In a recent announcement, LM Industries and Protean Electric have revealed that they have teamed up for the development of self-driving plug-in electric vehicles (EVs). The partnership announced by the two companies is noteworthy as LM Industries is an open-source vehicle design manufacturer, and Protean Electric is an in-wheel electric drive developer.

According to the terms of the partnership agreement, Protean Electric and LM Industries will initially focus their efforts on the development of an electric drive system which will be used inside the design of LM Industries’ self-driving shuttle prototype named ‘Olli.’

After developing the mentioned electric drive system, the two companies will collaborate on the development of a new technology which can potentially be used by transportation-as-a-service (TaaS) companies/programs of the future.

Against the backdrop of the partnership, LM Industries’ co-founder and CEO John B. Rogers Jr. said that open platforms are a crucial component of the company’s strategic vision because they provide the company with the required “flexibility to work with innovative companies like Protean Electric”; thereby paving the way for a speedy integration of new technologies for making “great products.”

John B. Rogers Jr. further said that, as a result of the partnership, LM Industries will be able to “revolutionize self-driving vehicle design creating more space for passengers”, by using Protean Electric’s eDrive technology with in-wheel motors and integrated power electronics.