We have seen a few examples of Tesla powertrains being used in other vehicles, whether it was in conversion projects or in Tesla’s powertrain program with Toyota and Daimler, but the other way around is new to us.

Magna has unveiled a Model S prototype equipped with 3 of their new electric motors – pictured above.

They took a dual motor Model S and replaced the front and rear motors by 3 of their own new E1 140-kW motors (188 hp) – one for each rear wheel and one for the two front wheels.

CNET took a test ride in the vehicle:

“Magna’s test driver takes me for a short spin on the roads around the company’s facility in Graz, Austria. He floors it from a stop, and I experience the car’s incredibly quick acceleration. Is it quicker than the 2.3 seconds to 60 mph boasted by the Model S P100D? I’m not timing it, but it feels like it’s in that general ballpark.”

It’s doubtful that it could actually be faster than a normal Model S P100D on a clean straight line, but there’s no doubt that the torque vectoring in the back has its advantages.

It enables them to quickly correct the torque in each real wheel in order to improve handling.

The Tier One auto supplier doesn’t actually plan to commercialize this particular version of its electric powertrain, but it serves as a showcase of their technology, which they offer to automakers looking to develop new electric vehicle platform.

As recently reported, it has been a recent focus of auto suppliers lately. Williams just unveiled a new lightweight electric car platform, GKN Driveline revealed a next-gen electric drive system, and several other top suppliers have also been leading similar efforts to take advantage of the industry’s transition to electric propulsion.

Featured images by Magna

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