The British supercar maker is working on a rear-axle powertrain for a high-end electric car, The Drive reports citing recent patent filings. The company’s current powertrain layout only enables one or two motors at the rear end. It is unclear what model might get the trio.
The idea behind the design is to transmit the torque from one motor to a reduction gear and onwards to the two other motors rotating one wheel each. In addition to boosting the power and torque output of those per-wheel motors, such a setup may enable more precise torque distribution. Regenerative braking is also provided for.
All three motors and the reduction gear are envisioned as a single unit in a single housing. The patent points out that the system remains viable if fuel cells or supercapacitors are used in place of the usual batteries. It could even be made part of a hybrid system, but that would necessitate mounting the whole unit at the front axle and drive the rear axle with a conventional petrol engine.