June 2019

n NEWS 6 June 2019 www.drivesncontrols.com NATIONAL ELECTRIC Vehicle Sweden (NEVS), a subsidiary of the Chinese group Evergrande Health, has acquired the British pioneer of in-wheel motors (IWMs) for electric vehicles, Protean Electric. The acquisition is part of Evergrande’s plan to become a major player in the global EV industry, and paves the way for NEVS to use Protean’s in-wheel electric drive technology, ProteanDrive, in future vehicles. Protean Electric, founded in 2008, has devoted more than a million engineering man-hours to develop its ProteanDrive technology, and has more than 160 global patents, with another 150 pending. Protean has its roots in a British developer of pancake motors, Printed Motors (later renamed PML Flightlink), which was founded in 1963 and split in 2009 to form Protean and Printed Motor Works, which still manufactures low-profile motors in the UK. Protean has its headquarters in the UK, but its motors are produced in China. Compared to conventional electric powertrains, the in-wheel motors offer improved efficiency and greater flexibility. The high-torque-density ProteanDrive technology integrates a direct-drive motor with power electronics and can be used to power a wide range of vehicles. Protean Electric will continue to operate as an independent business under Evergrande. NEVS acquired the assets of Saab Automobile following its bankruptcy in 2012. NEVS’ head office and main r&d facilities are in Sweden, where it has about 700 employees. Last year, NEVS opened a manufacturing plant in Tianjin, China, and it is building two more. In January this year, NEVS acquired a 20% stake in the Swedish supercar manufacturer Koenigsegg. They have formed a joint venture to develop and produce sports cars for a new segment www.nevs.com THE UK’S LATEST engineering institutions will also have the youngest members. Primary Engineer, the organisation that has spent the past 15 bringing engineering into primary classrooms, has taken its most ambitious step yet by launching the Institutions of Primary and Secondary Engineers which, it says,“are set to change the way skills are taught and nurtured in schools”. “The Institutions of Primary and Secondary Engineers will empower children to navigate a pathway to work while identifying, building and supporting engineers in the making,”says Dr Susan Scurlock, founder of Primary Engineer, and the creator of the two Institutions.“This is the beginning of a cycle that will embed fundamental skills in children from a very young age, providing themwith the foundation for their, and our, future.” The two Institutions will help pupils and teachers to structure personal and engineering skills, and the STEM curriculum, throughout a pupil’s education. Delivered online, they will allow teachers to create, access and evaluate projects while keeping track of the skills their school is delivering. “Today signals a major turning point in the identification and development of fundamental skills at an early point in a child’s education,”Scurlock said at a launch ceremony at the House of Lords. “They are a modern tool, based on age-old professional membership organisations which seek to support, nurture and acknowledge best practice. “With an open, inclusive, practical approach, the Institutions can become the backbone of skills- based STEM education in the UK,”she added.“Now the real work begins, and we are calling for teachers, pupils and industry to get behind the Institutions and help us make them a platform to an exciting career that all pupils deserve.” www.onedotall.com Schoolchildren get their own engineering institutions Saab’s successor, NEVS, buys UK wheel-hub motor developer, Protean Protean says that its in-wheel motor technology delivers improved torque response, faster acceleration, quicker charging and a greater range for EVs. Dr Susan Scurlock (left, back) with Professor John Perkins, and teachers and their pupils, at the launch of the Institution of Primary Engineers. A German engineer, Juan Carlos González Villar, was named Engineer of theYear at the Motion Control Industry (MCI) Awards, held last month in Solihull. Villar, who is the proprietor of Kabel.Consult.Ing, won the award for his“Energy Light”drive system which, he says, improves the energy efficiency of drive applications using a combination of a patentedmotor technology, advanced controls, and a lightweight construction. The MCI awards, now in their fourth year, attracted 37 finalists and an audience of around 250. They were hosted by the broadcaster Penny Smith. SMC Pneumatics won the Technical Innovation of theYear award for its EX600W integrated wireless valve system, while ABB won the Contribution to Skills & Training award for its drives and motors training activities. Full details of all the winners and finalists can be found on the MCI AwardsWeb site. Entries for the 2020 awards will open later this year. http://mci-awards.com German drives developer wins MCI ‘engineer of the year’ award