Hyundai Mobis has announced the development of the e-corner module, the next-generation automobile wheel technology, which can form part of future urban mobility. The technology allows 90-degree rotation parking and in-place rotation, which is essential for making PBVs (Purpose Built Vehicles).
According to the company, the e-corner module integrates the steering, braking, suspension and driving systems into a wheel while ensuring driving safety. This new technology 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.
First unveiled at the 2018 CES, the company has successfully redefined the e-corner module concept for its practical use on the automobile and has developed an ECU for control and has also completed the functional testing. Once it is done with reliability verification and a feasibility study on mass production, it will begin undertaking mass production orders from global carmakers for its application.
The significant 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 designed to provide mobility services, for example, cafés and hospitals, the company said.
Evolved from traditional 30-degree rotation, the e-corner 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.
As the company develops critical parts used in vehicles, including steering, braking, connectivity and electrification parts, the synergy between these parts has helped develop the e-corner module.
The company said that it plans to develop a skateboard module by 2023 to implement real-world vehicle performance through the integrated control of four e-corner modules and then combine it with the automatic driving control technology to provide a PVB mobility solution in the year 2025.