everything PE recently interviewed Simon Mandelj, Founder, and CEO, of Gem Motors. Gem Motors designs and manufactures advanced in-wheel electric motors primarily used in electric vehicles (EVs).
Q. Can you tell us about Gem Motors? When was the company formed and how has it evolved over the years?
Simon Mandelj: The company was founded in 2010 as a typical start-up, the idea of a new innovative motor design was first developed theoretically on paper as a result of a postdoc study by the founder Dr. Simon Mandelj. To apply the theory to a practical solution, he founded the company together with financial investors to develop a new product for a global market. After three years of extensive research and development, we presented a new innovative electric motor completely developed in GEM motors, in which we integrate a motor, a motor controller, and a wheel into one compact and robust in-wheel drive unit that is based on a globally patented technology called “Modular Multi-phase Electrical Machine”. After the presentation of the new motor solution we have been engaged in product optimization, complete product portfolio development of GEM in-wheel drives, and in recent years focusing mainly on production and quality to follow the demands on our solutions from a global Light Electric Vehicle (LEV) market. Our mission is to support customers in the transition to future urban mobility with advanced and high-performance solutions and shape the future of Light electric mobility.
Electric Motors from Gem Motors
Q. Can you tell us about your product portfolio? Which product segment is the largest for you? What market segments do you cater to? Which segment is the largest for you?
Simon Mandelj: Currently, GEM Motors’ portfolio comprises fully integrated electric motors called GEM in-wheel drives ranging from 1 kW to 15 kW of nominal power. The product portfolio consists of smaller drives G1.1 (up to 120 Nm and 2,8 KW peak) and G1.3 (up to 170 Nm and 4,1 KW peak) with typical applications of cargo bikes and trikes, small scooters, micro vehicles, farm robots, and other small robotic vehicles: medium range G2.4 (up to 185 Nm and 5,5 KW peak) and G2.6 (up to 350 Nm and 11 KW peak) with typical applications of e-scooter, motorbikes, cargo trikes, microcar, cargo vehicles and robotic vehicle: and the most powerful drives G3.1 (up to 500 Nm and 14 KW peak) and G3.2 (up to 700 Nm and 22 KW peak) for small cars, golf carts, motorcycles and different robotic vehicles and vehicle platforms.
GEM G3 in-wheel drive
Next year we plan to extend our product portfolio with an in-wheel drive with the lowest power with two products: G0.2 (nominal 250 W and 35 Nm) and G0.5 (nominal 500 W and 65 Nm) for bikes, fat bikes, cargo bikes and micro-robotic vehicles. Due to modular design and our flexibility, we can provide different variations of each product: one-sided or double-sided mounting, with integrated or standard rims, different motor speeds, different encoders, etc, With a wide range of power levels of our product portfolio and with different variations of each GEM in-wheel drive product we can cover a broad variety of applications in Light Electric Vehicle market, with the biggest markets: cargo bikes and trikes (EPAC or L2e category), motorcycles (L1e or L3e category), micro car (L6e and L7e category). In recent years, our solutions have become very popular for robotic vehicle applications that are used in cargo transportation, farming, and other industrial applications. All GEM in-wheel drives can be supplied in a very short time due to the safety stock policy to reduce customer time for testing and initial development.
Q. Can you brief us about Gem Motors' electric powertrain technology? What are in-wheel drive propulsion systems? What are the unique challenges in developing in-wheel motors compared to traditional electric motors?
Simon Mandelj: It is the simplest drive for a vehicle or the least complex vehicle propulsion system where a motor is located directly inside the wheel and thus a motor and a wheel with a tyre represent one compact unit. Mechanical transmission, gears, etc. are not required in this solution, which significantly reduces the complexity, weight, and cost of the propulsion system. In GEM motors we go one step ahead by integrating another part of the drive system - a motor controller inside the wheel. This is perfectly in line with the major developing trends in propulsion systems that is: integration, reduction of space, weight, and cost. This trend is well recognized and emphasized in electric mobility studies provided by IDTecX and the US Department of Energy. Thus, the GEM in-wheel drives represent a future advanced drive solution that is already available now.
Q. How does Gem Motor's in-wheel drive technology integrate with existing automotive systems?
Simon Mandelj: An in-wheel solution is integrated inside the wheel by mounting the motor on the suspension and the other side mounting on the motor a rim with tyre and a disc brake. Thus a complete solution for vehicle propulsion is achieved without any other mechanical elements (no mechanical transmission, no gears, no differential). Because we have an integrated motor controller, the next step of integration is an electrical connection to other components of the vehicle, mainly to the battery and the control signals. Usually, a display is also required and other safety components. Such a powertrain system is normally controlled with central electronics like a Vehicle Control Unit (VCU), which communicates with all the components of the powertrain system. With our special solution of VCU fully compatible with our drives we help our customers to faster integrate our in-wheel drives into their powertrain system on the vehicle.
Q. Can you tell us about Gem Motors' Modular Multi-Phase Technology?
Simon Mandelj: The main innovation of this patented technology is an integration of a modular motor controller solution together with a multi-phase motor topology which allows using the same motor controller integration on all GEM in-wheel drives, i.e. using the same power module and the same firmware. This feature helps customers to use the same electrical interface on all GEM products even with different power levels.
Multiphase motor operation with FOC control imparts superior performance
This patented technology boasts advanced features such as a very high system efficiency of up to 91% due to motor controller integration, enhanced safety due to low voltage operation, high reliability with increased redundancy due to modular design, and a fully integrated in-wheel drive that significantly shrinks the overall weight and simplifies integration to the vehicle drive system. Therefore, we strongly believe that our technical solution represents a real gem for the customer.
Q. Can you tell us about GEM Motors' collaboration with the Brunel Solar Team in developing the latest solar car, Nuna 12?
Simon Mandelj: We are glad that the legendary Brunel Solar team, the most successful team in the solar competition, recognized our expertise and past achievements, and invited us to collaborate in the development of a new highly efficient motor for the latest version of the solar vehicle Nuna 12S. Our task was to help the highly talented young students from DELF with motor design, simulation, and proto-production. It was a challenge also for us since a completely new motor topology was used, a dual airgap rotor, with special material for the stator and rotor, to maximize efficiency. In addition, a special construction of mechanical components was developed to reduce overall motor weight. We are happy that project was successfully implemented on the latest solar vehicle.
Q. How does Gem Motor contribute to the development of urban e-mobility?
Simon Mandelj: In fact, we are much involved in shaping the future of urban e-mobility. Firstly, our mission is to provide solutions, that help our customers to offer advanced and highly quality products that will consequently increase quality of end-user experience of daily transportation in urban areas. We are partnering with many customers that provide such advanced solutions, to name a few examples: Bicar, HeritageBike, Stilride, Roboxi, and several others will follow this market in the next years. On the other hand, we are involved in several initiatives for improvements in urban transportation through cooperation with crucial partners within EU projects that are boosting the urban mobility agenda and developing more friendly future mobility solutions for every citizen., emphasizing sustainability, environment footprint, integration of different transportation and increase efficiency of transportation.
Q. What are Gem Motor's key goals for 2025? Are there plans to expand the company's product lineup?
Simon Mandelj: The main goal for the next year is to continue our fast growth by production ramp-up and thus increase global sales, targeting 100% growth in terms of revenue. In addition, we continue with our developing activities to place on the market the smallest product of our patented GEM in-wheel drive family: in-wheel drive G0.2 (250 W) and G0.5 (500 W) by which we are entering a new bike market. In this way, we are following our strategy and striving to become a leading innovative electric drive solutions provider on global LEV market.
About Simon Mandelj
Dr. Simon Mandelj is the founder and CEO of the company; he founded the company in 2010 with a new idea of electric motor propulsion technology. He believed that we deserved much better electric drive propulsion for small electric vehicles that would enhance the quality of our living. He used his powerful creative drive to research electromagnetic phenomena and based on his findings started to develop an advanced and innovative electric motor prototype in a garage. His invention of the direct-in-wheel drive was recognized by private investors, important customers, and international experts. It has disruptive potential for future urban electric mobility.
