Yamaha Motor is well known for its motorcycles and is one of the largest motorcycle manufacturers in the world. But since 2020, the company has been playing an increasingly prominent role in the development of motors for electric cars and motorcycles. Now, Yamaha Motor is welcoming electric hypercar manufacturers to its growing list of potential clients. (Related: General Motors announces plans to phase out diesel and gasoline cars by 2035 and replace them with electric vehicles.)
The corporation specifically stated that its new electric motor is aimed at hyper-fast electric vehicle models and "other offerings in the high-output mobility segment."
Yamaha's latest electric motor is set to be more powerful than around 95 percent of all cars and trucks that are already on the road, including non-electric powered models.
The company said it will begin accepting orders for commissioned prototype development immediately. According to electric vehicle-focused news website Green Car Congress:
"Regarding commissioned prototype development, Yamaha will leverage its production technology and know-how in the casting, machining and assembly fields that give the company the flexibility to adapt to the needs of motorcycles and its numerous other products, its prototyping equipment and facilities and more in order to develop prototype motors tailoring to the specific requirements of clients in a short period."
New electric motor achieves industry's highest output density
According to Yamaha, the main feature of the new oil-cooled electric motor is its compact construction. Instead of developing all of the electric motor's components separately, the company designed a motor that could integrate all of the mechanical and electrical parts into one unit.
All of the essential components – such as the motor, gearbox and inverter – are all housed in the same assembly. Yamaha said this design feature made the electric motor "the industry's highest class in output density."
Furthermore, while one electric motor unit may be enough for one powerful vehicle, Yamaha believes multiple units can be installed in a vehicle. This is because electric vehicles -- like hyper-electric models Yamaha envisions -- can easily incorporate two or more of these units into their drivetrains. This will boost the overall power output of the vehicle.
If two electric motors were installed into one electric hypercar, it would have around 938 hp (700 kW) of power, which is comparable to the Tesla Model S Plaid, one of the fastest electric cars currently in the market. Three motors would be 1,408 hp (1,050 kW), which would make the hypercar able to compete against the Bugatti Chiron, the fastest internal combustion engine production car in the world.
Yamaha even showed off a concept of a skateboard chassis that incorporated four of the company's electric motors into a four-wheel-drive hypercar with a total power output of 1,877 hp (1,400 kW). This would make this concept vehicle one of the highest-horsepower cars that have ever been produced.
There are some challenges with these kinds of very fast electric vehicles. The main concern is fitting in a battery system that can provide enough electricity to power the motors for enough time that purchasing an electric car with this motor is a realistic option. This kind of vehicle will also need tires and chassis that can handle the immense torque a hyper-fast vehicle would put out.
If the company is able to overcome these obstacles, any car manufacturer around the world can potentially build its own electric hypercar. Even hobbyists who build their own automobiles may be able to find inspiration from Yamaha's electric motor.
Yamaha is planning to showcase the 469 hp electric motor and other electric motor prototypes it has at the Automotive Engineering Exposition 2021 in Yokohama, Japan, which is scheduled for May 26 to 28, 2021.
Learn more about the latest advancements in electric car technology by reading the latest articles at RoboCars.news.
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