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Revolutionizing electric vehicle maneuverability: Hyundai Mobis’ e-Corner system.
Hyundai’s affiliate technology supplier, Hyundai Mobis, has recently released more information about its e-Corner modular steering and propulsion system for electric vehicles (EVs). The company has been testing the technology on public roads adjacent to its South Korean proving ground and aims to begin mass production of the system as soon as 2025.
The e-Corner system consolidates steering, braking, and propulsion into modular units that can be installed at all four corners of a vehicle, potentially allowing for a new type of skateboard platform with more packaging freedom. The system rotates all four wheels up to 90 degrees individually or separately, dramatically changing the maneuverability of electrified urban vehicles.
Hyundai Mobis has demonstrated a series of example scenarios that go beyond the relative gimmickry of CrabWalk in the GMC Hummer EV. The e-Corner system can move laterally, performing a true side-to-side movement of the vehicle with all four wheels turned 90 degrees. It can also perform a “zero turn,” pivoting the front and rear wheels in opposite directions to rotate the vehicle in a very small space. In “diagonal driving,” all four wheels pivot in the same direction at 45 degrees. The “pivot turn” allows the driver to choose any point as the center while positioning the wheels to guide the vehicle in a circle around that point.
Hyundai Mobis also clarified the role of an in-wheel motor with the system, which it had not previously mentioned. Additionally, the company showed the integration of brake-by-wire and steer-by-wire systems, with an angled damper strut serving as some or all of the vehicle suspension.
Our future mobility technology allows for agility and versatility, even in tight spaces.
See how our state-of-the-art maneuvers bring more convenience to your driving experience.#eCorner #FutureMobility #TheOneforAllMobility #MOBIS #HyundaiMOBIS pic.twitter.com/RGT3x8ia19— Hyundai Mobis Global (@global_mobis) May 4, 2023
According to Hyundai Mobis, the e-Corner system is a key mobility technology for electrification and autonomous driving. The company suggests that such tech has never been mass-produced anywhere in the world. This technology is similar to what is being employed by Israel’s REE, which has shown several versions of a skateboard platform with modular units at all four wheels and is currently pitching that system for use in commercial vehicles.
Overall, the e-Corner system could dramatically change the maneuverability of electrified urban vehicles, driven or not. With the potential for a new type of skateboard platform with more packaging freedom, the e-Corner system could pave the way for more innovative and efficient electric vehicles.
