Its name evokes a previous focus on controllers for the aviation industry, but PML FlightLink of Hampshire, United Kingdom is clearly going to be an electric vehicle components company to watch in coming years.

Today, U.S. electric car maker ZAP (BULLETIN BOARD: ZAAP) announced an agreement with PML to use its advanced wheel motor technology in a next generation electric vehicle the company is developing with Lotus Engineering, called the ZAP-X (see Cleantech.com's Look out Tesla... ZAP building electric supercar.)

ZAP has touted hard-to-believe specifications for its ZAP-X crossover SUV, including a top speed of 155 mph, 0 to 60 mph acceleration in 4.8 seconds, and a peak 644 horsepower.

Key to the performance: PML's advanced in-hub motors, which integrate motor and drive electronics in one unit to produce an ultra high power density—up to 20 times more than conventional systems, PML claims.

Wheel motors allow automotive designers to achieve greater efficiencies in the overall design, distributing the weight and displacement of the drive train to the four corners of the vehicle. PML's wheel motors also incorporate new regenerative braking capabilities that, unlike the few percent gleaned back from the Toyota Prius' regenerative braking, convert 85% of the braking energy back into electricity, the company says.

ZAP CEO Steve Schneider calls the motors "without question, the best drive system in the world."

It's quite the distinction for PML FlightLink, formerly Printed Motors Limited, a small company with 38 employees in the U.K. and 28 in China. The firm got its start 30 years ago developing flat motors constructed like a printed circuit for use in photographic equipment, office automation, industrial robotics and other applications. A previous owner acquired a company called FlightLink that made joystick controllers. Then it dabbled in the medical market before its current owner took the helm.

"When I took over the company, I decided that wasn't the best strategy for the future," said Martin Boughtwood, Director of PML FlightLink, today in an interview with Cleantech.com.

Broughtwood focused the company on high performance wheel motors for electric and hybrid/electric vehicles and on high performance wind turbine generators. Now, both are entering the market, based on the same scalable core technology.

According to PML's Broughtwood, its compact, energy efficient, electric wheel motors produce "world beating performance," with unrivaled levels of torque with internal heavy-duty tapered roller bearings that can withstand heavy radial loads for robust use, important for the all-wheel drive capability of electric vehicles.

"At minimum, it's more than 10 times lighter than anything else in the world today. It's highly reliable—20 times more reliable than conventional systems. It replaces mechanical brakes with integrated regenerative braking, reclaiming about 85 percent of the available energy, so you can substantially increase the vehicle or alternatively manage with a smaller battery.

While the company has only produced a handful of its motors to date for testing by potential partners, Broughtwood said the company is now ramping up to produce the motors in volume.

"We've had our heads down for the last 4-5 years developing the product. The numbers that are now pending are quite enormous. I'm always a little wary of being too speculative until the orders come in, but they'll certainly be in tens of thousands, if not the hundreds of thousands."

"We need to get our manufacturing position established so we can get market share early."

Broughtwood was unclear exactly where the motors would be manufactured, and expressed concern about offshoring all manufacturing to China, citing intellectual property concerns.

ZAP has agreed to an initial order of approximately $10 million in PML wheel motors. In a statement today, ZAP suggested it was seeking to arrange exclusive rights. But PML's Broughtwood told Cleantech.com that he was in discussions under non-disclosure with other unnamed automotive companies, and pointing out only that "they're not in Japan."

"We are in discussion with several companies. This is the first formal announcement. I think there will be at least one further announcement this summer, perhaps two."