DeepDrive wins first high-volume EV motor order and prepares China production

Series production scheduled for 2028

German electric-motor developer DeepDrive has secured its first nomination as a large-series supplier to an international vehicle manufacturer, marking its move from technology development into industrial production. According to Auto Motor und Sport, the unnamed customer is a leading global automaker and series production is scheduled to begin in 2028.

DeepDrive described the contract as a high-volume project covering several hundred thousand units over its lifetime. The company has not disclosed the customer, the investment required, the planned annual production capacity or which motor product will enter series production first. Those omissions leave the precise commercial scale and vehicle application unclear, but the nomination gives the Munich company a defined route into volume automotive supply.

Dual-rotor technology moves toward industrial scale

Founded in Munich in 2021, DeepDrive develops electric drive systems based on a patented dual-rotor radial-flux architecture. Its design places the stator between an inner and an outer rotor. The company says this configuration can provide high torque while keeping weight and costs low.

DeepDrive says it has validated the technology for three product categories: generators, wheel-hub motors and central drives. It is working with customers across all three groups but has not identified which one will be used in the newly awarded program. The ability to offer several applications could broaden its customer base, although each product must still meet the cost, quality and reliability requirements of large-scale vehicle manufacturing.

The contract also changes DeepDrive's role in the automotive value chain. Moving from prototypes and validation into a program involving several hundred thousand units requires repeatable manufacturing, supplier quality controls and delivery capacity over the full vehicle-project cycle. Investors in the company include BMW i Ventures, UVC Partners and Bayern Kapital, while Leitmotif is an anchor investor.

Shanghai team to support local production

DeepDrive is establishing a team in Shanghai as the first step in its international expansion. The operation will manage sales and project execution in the Chinese market and will employ mainly local staff. DeepDrive said the Chinese business will remain under its full control and work closely with the company's international management.

Manufacturing will follow a “local for local” model, placing production close to customers. DeepDrive is working with several strategic partners in China and intends to offer generators, wheel-hub motors and central drives in the market. Auto Motor und Sport reported that the first large-series production will take place in China, although DeepDrive has not provided factory, partner, investment or capacity details.

Development remains in Munich

The China plan raises questions about technology transfer because the company's competitive advantage rests on its motor architecture and manufacturing know-how. DeepDrive says its patent portfolio also applies in China. It argues that development speed provides an additional safeguard because engineers in Germany are already working on the next generation of motors.

The company says Munich will remain its headquarters and the center for core development and innovation. Its strategy therefore separates research and intellectual-property creation in Germany from customer-facing execution and localized manufacturing in China. For automakers, that model offers local supply in one of the world's largest electric-vehicle markets. For DeepDrive, it creates access to industrial scale while increasing the importance of partner management, production control and protection of proprietary processes.