Integration of Steering, Braking, Suspension, and Drive Systems into a Single Wheel
Hyundai Mobis announced on the 24th that it has successfully developed a pioneering technology called the e-Corner Module, which integrates the steering, braking, suspension, and driving systems of a vehicle into a single wheel. Applying the e-Corner Module increases platform flexibility, such as allowing changes in wheelbase, and enables the wheels to rotate up to 90 degrees, allowing for crab walking and on-the-spot rotation.Photo by Hyundai Mobis
[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] Hyundai Mobis has succeeded in developing next-generation car wheel technology capable of 90-degree rotation parking and in-place parking as a core technology for future urban mobility.
On the 24th, Hyundai Mobis announced that it has successfully completed the preliminary development of the e-corner module, a new technology that integrates the vehicle's steering, braking, suspension, and driving systems into a single wheel.
This technology represents a paradigm shift from the conventional vehicle design where the steering wheel was mechanically connected to the wheels via an axle. It is a core technology necessary for realizing future smart city mobility, and mass production application is expected going forward.
Hyundai Mobis first introduced the concept of the e-corner module at CES in 2018. The company explained that it has redefined the concept for actual vehicle application, developed an engine control unit (ECU) for system control, and successfully completed system function evaluation. Moving forward, Hyundai Mobis plans to pursue mass production orders targeting global automakers by conducting reliability verification and mass production feasibility reviews to apply the technology to actual vehicles.
When the e-corner module is applied to a vehicle, mechanical connections between components become unnecessary, allowing for flexible vehicle space design. Additionally, changes to the wheelbase become easier, and the design of door directions and vehicle size can be much more freely configured.
In particular, wheels that previously could only rotate about 30 degrees can now rotate up to 90 degrees when parking or as needed. This enables crab driving, which allows the vehicle to move sideways, and zero-turn capability, allowing rotation in place. This is expected to significantly improve urban driving environments by increasing vehicle maneuverability in narrow city roads.
The e-corner module developed by Hyundai Mobis has no global mass production cases yet. This is because it must integrate essential automotive elements?steering, braking, suspension, and driving systems?into a single wheel while ensuring driving stability.
Hyundai Mobis plans to develop a 'skateboard module' by 2023 that integrates control of four e-corner modules to enable real vehicle functionality. By 2025, the company aims to combine this with autonomous driving control technology to ultimately provide PBV mobility solutions.
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