- The Italdesign Quintessenza has the world’s first in-wheel motors compatible with large high-performance brakes.
- The drive units are made by Elaphe, a Slovenian company.
- Elaphe was also a supplier of in-wheel motors for Lordstown Motors.
In-wheel electric motors have a huge advantage over conventional drive units: they free up space that can potentially be used for a larger battery, which can lead to more driving range. That said, the technology is still in its infancy and the motors themselves are quite bulky–so much so that no manufacturer has found a way to combine in-wheel motors with high-performance brakes.
Until now, that is. Enter the Italdesign Quintessenza, a wild electric vehicle that’s half coupe, half pickup wannabe. It also has a surprising link to the ill-fated Lordstown Endurance electric pickup, which isn’t something I thought I would be writing about this morning. A radical Italian super GT concept doesn’t usually have a place in the same sentence with the Lordstown Endurance, but here we are.
Photo by: Italdesign
The link between the two is the thing I mentioned earlier–those fancy in-wheel motors. They’re made by Slovenia’s Elaphe, the same supplier that powered the U.S.-made Endurance truck.
In the case of the Italdesign Quintessenza, it features the world’s first in-wheel motors that are compatible with large performance breaks–that’s what Elaphe claims, at least. Called the Sonic.1, the groundbreaking drive unit can be mounted within the rim of a 21-inch wheel and can accommodate a 15.7-inch (400-millimeter) brake disc, making it suitable for on-track use.
Photo by: Italdesign
What’s not so great is that each motor adds about 88 pounds (40 kilograms) of unsprung weight per corner, which traditionally means the handling takes a hit. That said, performance should not be an issue. In the Quintessenza, the rear motors make 670 horsepower (500 kW) each, while the front units churn out 402 hp (300 kW) each, for a grand total of 2,145 hp (1,600 kW).
These are still estimated figures, so take them with a grain of salt. With high-performance tires, Italdesign reckons its wild concept car could accelerate from zero to 62 miles per hour in less than 2.2 seconds. This, however, is also an estimated figure.
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According to Elaphe, the new high-performance in-wheel motors benefit from a proprietary traction control system that can make adjustments 20 times faster than on a standard EV. The Slovenian company has also developed a so-called “vibroacoustics” system that controls the inverter and allows for customizable sound profiles and haptic feedback. In other words, it can make the motors sound and vibrate in different ways for different automakers.
Photo by: Italdesign
Elaphe said deliveries of its high-performance Sonic.1 in-wheel motor are due to begin later this year, but the company was tight-lipped about what automakers would make use of it. Luka Ambrozic, Elaphe’s commercial boss, told Autocar that the firm is in talks with both large car manufacturers and niche brands.
