ConMet and Protean Electric partner to develop electric in-wheel drive system for the commercial trucks

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Green Car Congress  /  March 9 2017

Consolidated Metco (ConMet), a leading global supplier of heavy truck components including hubs and drums, and Protean Electric, the manufacturer of ProteanDRIVE in-wheel motors, are partnering to develop an electric in-wheel drive system to provide hybrid-electric solutions for the medium and heavy-duty commercial vehicle markets.

http://www.conmet.com/conmet-protean-electric-join-forces-develop-electric-wheel-drive-system-commercial-vehicle-market/

The ConMet/Protean in-wheel electric drive system is intended to deliver a robust and efficient hybrid propulsion system designed for commercial trucks, tractors, and trailers. This will enable ConMet’s OEM and fleet customers to address the continued tightening of safety and emissions regulations, increasing demands for improved fuel efficiency, weight and drivetrain packaging optimization, and shifts in vehicle demands for long-haul and urban delivery.

In addition, the jointly developed electric wheel end system, which is compatible with existing vehicles, will provide vehicle packaging advantages, reduce complexity, and minimize drivetrain losses for truck, tractor, and trailer applications.

We are combining our decades’ long expertise in wheel hubs for commercial vehicles with Protean Electric’s success with drive systems for electrified passenger vehicles. The result is the development of an innovative wheel end product that will provide lower lifecycle costs, improved fuel economy, added torque, increased power, and better overall vehicle performance.

—Beto Dantas, ConMet VP of Marketing, Innovation, and Strategy

ProteanDRIVE is a fully-integrated, direct-drive solution that combines in-wheel motors with an integrated inverter, control electronics and software. Each motor packages easily in the unused space behind a conventional 18- to 24-inch wheel and can use the original equipment wheel bearing. The direct-drive configuration reduces part count, complexity and cost, so there is no need to integrate traditional drivetrain components such as external gearing, transmissions, driveshafts, axles and differentials.

ConMet will feature the new electrified hub in its booth at the MidAmerica Trucking Show 23-25 March 23-25 2017 in Louisville, KY.

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America's ConMet is the leading global supplier to the OEMs of hubs, drums, rotors and cast components.

For example, all those unitized hubs on North American Volvos, and the Mack brand's Unimax axles, were actually designed and produced by ConMet.

If every American company as managed as superbly as ConMet, we'd once more have the strongest industrial base in the world.

ConMet (Consolidated Metals Co) started out in 1964 as the Portland-based aluminum foundry subsidiary of Consolidated Freightways, producing aluminum components for the company's Freightliner truck unit.

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ConMet Partners on In-Wheel Electric Drive

Heavy Duty Trucking  /  March 9, 2017

ConMet and Protean Electric have formed a partnership to develop an electric in-wheel drive system as a hybrid-electric solution for medium- and heavy-duty commercial vehicles.

ConMet will combine its experience with commercial vehicle wheel ends with Protean Electrics’ in-wheel electric drive.

Protean’s system is self-contained within each wheel without a need for gearing, driveshafts, or differentials powering each individually to provide a fuel economy boost to the vehicle. The system also stores regenerative braking energy, which allows it to have a smaller battery.

“This agreement enables us to expand the market reach of our ProteanDrive technology into the commercial vehicle market," said Andrew Whitehead, chief commercial officer at Protean Electric. "ConMet has the commercial vehicle market and wheel hub experience we have been looking for to help develop this solution."

The ConMet/Protean in-wheel electric drive system will be designed for commercial trucks, tractors, and trailers. The jointly developed electric wheel end system, which is compatible with existing vehicles, is aimed at providing vehicle packaging advantages, reducing complexity, and minimizing drivetrain losses for commercial vehicle and trailer applications.

“We are combining our decades' long expertise in wheel hubs for commercial vehicles with Protean Electric's success with drive systems for electrified passenger vehicles," stated Beto Dantas, ConMet vice president of marketing, innovation, and strategy. "The result is the development of an innovative wheel end product that will provide lower lifecycle costs, improved fuel economy, added torque, increased power, and better overall vehicle performance."

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ConMet, Protean Electric partner to develop electric in-wheel drive system

Fleet Owner  /  March 13, 2017

Consolidated Metco (ConMet) announced it is partnering with Protean Holdings Corp. (Protean Electric) to develop an electric in-wheel drive system to provide hybrid-electric solutions for the medium and heavy-duty commercial vehicle markets.

“We are combining our decades’ long expertise in wheel hubs for commercial vehicles with Protean Electric’s success with drive systems for electrified passenger vehicles,” stated Beto Dantas, ConMet VP of Marketing, Innovation, and Strategy. “The result is the development of an innovative wheel end product that will provide lower lifecycle costs, improved fuel economy, added torque, increased power, and better overall vehicle performance.”

“This agreement enables us to expand the market reach of our ProteanDRIVE technology into the commercial vehicle market,” explains Andrew Whitehead, Chief Commercial Officer at Protean Electric. “ConMet has the commercial vehicle market and wheel hub experience we have been looking for to help develop this solution”

The ConMet/Protean in-wheel electric drive system will enable ConMet’s OEM and fleet customers to address the  continued tightening of  safety and emissions regulations, increasing demands for improved fuel efficiency, weight and drivetrain packaging optimization, and shifts in vehicle demands for long-haul and urban delivery, according to the company. 

In addition, the jointly developed electric wheel end system, which is compatible with existing vehicles, will provide vehicle packaging advantages, reduce complexity, and minimize drivetrain losses for truck, tractor, and trailer applications.

ConMet will feature the new electrified hub in its booth at the MidAmerica Trucking Show March 23-25, 2017 in Louisville, KY.

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