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Nidec Adds 200 kW and 50 kW Models to its Lineup of EV Traction Motor Systems For Luxury Carsy


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Nidec’s 200 kW E-Axle

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Kyoto February 13, 2020; Nidec has added two new models to its lineup of traction motor systems for electric vehicles: a 200 kW model for the D and E segments (large family cars and full-size / executive cars) and a 50 kW model for the A segment (micro / city / kei cars). Both models are based on the company’s original 150 kW E-Axle—the first fully integrated traction motor system (electric motor, reduction gear box and inverter) in the world to enter mass-production. With the addition of these two new models, the company's E-Axles can now be used by an estimated 98% of all electric passenger vehicles.

The new 200 kW E-Axle, targeting luxury electric vehicles for the European and Chinese markets, features a motor and gears that have been improved to increase the power of the system by more than 30% while the total weight, 95 kg, is only 9% higher than that of the 87 kg 150 kW model.

Nidec’s 50 kW E-Axle

The 50 kW model, on the other hand, takes aim at Japanese kei cars and similarly sized microcars for the Southeast Asian market. By adopting a coaxial design, the size has been reduced significantly (W 540 mm x H 300 mm x D 330 mm).

Mass-production of the 200 kW and 50 kW models is slated to commence in 2023 and 2022 respectively. The company recently announced during an investor conference in Tokyo that its backlog of E-Axle orders to be fulfilled by 2025 has surpassed 10 million units.

Nidec was established in Kyoto, Japan in 1973 by its Chairman and CEO Shigenobu Nagamori. In 1979, Nidec became the first company in the world to successfully commercialize a direct drive spindle motor for HDDs based on a brushless DC motor. Since then, the company has grown into a world-leading comprehensive motor manufacturer encompassing more than 300 subsidiaries employing over 100,000 people throughout the world and with annual sales exceeding $13B. Nidec's motors, drives, generators and related products are found in a diverse range of applications including computers, smartphones, home appliances, automobiles, manufacturing plants, robots and more.