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Helix SPX-177 Electric Motor: Nearly 1000 HP at 28.3 Kilograms!

Helix is among the experts in the e-drive segment: The British company has now developed an electric machine weighing only 28 kilograms with a continuous output of 650 kW.

SPX 177 and inverter together weigh only 41 kilograms. | Photo: Helix
SPX 177 and inverter together weigh only 41 kilograms. | Photo: Helix
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Over 1,000 HP peak at just 28.3 kilograms and only 20 centimeters in diameter – the X-Division of Helix makes it possible. The British specialists offer three types of electric motors: "Stock" can be bought and installed off the shelf. "Configured" is then customized accordingly, and "Custom" is developed specifically according to customer specifications. And such a customer could now be McLaren or Lotus, as a British sports car manufacturer is said to have requested a drivetrain for an electric hypercar two years ago – one that should provide high continuous load capability.

The result is the SPX177 – the most powerful electric vehicle motor that Helix has ever developed. The power unit, which is only 261 millimeters long and 206 millimeters in diameter, is supposed to deliver 650 kW (885 HP) continuous power and 398 Nm continuous torque. The peak output is even over 700 kW (952 HP) and 408 Nm, with the maximum speed reported as a lavish 25,000 RPM. Derek Jordanou-Bailey, Chief Engineer at Helix, is pleased:

"The motor could potentially deliver even more performance. However, we have not pushed it to its limit."

The winding makes a big difference

The limiting factor here is the batteries, which are extremely stressed at such performance levels. But even more important than the performance values were the dimensions and weights. And here, small and light always means "expensive." According to Jordanou-Bailey, small and light always means "expensive." He continues:

"We needed an architecture that minimizes losses and heat generation, especially at high speeds, and that meant quite a change in the way the motor was wound, as minimizing resistance losses leads to a machine with very low inductance. The switching operations in the inverter can generate a lot of noise and harmonics, which poses a bigger challenge with a low-inductance motor. The software team did an excellent job and developed a new method to control the phase currents in the SPX177 motor."

The winding technology and software control are intended to ensure low temperatures – always a crucial point when operating at up to 25,000 revolutions. To the 28.3-kilogram drive, one must add a 13-kilogram inverter package that converts the direct current from the battery into alternating current. The trick: Strictly speaking, the SPX 177 is a 2x3-phase motor, which must draw its power from two inverters due to its high performance.

If you combine two of these units, you would have a 2000-HP hypercar, which currently still requires four motors. Currently, this is used by the Lotus Evija, thus reaching 1.7 tons. With the new machines, one can significantly reduce weight here – a relevant factor especially for Lotus and optionally for McLaren. Behind the scenes, a (pre-)production batch and integration into a vehicle are already being developed in the UK.

What does that mean?

Around 700 kW from a 41-kilogram drive – this is a breakthrough in electric machines. If more compact and thus hardly heavier batteries are added, the weight spiral in electric vehicles could finally be reversed. Even if the material quality is slightly reduced, this could make even less powerful and expensive drives significantly more efficient and lighter.

Translated automatically from German.
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