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Hard-Drive Maker Nidec Turns to EV Motors

Nidec Corp., the Kyoto-based maker of precision motors used in computer hard drives, has unveiled a motor and gearbox system designed for electric and hybrid powertrains.
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Nidec Corp., the Kyoto-based maker of precision motors used in computer hard drives, has unveiled a motor and gearbox system designed for electric and hybrid powertrains.

The unit, which also incorporates an inverter and proprietary cooling system, can handle loads as great at 130 kW (174 hp). Nidec says the combination weighs only 80 kg (176 lbs), making it at least 5 kg (11 lbs) lighter than competing systems.

The company hopes to begin producing the motor in China in 2019, according to The Nikkei. The newspaper notes that Nidec subsidiaries have built motors for commercial electric vehicles, but the new unit is the first to be aimed at the mainstream EV market.

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