Company Profile
Variable Torque Motors is an engineering and design company that specializes in electric drive systems for vehicles with duty cycles that require both high torque and high speed.
Electric motors, like internal-combustion engines, have a defined operating range. However, electric motors have no transmission. Without a transmission, vehicle speed is limited.
Imagine your car or truck with only one gear. If you need low-end torque, then top-end speed is limited. If you need top-end speed, then low-end torque is limited.
A call from one of the airlines in the year 2000 prompted the development of the Variable Torque Motor. The airline needed electric tractors capable of pulling several baggage carts up relatively steep ramps at airports.
The challenge — develop an electric drive system with low-end torque and top-end speed.
Our variable torque technology uniquely solves this problem with a suite of eight patents. Our technology features a brushless permanent magnet motor that’s capable of maintaining torque over a wide range of speed. It delivers torque to the driveshaft for both acceleration and deceleration to provide regenerative braking.
Our flagship product is the VTM Hybrid for trucks and buses. It’s a post transmission system that retrofits to new or existing class 3 to class 7 vehicles. The system mounts in line with the vehicle driveshaft and converts the existing vehicle to hybrid electric.
The benefits of the VTM Hybrid in start/stop applications are increased fuel efficiency by 25-40%, reduced carbon emissions by 20-30% and reduced brake maintenance expenses by up to 80%.
Our leadership team is experienced in motor development, manufacturing, sales and marketing.
Our customers include both bus manufacturers and fleet owners. Bus manufacturers with the VTM Hybrid as an option on their 2010 models are Turtle Top, Glaval Bus and ARBOC Mobility. We have many direct fleet owner customers as well who use our product on vehicles previously in use with combustion-only motors.
We have partnered with world leaders, Cummins Crosspoint and Nidec-Hurst, for manufacturing, distribution and service.
Variable Torque Motors is headquartered in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
