MAHLE introduces most durable electric motor available

German automotive supplier MAHLE has developed the most durable electric motor available, which it says is a technological leap through a new cooling concept, the Superior Continuous Torque (SCT).

The traction motor, which is unique in the market, can run indefinitely with high performance, according to MAHLE. It is compact, light,  efficient, and does not use rare earth elements.

“Building large electric motors that deliver short-term high performance is easy. What was still lacking on the market until now were durable yet compact drives to make electric vehicles unrestricted for everyday use,” said Martin Berger, head of Group Research and Advance Engineering, Mahle. “Our new SCT E-motor is the solution.”

On the drivetrain side, this clears the way for the replacement of the  combustion engine in all vehicle classes. In 2021, MAHLE presented  a groundbreaking wear-free and scalable traction motor for passenger cars  that runs very efficiently over a wide rpm range. 

The SCT E-motor, on the other hand, is designed in such a way that it is  particularly efficient within a certain rpm range. Despite its very compact and  light design, its continuous output is more than 90% of its peak output.  Unique in the market, this groundbreaking high ratio is a technological  leap and allows the use of electric vehicles of all kinds even under demanding  conditions. A classic example is driving an electric truck over mountain passes  or the multiple sprints of a battery electric passenger car. These scenarios are  only insufficiently covered by the electric motors available on the market up to  now.  

This resilience is achieved by the new MAHLE electric motor through the use  of an innovative integrated oil cooling, which not only makes it more robust but  also allows the waste heat generated to be used in the vehicle’s complete  system. At the same time, the extremely compact design results in an  advantage in the costs of materials and weight—a lighter motor requires less  material during manufacture and increases the possible net load in  commercial vehicles.  

In designing the product, MAHLE opted for what is known as a permanently  excited motor, since this type enables a very compact design and no energy  has to be transferred to the rotor as “excitation current.” This makes the motor  efficient and wear-free. Neodymium magnets, currently the strongest  permanent magnets that can be produced, are used to generate the magnetic field in the motor. However, to achieve greater independence from raw material prices and geopolitical developments, the SCT E- motor can also be  designed without magnets for greater independence. 

In designing the product, MAHLE opted for what is known as a permanently  excited motor, since this type enables a very compact design and no energy  has to be transferred to the rotor as “excitation current”. This makes the motor  efficient and wear-free. Neodymium magnets, currently the strongest  permanent magnets that can be produced, are used to generate the magnetic  field in the motor. However, to achieve greater independence from raw  material prices and geopolitical developments, the SCT E- motor can also be  designed without magnets for greater independence.