Wheel motors are lighter and more compact, by eliminating the need for a transmission and drive train. The new design will translate to more available space, which can be dedicated to a larger battery for range extension.
ZAP has shipped more than 2,000 wheel motor EVs, starting with the ZAPPY3 scooter in 2004, followed by the Zapino motor scooter in 2007.
The new motor is a breakthrough in efficiency that resulted from a collaboration between ZAP’s engineers and other industry experts. The 8,000 watt motor design is almost ten inches in diameter compared to the seven-inch diameter, 3,000-watt motor powering the Zapino scooter.
“This is a genuinely remarkable advance in the world of electric vehicles,” said ZAP chief executive officer Steve Schneider. “Based on the core technology we use for the production of the Zapino model, we have been able to achieve a far higher horsepower output with just a slight increase in weight and size. Given the growing necessity of reducing our carbon emissions and the rising demand for more environmentally sound vehicles, we are extremely excited about the potential applications of this motor for a range of EVs both here and abroad.”
“We have seen many wheel motors still in the prototype stages, but ZAP is the only company that has proven the technology to be cost-effective compared to conventional electric motors,” said ZAP Motor Manufacturing Kentucky President Gary Dodd. “We believe the 8,000-watt motor design to be a significant step forward toward making EVs an affordable, everyday reality.”
