Overview
An increasing trend toward electrically powered vehicles can now be discerned worldwide. However, battery electric vehicles are still contending with the problems of high procurement costs and low range, and are therefore penetrating the market only very slowly. Groschopp (electrical drive technology) teamed up with the SMEs REFU (high-performance electronics and battery storage systems), Vogel (gearbox manufacturing) and EcoEnGines (demonstration, sales and partners for electric vehicle conversion in Netherlands) to develop, manufacture and commercialise ESKAM, the Electrical Scalable Axle Module.
The innovative concept was to combine high-speed rotating electric motors and a dual transmission with a therefore optimised power electronics as an axle module. The lightweight design technology is suitable for large-series production. The result is a scalable, cost- and energy-efficient solution.
Initially we introduced ESKAM in a demonstration project on a Dutch island with focus on electric vehicle conversion of the very popular vehicle models Land Rover Defender, Renault Espace and Toyota Land Cruiser. The consortium provided ESKAM, complete kits including battery and auxiliary systems, as well as training and service to car workshop. With the change in the automotive segment towards e-mobility, we have the chance to enter the profitable automotive market. Our ambition is to strengthen our businesses by this new pillar. With ESKAM we expect to reach a turnover of about 34 M€ in 2023 and to create 72 new jobs.
In the feasibility study, a detailed analysis of the best-fitting market segments within the used vehicles market will be conducted, including the involvement of pilot customers for the validation of the business idea, as well as the elaboration of a thorough business plan for commercialisation. The findings of the feasibility study will be integrated into the subsequent SME Phase 2 project to perfectly facilitate the market introduction.