Dive Brief:
- Global auto supplier Hyundai Mobis unveiled its e-Corner System electric in-wheel motor technology for the first time at the CES technology conference in Las Vegas on Tuesday.
- The company’s “e-Corner System,” installed on a Hyundai Ioniq 5 EV, integrates the electric motors and drive unit components into the wheel hub, eliminating the need for constant-velocity half shafts like in a traditional EV design.
- The eCorner System allows each wheel to move independently, allowing the vehicle to move in a lateral or diagonal motion, as well as perform stationary pivot turns.
Dive Insight:
This week, CES attendees in Las Vegas were offered the opportunity to see the Mobion EV perform maneuvers they may have never seen before. Hyundai Mobis calls it “Crab Drive” and said it conducted successful on-road tests of its advanced 4-wheel steering capabilities in 2023.
In a traditional EV, electric motors send power to the wheels that include an integrated e-drive unit. With the in-wheel drive system, the motors are relocated close to each wheel hub, opening up more space for passengers or cargo. Hyundai Mobis also integrated the vehicle’s braking, steering and suspension components into the e-Corner System.
"In-Wheel technology involves placing four small motors inside each wheel, as opposed to the single large driving motor commonly used in EVs," said Le Young-kook, vice president and head of the company’s electrification lab, in a press release. "This configuration enables each wheel to generate its own power independently."
The Mobion concept vehicle also has special LED lighting to alert nearby pedestrians, as well as three integrated lidar units that serve as autonomous driving sensors. The Mobion’s two short-distance lidars are positioned near the left and right headlamps. The third long-distance lidar is installed on the center front of the vehicle.
The lidar supports the lateral movement of the Mobion EV by detecting and identifying nearby objects on both sides of the vehicle, including pedestrians, so the vehicle can safely change lanes diagonally.
The special LED lighting includes an exterior display for safer operation in urban environments. The two short-distance lidar sensors can recognize pedestrians, while the LED lighting unit on the front bumper shows the direction in which they are walking while crossing the street.
Hyundai Mobis also added ground projection lights that can project symbols on the road surface, including crosswalk stripes that pedestrians can use as guidance to cross the street.
The company’s in-wheel motors have never been used in a production vehicle, but Hyundai Mobis says the e-Corner System is ready for mass production.
