Auto components major Sona Comstar on Thursday said it has partnered with US-based start-up C-Motive Technologies to develop electrostatic drive motors for electric vehicle applications. The serial production of the electrostatic drive motors is expected to start in 2026, the company said in a statement.
Under the partnership, Sona Comstar will also participate in C-Motive's latest financing round, the company said without disclosing the details.
C-Motive is a technology start-up that is using electrostatic forces to build a motor through a series of multiplicative gains in mechanical, electrical, and electrochemical innovations, Sona Comstar Group CTO Kiran M Deshmukh said.
"With the development of technologically superior and commercially competitive products compared to the existing electromagnetic motors, there will be a large market opportunity in the fast-growing e-mobility market," Deshmukh said, adding Sona Comstar would continue to offer cutting edge technologies and play a leading role in driving faster adoption of electric mobility in India and globally.
Commenting on the partnership, C-Motive Technologies, CEO Matthew MAROON said, "we share Sona Comstar's vision of the mobility markets of the future and believe that their technical capabilities, global reach, and high-quality manufacturing operations are an ideal match for C-Motive's next-generation motor technology."
Sona Comstar said C-Motive's electrostatic machine technology can be scaled from a single kilowatt to tens of megawatts. These machines can be designed for varied purposes: small, modular torque motors for stationary applications to large, rugged machines for e-mobility drivetrains and multi-megawatt generators for wind turbines.
"By limiting the use of copper and removing the need for permanent magnets, C-Motive's technology can deliver a machine that is less price volatile and more efficient at the same time, reducing embodied carbon and carbon emissions along the way," the statement said.