DRIVEMODE · Project

Modular Electric Motor Units That Snap Together for Any Vehicle Size

transportTestedTRL 6

drivemode-h2020.eu

Imagine building an electric car drivetrain the way you build with LEGO — one compact motor-and-gearbox block that you can use alone for a city car or snap several together for a bus or truck. That's what DRIVEMODE built: a 30-50 kW power module combining a high-speed motor, silicon carbide electronics, and a gearbox into one unit. Instead of designing a custom drivetrain for every vehicle type, manufacturers can mix and match these modules. The team proved it works by installing multiple modules in a real test vehicle and studying how to mass-produce them affordably.

By the numbers

30-50 kW

Power range per modular traction unit

Consortium partners

Countries represented in consortium

50%

Industry partners ratio in consortium

Total project deliverables

The business problem

What needed solving

Electric vehicle manufacturers today must design custom drivetrains for each vehicle type — a city car, a delivery van, and a bus each need completely different motor and power electronics configurations. This drives up engineering costs, slows time-to-market, and prevents economies of scale in component production. Smaller EV companies and fleet operators are especially squeezed, unable to justify the R&D investment for each vehicle variant.

The solution

What was built

The project built a compact modular traction unit integrating a high-speed 30-50 kW electric motor, a silicon carbide (SiC) power inverter, a gearbox, and a direct liquid cooling system into one package. Multiple units were installed in a test vehicle to prove the scalable architecture works, and the vehicle was demonstrated at the final project event in Sweden.

Audience

Who needs this

EV startups developing new vehicle platforms without large drivetrain engineering teamsBus and commercial vehicle OEMs electrifying their fleetsTier 1 automotive suppliers looking to offer modular EV drivetrain componentsFleet operators converting delivery and utility vehicles to electricElectric motorsport and specialty vehicle builders needing scalable power

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Electric vehicle manufacturing

mid-size

Target: EV startups and mid-size automakers developing new electric platforms

If you are an EV manufacturer struggling with the cost and complexity of designing separate drivetrains for each vehicle model — this project developed a modular 30-50 kW traction unit combining motor, SiC inverter, and gearbox that scales from passenger cars to light-duty trucks. Instead of engineering from scratch each time, you integrate one or several identical modules. The consortium studied mass-manufacturing trade-offs to keep unit costs down.

Commercial fleet electrification

enterprise

Target: Bus and delivery vehicle operators converting fleets to electric

If you are a fleet operator facing high upfront costs for electric buses or delivery vans — this project created a scalable drivetrain module where multiple 30-50 kW units couple directly to wheels for higher-power vehicles. This means the same proven component can power both your small delivery vans and your city buses. The modular design was demonstrated on a real test vehicle with several modules working together.

Automotive component supply

any

Target: Tier 1 and Tier 2 drivetrain component suppliers

If you are an automotive supplier looking for the next generation of EV drivetrain components — this project evaluated different electric machine topologies for the best balance of performance, efficiency, and manufacturing cost in the 30-50 kW range. With 6 industry partners across 6 countries involved, the supply chain implications were tested at consortium level. The SiC power electronics and direct liquid cooling design offer a competitive edge for volume production.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to license or adopt this modular drivetrain technology?

The project specifically studied the economic feasibility of mass-manufacturing different motor topologies to find the best trade-off between performance and cost. Exact pricing is not published in the project data, but the design was optimized for manufacturability and cost reduction. Contact the coordinator VTT for licensing terms.

Can this scale to full industrial production?

Yes, scalability was a core objective. The project evaluated mass-manufacturing feasibility for the 30-50 kW traction modules and demonstrated scalability by embedding several modules in a single test vehicle. The consortium included 6 industry partners, representing 50% of the 12-partner team, which signals production-readiness intent.

Who owns the intellectual property from this project?

IP is distributed among the 12 consortium partners across 6 countries, coordinated by VTT in Finland. Licensing arrangements would need to be negotiated through the coordinator. Key IP areas likely cover the SiC inverter integration, the dry rotor liquid cooling system, and the modular coupling mechanism.

Does this work with existing vehicle platforms or require a redesign?

The modular design was specifically intended to couple mechanically with a standard vehicle axle for lower-performance applications, or directly with wheels for high-performance setups. This flexibility suggests integration with existing platforms is feasible, though engineering adaptation would be needed for each vehicle type.

What vehicle types has this been tested on?

The consortium demonstrated the technology by embedding several powertrain modules on board a test vehicle, which was displayed at the project final event in Sweden. The design targets electric and hybrid passenger cars, light-duty vehicles, and buses.

Are there regulatory considerations for this drivetrain technology?

Based on available project data, the project focused on technical performance and manufacturing rather than certification. However, the technology targets standard vehicle categories (passenger cars, light-duty vehicles, buses), so existing type-approval processes would apply. The European automotive homologation path is well established for these vehicle classes.

Consortium

Who built it

The DRIVEMODE consortium brings together 12 partners from 6 countries (Austria, Germany, Finland, Italy, Sweden, Slovenia), with a 50-50 split between industry and research. Having 6 industry partners — including component manufacturers and vehicle integrators — signals that this technology was developed with real production constraints in mind, not just lab curiosity. The coordinator VTT is Finland's leading applied research organization with deep ties to Nordic automotive and electronics industries. The geographic spread across major European automotive markets (Germany, Italy, Sweden) gives the results broad industrial relevance. Only 1 SME participated, suggesting the technology targets larger-scale manufacturing rather than niche applications.

TEKNOLOGIAN TUTKIMUSKESKUS VTT OYCoordinator · FI
FONDAZIONE ICONSparticipant · IT
NATIONAL ELECTRIC VEHICLE SWEDEN ABparticipant · SE
S.C.I.R.E. CONSORZIOparticipant · IT
THIEN EDRIVES GMBHparticipant · AT
TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAET ILMENAUparticipant · DE
SEMIKRON DANFOSS ELEKTRONIK GMBH & CO. KGparticipant · DE
AVL SOFTWARE AND FUNCTIONS GMBHparticipant · DE
DANFOSS EDITRON OYparticipant · FI
UNIVERZA V LJUBLJANIparticipant · SI
CHALMERS TEKNISKA HOGSKOLA ABparticipant · SE

How to reach the team

VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland — reach out to their Transport and Mobility division for licensing inquiries

Order a report on this consortium See TEKNOLOGIAN TUTKIMUSKESKUS VTT OY profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want an introduction to the DRIVEMODE team? SciTransfer can connect you with the right people at VTT and their industry partners. We handle the matchmaking so you can focus on evaluating the technology fit.

Order a report on this topic More in Transport & Mobility