Technology Developments for Automobiles - eWheels are Coming

[Flyn]

What's new in the world of automotive technology?

Ford has partnered with German company Schaeffler and put motors into the wheels. these motors free up room under the hood or in the passenger compartment and may lead to cars whose wheels can rotate completely sideways to parallel park.

Dubbed the eWheelDrive, all the components required for motion and reduction thereof — drive, deceleration, driver assistance technologies — are contained fully inside the wheel. That includes the electric motor, the brakes, and the necessary apparatus for cooling it all off.

Toyota is working on radar assisted auto parking.



Volvo has automatic pedestrian detection and auto brake.



Don't know if I'd trust it yet...



Ford Revs Up Car-Making With This Company | Wall St. Cheat Sheet

Click to read more...

 

[Lord Tin Foilhat]

Sounds expensive for a wheel change

 

[Flyn]

Yeah. Completely changes the brake system, too. I wonder what the cost of a brake job will be?

 

[blakbearddelite]

***?!?

 

[Stink Star]

SOUNDS LIKE A BIG INCREASE IN UNSPRUNG MASS TOO

 

[Xfirez51]

Electric drive is a paradigm shift when it comes to Powertrain layout and mechanicals.

 

[Bob Kazamakis]

Yeah. Completely changes the brake system, too. I wonder what the cost of a brake job will be?

There was a guy who developed some system that fit on almost any cars rear wheels over the brake but inside the wheel. It's been posted here before.


Cool concept but still silly

 

[Flyn]

Electric drive is a paradigm shift when it comes to Powertrain layout and mechanicals.

Definitely frees up a lot of room for the battery and a larger passenger compartment.

 

[b00sted]

Yeah. Completely changes the brake system, too. I wonder what the cost of a brake job will be?

You can brake electric motors...So this system may do most/all of the braking with the motor as opposed to traditional means. I'd still want some sort of redundant mechanical braking system as well though.