What is the development prospect of domestic wheel hub motor technology?

Domestic wheel hub motor technology has a broad development prospect with achieved technological breakthroughs, mature industrial chains, and dual support from policies and markets. However, it also needs to cope with challenges such as market competition and technological iteration. The following is a detailed analysis: On a technical level: Breaking through pain points, there is ample room for continuous iteration The core pain point has been overcome: previously, global hub motors were plagued by three major challenges: heat generation, reliability, and cost. Nowadays, domestic technology adopts a heat dissipation solution of liquid cooling and silicon carbide chips, which solves the problem of heat dissipation and can achieve continuous running of 300 kilometers without overheating; By using magnetic levitation bearings and high-temperature resistant coils, the reliability of millions of kilometers without major repairs can be achieved; By relying on technological optimization and large-scale production, the cost of a single motor has been reduced from 20000 yuan to 8000 yuan, and even the cost of motor modification for some adapted vehicle models has been reduced to 800 yuan per wheel. These breakthroughs have cleared key obstacles for its large-scale application. High potential for technological integration: Domestic wheel hub motors are deeply integrated with new technologies such as skateboard chassis, which can free up a lot of space in the chassis and increase the average vehicle range by 200 kilometers. At the same time, when combined with wire controlled steering technology, it can achieve functions such as turning in place and lateral translation. With the performance upgrade of silicon carbide chips and further innovation in lightweight materials, the power density and energy efficiency of motors can be further improved, and even more disruptive driving functions are expected to be achieved. Market level: Expanding application scenarios and continuously expanding scale Both passenger cars and commercial vehicles are making concerted efforts: In the field of passenger cars, Dongfeng Yipai 007, as the first domestically produced hub motor passenger car in China, has landed. It is highly likely that more car companies will follow suit and adapt to this technology in the future. The industry predicts that its penetration rate in new energy vehicles is expected to soar to 12% by 2026, corresponding to a market size of 2.6 million units. In the field of commercial vehicles, special vehicles such as sanitation vehicles, mining trucks, and buses have become important landing scenarios for wheel hub motors due to their special requirements for power loss and handling flexibility. The occupancy rate of special vehicles is predicted to exceed 30% by 2025. Overseas and cross-border market expansion: Domestic wheel hub motors have begun to be exported to Europe, Southeast Asia and other places due to their cost and technological advantages. And its application scenarios are still extending to high-end cross-border fields such as rail transit and deep-sea equipment. The global market size of wheel hub motors is expected to increase to 2.741 billion US dollars, and China is expected to continue expanding its market share in the global market with its complete industrial chain. At the level of industry and policy: complete supporting facilities and strong support The closed-loop formation of the industrial chain: The Yangtze River Delta and Pearl River Delta have formed a complete localized industrial chain for wheel hub motors, from raw material supply, motor manufacturing to vehicle adaptation. With Shanghai Automotive Electric Drive as the core, we have collaborated with upstream and downstream enterprises to achieve independent research and development throughout the entire chain, freeing ourselves from dependence on imported components. We can also quickly complete technological iteration and adaptation according to vehicle requirements, which is an advantage that foreign electric motors cannot match. Continuous policy support: The national level has long paved the way for the development of hub motors, and in 2021, the first domestic hub motor industry standard was released, clarifying technical definitions and testing methods. During the 14th Five Year Plan period, the Ministry of Science and Technology also provided special funding for key technology research and development of wheel hub motors. The "Energy saving and New Energy Vehicle Technology Roadmap 2.0" also clarifies the stage goals of power density and torque density, and policy guidance provides direction and confidence for enterprise research and development. potential challenges Intense international competition: European companies such as Deepdrive and Schaeffler are deeply cultivating rare earth free motor and brake integration technology, forming differentiated competition in the high-end technology field. If domestic wheel hub motors want to continue leading the global market, they need to accelerate their research and development pace in cutting-edge directions such as rare earth free and integrated technology. Technical adaptation and cognitive issues: Although many core problems have been solved currently, the long-term adaptability of wheel hub motors to different vehicle chassis and suspensions still requires a large amount of market data verification. In addition, some consumers still have doubts about the reliability of this new technology, and the market will need some time to accumulate reputation and dispel concerns through practical application.