Hyundai Mobis has developed a next-generation automobile wheel technology that allows 90-degree rotation parking and in-place rotation, which is essential for making PBVs (Purpose Built Vehicles).
- Concept was first unveiled in CES 2018
- This module removes the need for mechanical connections between parts
- Hyundai Mobis aims for PBV applications by 2025
The e-corner module, which integrates the steering, braking, suspension and driving systems into a wheel, shifts the paradigm of an automobile to use the mechanical axis to connect the steering wheel. It is also recognised as the core technology for future smart city mobility.
The concept corner module was first unveiled at the 2018 CES. Now, Hyundai Mobis has successfully redefined the concept for practical use on vehicles and has developed an ECU for control. Hyundai has also completed the functional testing, and once it is done with reliability verification and a feasibility study on mass production, it plans to begin undertaking mass production orders from global car makers for its application.
Key benefits
The biggest advantage of the e-corner module is that it does not require any mechanical connection between parts, which thereby allows better use of space within the vehicle. Not only does it make it easier to change the wheelbase, but it also ensures much more flexibility in designing the direction of doors and the size of the vehicle. It is essential for making PBVs that are designed to provide mobility services, for example, for cafes and hospitals.
Compared to traditional 30-degree rotation, the e-module allows 90-degree rotation of the wheel when needed, for example, parking and enables crab (sideways) driving and zero-turn – rotation without moving forward or backward. It is also expected to increase the agility of a vehicle running through the narrow streets of the city and accordingly improve the urban driving environment.
“The e-corner module is an advanced technology that not many have had much success with, regarding its mass production at a global level," said Hyundai Mobis. They claim they have managed to successfully develop this, with the requirements being to combine the steering, braking, suspension and driving systems into one wheel, while at the same time, ensuring driving safety.
Unlike other auto parts manufacturers who make specific parts, Hyundai Mobis says it is capable of developing key parts that are used in vehicles – including steering, braking, connectivity and electrification parts – and the synergy between these parts has been helpful in developing the e-corner module.
Hyundai Mobis plans to develop a skateboard module by 2023 for the implementation of real-world vehicle performance through the integrated control of four e-corner modules and then combining it with the automatic driving control technology to ultimately provide a PBV mobility solution in 2025.
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