The Active Wheel is essentially a standard wheel that houses a pair of electric motors. One of the motors spins the wheel and transmits power to the ground, while the other acts as an active suspension system to improve comfort, handling and stability on the road.
Active Wheel was originally designed for fuel-cell or battery powered electric vehicles, and the technology is such that a vehicle equipped with it will no longer need a gearbox, clutch, transmission shaft, universal joint or anti-roll bar. The electric motor can also be used to slow down the vehicle, so even the traditional disc brakes found in a vehicle could be either eliminated or removed.
The system also allows torque from the motors to be electronically controlled for each individual wheel independently. The results are similar to the effects of an active differential, allowing a vehicle with Active Wheel technology to make much faster turns in poor conditions than traditional shaft-driven vehicles.
If adapted this technology could redefine the automobile.
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