Norfolk-based
Equipmake, a leading automotive electrification specialist, recently launched its Ampere-220 e-axle — a compact, lightweight, high-power electric drive system for manufacturers of high-performance electric vehicles. Debuted at
Cenex-LCV 2022, it combines one of the most advanced 3-D printed electric motors with all the power electronics, including the company’s own silicon carbide inverter, and an integrated transmission system in a compact unit that directly powers the vehicle’s axle.
At its heart, the e-axle features the Ampere electric motor. Extremely lightweight yet efficient and cost-effective, this motor has a peak power of 220kW and a maximum speed of 30,000rev/min; and weighing just under 20kg, it offers power density of 11kW per kg — more than twice that of a conventional electric motor. The key to its performance is the combination of Equipmake’s ‘spoke design’ with additive manufacturing (AM), allowing Ampere’s metal structure to be 3D-printed rather than milled from a solid billet.
The use of AM brings several advantages. For example, metal is only put where it is needed. Furthermore, thermally efficient thin walls and optimised fine surface details are combined directly with the motor’s structure, replacing multi-part assemblies with a single, complex architecture that has exceptional cooling ability, is lightweight, has low inertia and allows for greatly increased rotational speed.
Debuted in twin-motor specification, the Ampere-220 e-axle offers 440kW of peak power per axle with a total unit weight of just 85kg. Equipmake can also develop a single-motor e-axle application with 220kW of peak power per axle. The Ampere-220 e-axle is designed, engineered, and manufactured at Equipmake’s headquarters in Snetterton, Norfolk.
Ian Foley, Equipmake’s CEO, said: “Equipmake has always been at the forefront of innovation in electric motors, with our APM range offering class-leading power densities thanks to their compact, lightweight designs. Ampere showcases the next leap; and combined with our own power electronics — including our silicon carbide inverter and transmission system — we have created the Ampere-220 e-axle.
“With such a huge amount of performance in a compact, lightweight electric drive unit, Ampere-220 e-axle provides the total off-the-shelf high performance electric solution for manufacturers of electric sports cars and supercars. It further underlines Equipmake’s position as a leading provider of ‘state of the art’ electrification systems to the automotive industry.”