The idea of motorized wheels may sound cool, but the existing implementations are fraught with problems and are on the expensive side, too. Automakers are still searching for ways to downsize electric motors to fit them completely inside the wheels, freeing up chassis space – here’s what Hyundai patented this week.
The system is called Uni Wheel and consists of a motor mounted on the frame (or unibody, whichever applies), while a lighter reduction gear is laid out inside the wheel rim.
Using Uni Wheels has multiple advantages. Most importantly, it lets manufacturers produce very small electric motors and free up the room for more battery cells.
When properly arranged, the gears inside of the ‘reducer wheel’ can also deliver precise torque vectoring. In the video provided, Hyundai also demonstrates the ease of ride height adjustment with air suspension.