GEM in-wheel · Project

Ready-to-Buy Electric In-Wheel Motor That Cuts Weight 25% and Fits Any Vehicle

transportMarket-readyTRL 8

Imagine stuffing the entire engine of an electric scooter or small vehicle right inside the wheel itself — motor, controller, everything. That's exactly what a Slovenian company built with European partners. Their motor squeezes out above 92% efficiency, is up to 25% lighter than competitors, and because it's modular, it can be scaled up or down to fit different vehicles like snapping together building blocks. They went from prototype all the way to a product placed on the market.

By the numbers

above 92%

Motor efficiency

up to 25%

Torque increase vs competitors

up to 25%

Weight reduction vs competitors

EUR 1,991,945

EU funding received

Consortium partners across 3 countries

67%

Industry partner ratio in consortium

The business problem

What needed solving

Electric vehicle manufacturers — especially in the scooter, light EV, and urban mobility segments — struggle with drivetrains that are too heavy, too inefficient, and too rigid to adapt across different vehicle models. Conventional hub motors waste energy, add unsprung weight, and require expensive custom engineering for each new platform. This drives up development costs and limits range.

The solution

What was built

A complete in-wheel electric motor with integrated motor controller, using patent-pending modular technology. The project delivered a market-placed product achieving above 92% efficiency, up to 25% more torque, and up to 25% less weight than competitors. Total deliverables: 2, including a confirmed "Product Placed" milestone.

Audience

Who needs this

Electric scooter and light EV manufacturers looking for a high-efficiency drivetrainShared mobility and fleet operators wanting lower maintenance and longer rangeAutomotive tier suppliers seeking electric drivetrain products to add to their portfolioUrban transport companies electrifying last-mile delivery vehiclesElectric wheelchair and personal mobility device manufacturers

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Electric scooter and light EV manufacturing

SME

Target: Electric scooter or light electric vehicle manufacturer

If you are an electric scooter manufacturer dealing with heavy, inefficient drivetrains that limit range and increase cost — this project developed a complete in-wheel motor with integrated controller that achieves above 92% efficiency, reduces weight by up to 25%, and increases torque by up to 25% compared to existing products. The modular design lets you adapt it to your vehicle platform without custom engineering.

Urban mobility and shared transport

mid-size

Target: Shared mobility operator or fleet manager

If you are a shared mobility operator struggling with vehicle maintenance costs and energy consumption across your fleet — this in-wheel motor uses regenerative braking and low-voltage design for high reliability and simple maintenance. With efficiency above 92% and up to 25% weight reduction, your vehicles can travel further per charge, reducing operational costs.

Automotive components and tier suppliers

mid-size

Target: Automotive tier-1 or tier-2 supplier seeking electric drivetrain products

If you are a component supplier looking to add electric drivetrain products to your portfolio — GEM in-wheel offers a modular, scalable motor technology with proven production capability through partner Domel, an established electric motor manufacturer. The easy scalability and excellent price-performance ratio make it viable for cost-efficient product range development.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What does the in-wheel motor cost compared to traditional electric drivetrains?

The project emphasizes an excellent price-performance ratio as a core competitive advantage, but specific pricing is not published in the project data. Based on available project data, the modular design reduces manufacturing complexity, which typically translates to lower unit costs at scale. Contact the coordinator for current pricing.

Can this be produced at industrial scale?

Yes. The consortium includes Domel, a long-established company specializing in electric motor production, specifically brought in for manufacturing capability. The project received EUR 1,991,945 in EU funding as an Innovation Action focused on market placement, not just research. The deliverable 'Product Placed' confirms the product reached market.

What is the IP situation — can I license or OEM this motor?

GEM Motors holds patent-pending modular technology for the in-wheel motor design. Based on available project data, licensing or OEM arrangements would need to be negotiated directly with GEM Motors in Slovenia. The modular architecture was specifically designed for easy adaptation to various customer needs.

How does this integrate with existing vehicle platforms?

The modular technology is designed for easy adaptation to various customer needs, allowing development of a cost-efficient complete product range. The motor integrates the controller inside the wheel, simplifying vehicle architecture. Five key customers were already involved in the project consortium network.

What efficiency and performance numbers are proven?

The project reports efficiency above 92%, torque increases of up to 25%, and weight reductions of up to 25% compared to competitive in-wheel products on the global market. These figures come from the project objectives for an Innovation Action that delivered a placed product.

Is this only for scooters or can it work for larger vehicles?

The project specifically targeted urban transportation and partnered with Eccity, an electric scooter producer. However, the modular and scalable design is explicitly highlighted as a key advantage, meaning it can be adapted to different vehicle sizes and power requirements. Based on available project data, the core application is light electric vehicles.

Consortium

Who built it

The 6-partner consortium across Germany, France, and Slovenia is heavily industry-driven at 67% industry ratio with 3 SMEs. GEM Motors (Slovenia) leads as the technology developer, Domel brings established electric motor manufacturing capacity, Fraunhofer IAO contributes world-class e-mobility research, Luznar handles power electronics, and Eccity (France) serves as a real end-customer producing electric scooters. This is not a research-heavy project — it was built to get a product to market, and the partner mix reflects that with production, research, and a ready buyer all at the table. Five additional key customers were part of the extended network.

GEM MOTORS, RAZVOJ IN IZDELAVA INOVATIVNIH ELEKTROMOTORJEV DOOCoordinator · SI
DOMEL ELEKTROMOTORJI IN GOSPODINJSKI APARATI D.O.O.participant · SI
UNIVERSITY OF STUTTGARTthirdparty · DE

How to reach the team

GEM Motors is an SME based in Slovenia specializing in electric motor development. SciTransfer can facilitate an introduction to discuss licensing, OEM supply, or technical partnerships.

Order a report on this consortium See GEM MOTORS, RAZVOJ IN IZDELAVA INOVATIVNIH ELEKTROMOTORJEV DOO profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore integrating this in-wheel motor into your vehicle platform? SciTransfer can arrange a direct introduction to the GEM Motors team and provide a detailed technical brief tailored to your application.

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