Sona Comstar to make magnet-less drive motors for electric 2- and 3-wheelers

Two-and-a-half months after it tied up with Israel's IRP Nexus Group Ltd (IRP), a leading provider of cutting-edge electric powertrain solutions for e-mobility, for a powertrain project, Sona BLW Precision Forgings, through its wholly owned subsidiary company Sona Comstar eDrive has entered into a collaboration agreement to develop, manufacture, and supply a magnet-less drive motor and the matching controller (System) for performance two-wheelers and three-wheelers for the global market.

The agreement was signed on September 30 through the initiative of International Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology (iCreate), India’s technology business incubation center.

This will see IRP license its technology to Sona Comstar for manufacture of the system exclusively in India for the global market. This envisages an innovative motor-plus-controller combination that does not use rare earth elements like neodymium, besides offering high efficiency and low cost to manufacturers of electric two- and three-wheelers. The project is expected to mitigate the risk stemming from dependency on limited and unreliable sources, apart from ensuring a more environmentally friendly production process.

Commenting on the project, Sunjay Kapur, chairman Sona Comstar, said: “This can be a game changer for the EV segment and may bring about a revolutionary change in the automobile industry. The EV industry is likely to benefit from reduced cost of production and will be insulated against supply chain disruptions of rare earth minerals required today for electric motors. Sona Comstar has been at the forefront of introducing cutting edge technology for the automotive segment and envisages that this development may bring about a positive shift towards quicker adoption of EV globally. We are confident that this new innovating technology will have wide scale implication and the potential towards environmental sustainability, besides reducing the cost of EV vehicles.”

Vivek Vikram Singh, MD and Group CEO, added: “This is truly innovative technology that may have a huge impact on the EV industry. This agreement will bring a new kind of technology not seen before in electric two- and three-wheelers, making them much more affordable. EVs are the future of mobility and we at Sona Comstar are doing our utmost towards making the technology sustainable, affordable and environment friendly. We are at the forefront of exploring unconventional technology and newer solutions to bring positive change to the automobile sector.” 

Under the arrangement, Sona Comstar will pay one-time license fees and royalty to IRP Nexus during the term of the agreement, which is seven years. Sona Comstar will have the exclusive rights to manufacture the system in India and non-exclusive rights to sell and distribute the system globally.