Simon Shepherd, Head of eDrive and Chief Product Officer, Monumo
Deeptech is transforming EV powertrain engineering by introducing new levels of computational freedom, speed, and system integration, allowing companies to achieve levels of performance and cost reduction previously out of reach through existing methods.
Nature-Inspired System Design
Modern engineering increasingly draws inspiration from nature, where efficiency is achieved through adaptation and system-level harmony. EV developers are now using advanced computational tools to explore organic, highly optimised component shapes and system architectures; mirroring, for example, how a tree or a bird’s wing achieves a perfect balance of forces. Unlike natural evolution, which takes millennia, digital tools allow engineers to iterate and converge on superior solutions within weeks, critical for keeping pace with rapidly changing industry and regulatory demands.
Overcoming Conventional Barriers
Classic engineering methods, which adjust just a handful of design parameters, can no longer solve today’s complex powertrain optimisation challenges. Next-generation computational platforms let engineers evaluate vast combinations of component geometries and system parameters – tens of millions, in some cases -far beyond what’s possible with manual approaches or simple brute-force computation. Intelligent automated routines and novel search strategies deliver the breakthroughs needed when conventional software and human time simply cannot scale
Real-World Results at Scale
Breakthrough deeptech platforms – like Monumo’s Anser® Engine – are now enabling EV makers to rapidly generate and assess hundreds of thousands of valid designs for components such as motors and gearboxes.
- In recent projects, 250,000+ viable motor designs were created in just three days, trimming magnet use by more than 8 % and cutting costs by 4 %, saving €15 per vehicle. [1]
- Expanding system optimisation to include additional variables (e.g. stator dimensions, gears, and motor length) produced over 550,000 valid solutions in five days, achieving savings as high as 11 % (€43 per unit), or reducing losses by 12.5 % at no added cost. [2][1]
The Next Frontier
The emergence of “generative design” tools – able to propose promising designs directly – suggests future engineering cycles will be radically compressed, possibly delivering optimal solutions within minutes instead of days. Monumo’s technology roadmap forecasts continued gains as greater systemlevel freedom, parametric control, and digital intelligence are brought to bear:
- Motor-only optimisation: ~5 % cost reduction
- Whole-system integration: 10 %+
- Projected potential with full-system and freeform optimisation: 20 %+ cost reduction.
Deeptech is no longer a future prospect: it is already driving major advances in EV powertrain cost, weight, and performance, for the manufacturers prepared to fully adopt it.
Simon Shepherd is Head of eDrive and Chief Product Officer at Monumo, a deeptech startup based in Cambridge and Coventry, UK, specialising in AI-driven engineering solutions. Ready to explore how deep-tech can transform your powertrain development? Contact Simon.Shepherd@Monumo.com, see more at monumo.com listen to him speak about our latest developments at 11:15 on Wednesday 3rd December in Deep Drive Track L.
