Solar-focused EV startups are tapping into the solutions from the company of 2018 Rising Star winner Gorazd Gotovac.
Gotovac, Chief Technology Officer of Elafe Propulsion Technologies, said Automotive News Europe That Aptera Motors and Lightyear chose the Slovenia-based supplier because of their in-wheel motors.
He said long-distance, solar-dependent vehicles need to be extremely energy efficient without sacrificing torque and power.
Elaphe and Lightyear say they have “gained 97 percent of in-wheel motor efficiency, a fraction of the energy lost through heat” in the company’s Lightyear 0 solar car.
Lightyear wants its cars to be able to drive up to 20,000 km per year using the power of the sun.
Elafe has also announced that it will manufacture and supply Aptera with 100,000 in-wheel motors a year.
Another advantage of the Elafe solution is the packaging, which leads to lower vehicle mass and less air drag, Gotovac said.
Gotovac, who holds a doctorate in electrical engineering, did not initially consider pursuing a career in the automotive industry. Now, with the change in EV, he can’t imagine a better place than this.