The wheel integrates the motor, the steering, the suspension and the brakes in a small module
4 of these wheels can allow cars to move sideways
The company will sell this product to many automakers
Hyundai Mobis, a subsidiary of the Hyundai Group, has developed a wheel module that can pivot by 90 degrees, giving cars greater mobility.
The modules are made to be used on electric vehicles since the motor is integrated into the wheel assembly, as are the brakes, the suspension and the steering components.
This integration means the hardware connecting the modules to the vehicle can be reduced to the strict minimum, a pivot point and flexible wires, in order to allow greater mobility.
The use of these modules can allow cars to move sideways, which makes parallel parking and driving in tight spaces very easy.
In addition, general driveability can be improved by offering much better maneuverability than regular cars, whose front wheels can only pivot by about 30 degrees.
Hyundai is looking to create a skateboard electric car platform that can be fitted with four of these modules that could be on the roads as soon as 2023.
Plans for this technology also include autonomous vehicles, since Hyundai plans to release one built on this very platform by 2025.
Despite being tied to Hyundai, Hyundai Mobis intends to offer this technology to other automakers as well.
Toyota also recently announced it is working on a very similar concept, so it will be interesting to see how the two systems compare one they reach the market.
