its key feature is the absence of expensive permanent magnets which the company hopes will bring the cost of next-generation of hybrids and electric vehicles down within the reach of more customers.
In terms of performance, consider the electric power plant at the core of the world's most popular hybrid, the Prius, as a point of reference. At 50 kW it delivers 67 horses and 297 lb-ft of torque. The 2006 Civic Hybrid? While still very economical, it only offers a 15 kW motor which is good for 20 hp and 76 lb-ft. Raser's press release, doesn't actually state horsepower or torque figures, but you get the idea. If all goes well, it seems like the next generation of electric-powered vehicles are going to be a thrill to drive.
[Source: Raser]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Alex 9:44PM (7/20/2009)
Yes that good idea for easy clear space room fit on old RX-7 or Newer replace gas rotary engine . I think electric motor spin up to 14,000 RPM than Rotary engine.
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Andy 6:36PM (10/20/2006)
"Its key feature is the absence of expensive permanent magnets"
Note that this key feature is not a key feature specifically of this Raser motor. It is a feature of AC induction motors as compared to the cheaper simpler DC counterparts. The key feature of the Raser, if there is one, is that more options in the market place are likely to bring down prices for using the more efficient AC technology. A recent blog at Tesla Motors discusses reasoning around just this topic. http://teslamotors.com/blog1/
Also, if you are going to address electric powered vehicles, hybrids aren't a particularly good comparison point. They are, after all, *not* electric powered vehicles. They are hybrid powered. They use ICE and Electric *concurrently* in varying proportions, and in the case of all models currently on sale, drive by electric only at very low speeds if ever at all.
So if you want to talk about performance, the point of comparison should be something like the all electric Tesla whose proprietary motor can output 185kW. Here's a chart:
http://teslamotors.com/performance/electric_power.php
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Nathan 8:59PM (10/20/2006)
Yes the tesla is great. But its not built for the mases yet. Is it even in production for the rich yet? All the small improvements will add up. 300lbs of tourque is awsome. My car has 373 lbs tourque. Because of this it goes 0-60 4 seconds (est.) and cruises 70mph at 1400rpm (hope im not taken as showing off, just explaining how important tourqe is from experience for those that are curious). This new electric motor looks a lot smaller than the teslas also. Which probably means lighter and leaves room for groceries. Im by no means saying this is better than the tesla but for the masses this looks like a step in the right direction. And being an efficiency car nut I like seeing EV technology moving forward.
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Peter 11:11PM (10/22/2006)
It should be smaller than the Tesla's because it makes just over half the power. But when it comes to packaging, engine size isn't really a concern for electric motors. The Tesla engine is small enough to carry under your arm, although probably a bit too heavy to do so comfortably. And electric motors don't require all of the large, heavy accessories that gasoline motors do: radiator, intake, exhaust, alternator, oil reservoir, oil pump, fuel pump, fuel tank. The list goes on and on.
The only thing holding them back is battery technology. Present day batteries give back most of the space and weight that all of those accessories remove. Given a few years of research and development, batteries will advance and electric cars will be huge.
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Derrick Y. Noh 1:17PM (10/23/2006)
Hey Andy-
Thanks for the Tesla blog link and for clarifying the fact that AC induction motors in general are made without the magnets. I often cringe at what I've left out after the fact and do my best to add comments or corrections. This is certainly one of those cases of glossing over an important item.
Also, I agree with you on the general point of comparing pure EVs to gas-electric hybrids, however, in this particular case, Raser stated in their press release that their new series of Symetron motors is specifically targeted for both electric vehicles and electric hybrids. Perhaps, I could have been clearer about that. Their stated claim is to "help automakers reduce costs and improve reliability to bring next generation hybrids more within reach of mainstream consumers." Because of that it seemed best to compare popular available hybrids to Raser's newest electric motor offering.
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