Ford Fiesta electric E-Wheel-Drive by Schaeffler

Electric powertrains are gradually making their way into the motoring world, although they have not yet gained the acceptance that was initially expected. Whether because the models on sale are not appealing to potential buyers, because they carry high prices, or because the technology still has to offer solutions to issues such as limited range, the electric car is still struggling to achieve a high level of acceptance around the world.

There are very interesting projects, such as that of the German firm Schaeffler, which offer conversions with the added value of turning models with a strong market record and many years of history into electric vehicles. The general public already knows cars like the Ford Fiesta very well, so it is easier to associate a familiar model with electric technology. In addition, Schaeffler’s electric Ford Fiesta has interesting technological advances, as we will see below.

Placing the electric motor in the wheels is not a new idea, but it is cleverly executed in this Fiesta, which features two electric motors, one located in each rear wheel. Accustomed to a front-wheel-drive Fiesta, the car’s dynamics change completely. The electric motors deliver a total of 90 hp, with each motor weighing 53 kilos. All of the electric motor mechanism has been fitted inside the 16-inch wheels, together with the brakes and the components that allow the rear wheels to also steer, just like the front ones. Parking the Schaeffler electric Fiesta in a small space should be child’s play, if the graphic provided with the car’s photos is accurate.

Schaeffler’s project was carried out in an “unofficial collaboration” with the advanced engineering and research department of Ford Europe, although Ford itself says its involvement was limited to testing on winter tracks in northern Europe and verifying that the car’s dynamics were not affected by the addition of more than 50 kilos on each rear wheel. By the way, it seems the Ford engineers were very pleased.

For the moment the project has no plans for commercialization, but it has become one of the high-priority technology projects for the German government, which will receive support from its ministry of economics and technology. We will see what the future holds.

Source | Schaeffler