IAA Voices: Interview with DeepDrive

DeepDrive is a high-tech start-up from Munich that has developed an ultra-efficient drive technology for e-vehicles that can be integrated into the wheel and enables plug & play vehicle platforms. The company has already attracted a lot of interest from the automotive industry and is backed by well-known investors such as Audi's ex-chief development officer. The founding team of DeepDrive already got to know each other 10 years ago in the student motorsport team of the TU Munich and has since gained a lot of experience in leading automotive groups.

Why should established mobility companies definitely know your startup?

Our completely new drive technology solves many problems of today's e-vehicles, first and foremost the issues of cost, efficiency and installation space, and has therefore already attracted great interest from many OEMs and suppliers worldwide. Especially in the logistics sector, total cost of ownership and installation space is one of the driving factors. Our solutions address precisely these issues and thus enable many highly exciting vehicle concepts.

Can you explain your product/service using 5 keywords?

We have developed a technology that represents a real technological leap. It impresses with extremely high cycle efficiency, which increases the range of e-vehicles by around 20 percent, high torque density, which means a lot of torque (and power) in a very small installation space, and a very cost-effective manufacturing approach that enables scalable large-scale production. The compact design allows us to integrate our drive into the wheel in a sensible way. This enables completely new vehicle architectures. We are also demonstrating this in our plug & play vehicle platform for small electric vehicles, which we are developing with partners.

As a startup, you meet all the important players in the industry at the IAA TRANSPORTATION. What role does the trade show play for you and what are you most excited about?

We are very much looking forward to the personal exchange with potential partners and customers. We presented our technology for the first time at IAA Mobility in Munich, which led to overwhelming interest and very exciting customer orders and partnerships, and we are looking forward to repeating this at IAA TRANSPORTATION. As one of the most important logistics trade fairs, it provides us with a very good platform, as our technology brings the greatest benefits in this area.

How will you be present at the IAA TRANSPORTATION and what can visitors look forward to at your stand?

We will be present with a booth and present our latest generation of prototypes, which is currently still in the final stages of development.

What is your mobility vision for the year 2030?

Electric, modular, sustainable: We believe there is a high diversity of modular e-vehicles sitting on the same platform and specifically tailored to different application. This requires a significant increase in efficiency and reduction in the price of the vehicles. We are doing our part to achieve this.