DeepDrive Press Release
2024 / 02 / 02
 
Continental and DeepDrive have been awarded ‚Innovation of the Year 2023‘ by Vehicle Dynamics International Magazine. The award recognizes their collaborative effort developing the Drive-Brake Unit, which showcases impressive design and technological advancements in the electric vehicle sector. The product has proven to be a step forward in vehicle efficiency and introduces new concepts in automotive design.
 
With this product, the companies aim to capitalise on the potential to place all chassis functions, including the drive, directly in an EV’s wheel. This electric component maximises driving range while minimising installation space and introducing modularity.
 
The optimal coordination of brake and drive systems is a key factor, with the integration of both elements in one unit enabling a high level of efficiency in the drive and when braking. Having integrated components also reduces complexity through modularisation and facilitates the manufacturing process.
 
The first stage of the collaboration will see a hydraulic brake integrated into the Drive-Brake unit. In a second step, it is also planned to integrate on the long-term dry braking systems without hydraulic components into DeepDrive’s innovative wheel hub drive.
 
The combination of drive and brake in one unit is also the first step towards enabling the design of a compact corner module with integrated chassis components, such as air suspension systems from Continental, mounted directly on the wheel.