# Crusher hub motor's?



## brian_ (Feb 7, 2017)

This is a plug-in series hybrid using a VW car engine (driving a 60 kW generator)... and yes, hub motors. They appear to have geared outputs, one JPL report says that they can tolerate 150 G shocks, and an online description says that the motors are from UQM, but other details - even just the power rating - are hard to find. 

It probably isn't hard to find a motor that can take high shock loads, but it isn't the spec that people are most common interested in. Dana's Spicer Electrified product page has several hub motors... but of course with limited specs.

Technically I think these are interesting, but in practical terms I don't know what I would do with a skid-steer six-wheeler.

From Wikipedia: *Crusher* (robot)
National Robotics Engineering Center › Solutions  › Defense  › other-projects › Autonomous Platform Demonstrator > *Crusher*


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## Duncan (Dec 8, 2008)

Rusted B&B said:


> I thought it would be cool to build apc like vehicle like the crusher below- just not so big. The thing is just ridiculous in it all terrain abilities. It seems to be powered by inhub motors or something like that. If you only go say, max 30mph, that seems like a cool option as it would save room in the cabin for a couple people and batteries. Try as I might though, I can't seem to find any way of find an inhub motor or a motor that can take that abuse. Is there something like that , that my google skills just can't find?
> 
> View attachment 122167


I suspect that it uses hydraulic hub motors - really good at low speeds


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## brian_ (Feb 7, 2017)

Duncan said:


> I suspect that it uses hydraulic hub motors - really good at low speeds


Hydraulic motors are commonly used for skid-steer equipment, and hub motors (although generally not used for skid-steers) are readily available, and would work (although high-speed power would be an issue); however, the published descriptions clearly state that the drive system is electric, referring specifically to electric motors at each hub.


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## brian_ (Feb 7, 2017)

Once you know what to look for, there are a lot of references to the UQM Technologies motors used in the Crusher.

Two Additional Hybrid Electric 'Crusher' Unmanned Ground Combat Vehicles Powered by UQM Propulsion Begin Field Testing and Evaluation
“Crusher” Unmanned Combat Vehicles
Hybrid-Electric Vehicle Will Drive Itself Through Dangerous Missions
The World Electric Vehicle Journal, Vol 2, Issue 2: Introducing a 150 kW (200 hp) Permanent Magnet Propulsion System Achieving 1 hp/lb

This illustration of the earlier and very similar "Spinner" (presumably from UQM) was in a blog item linked above:








It shows only 30 kW (continuous) per motor, and the Crusher is lighter.

The last linked article (if you can find a source of the full text) includes these statements:
"UQM Technologies introduced a 100 kW (134 hp) propulsion system in 1997, originally targeting wheel hub drives for series hybrid electric buses. Subsequent to this original application, these motors went on to be applied within hybrid electric Humvees for the military, the Spinner and Crusher unmanned military vehicles, and most recently, the Phoenix Motorcars sport utility trucks and sport utility vehicles."​and
"These items came together to create a new system that UQM calls the PowerPhase™ 150..."​So there you go: they're the good old UQM PP 100, mounted in a hub with reduction gearing. Leftovers from the Coda bankruptcy liquidation are still advertised at about USD$6,500 with inverter/controller, and while I'm sure they're fine motors they're not exceptional by current EV standards. The matched inverter is larger in volume than the motor itself!

In 2019, UQM Technologies was acquired by Danfoss, to become part of Danfoss Power Solutions, adding to the existing Danfoss Editron line of motors. I don't know which motors of the current lineup are the current versions of the UQM PowerPhase range.


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## Rusted B&B (Nov 6, 2020)

yeah I think a in hub motor with gearing is out of my budget lol


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## brian_ (Feb 7, 2017)

Rusted B&B said:


> yeah I think a in hub motor with gearing is out of my budget lol


For what you describe, you don't need to use motors this large or expensive, but reduction geared hubs are a bit of pain to find and to adapt the motor to.


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