Hyundai Mobis develops the in-wheel system, an electric motor inside the wheels

By CARSIFU | 21 March 2023


SEOUL: Hyundai Mobis announced it has succeeded in developing an in-wheel system, which lets the motor control each wheel directly.

The key technologies for in-wheel system, including drive motor and the controller, have been developed in-house.

The in-wheel system is the latest technology with no record of being mass-produced anywhere in the world.

Hyundai Mobis currently is verifying its reliability for mass-production based on the Hyundai Ioniq 5.

Hyundai Mobis began developing the in-wheel system in 2010 in response to the emerging electric car market.

In-wheel motor requires a complex design process to place a powertrain on wheels. It is seen as a technology that needs to overcome a series of challenges, including securing of drive performance and durability.

Key highlights of the in-wheel system are enhanced drive and power efficiency, longer cruising range, improved driving performance, and unique steer modes.

Applying the in-wheel system in the vehicle means to maximise the drive efficiency without the need to install a separate power transmission component, such as a drive shaft (a component that transmits torque to wheels). This will also improve power efficiency.

Additionally, in-wheel systems improve the driving range of electric vehicles with secured battery capacity.

It frees up space inside and allows new ways of packaging the interior.

The system also provides efficient torque distribution for each motor in a wheel, enabling optimum turns and body control.

Hyundai Mobis reportedly improved the turn movement and power efficiency by 20% or more through efficient torque distribution in all four directions.

Unique features like crab walking and zero turns are also available with the in-wheel system.

The in-wheel motor is the key technology of the e-corner system. Hyundai Mobis unveild the e-Corner system based on Ioniq 5 at CES 2023.

Hyundai Mobis is currently developing the e-Corner System by installing it in real cars with a goal of completing the development within the next five years.

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