In-wheel motor
Delivers a car that drives more than ever in the way you truly want
By placing motors adjacent to the wheels, this technology realizes driving more aligned with a driver’s wishes, increasing the fun and the intuitiveness of driving experience. The layout offers greater freedom for the driver, allowing for a more diverse vehicle than previously.
Technology Functionality
he in-wheel motor is a type of EV (electric vehicle) drive system. Conventional EVs feature a design where the gasoline engine is substituted with an electric motor. The in-wheel motor EV, though, installs motors right around each of the driving wheels to directly power the wheels.
In addition to good accelerator responsiveness, an advantage of EVs, the in-wheel motor makes the behavior of the car more in tune with the steering by independently controlling the left and right wheels. When accelerating or cornering, the car moves intuitively in the way the driver wants.
Technology Configuration
In conventional EV models, the motor is installed in the position of the engine in gasoline engine vehicles, and it transfers power to the wheels via a drive shaft. This method allows EVs to make use of the automotive technology already existing in cars with engines, and excels in terms of sound and vibration.
In the conventional design, when the power of the motor is transferred to the wheels, power is added to the long drive shaft, which is rotated and then after this is transmitted to the wheels. With the rotation, though, there is a very slight time lag.
However, with an in-wheel motor, motors are installed close to each of the drive wheels, and are moving the wheels through extremely small drive shafts. Since the drive shafts are so small, the time lag that arises with the rotation all but disappears, and motor power is transmitted to the wheels instantaneously, making it possible to control the wheels very precisely.
An in-wheel motor drives the left and right wheels by separate motors, so left and right torque can be controlled independently. For example, when a driver turns left, the right-hand torque can be controlled greater than the left in accordance with how much the driver is steering, and this allows the driver to generate the power to steer the car to the left. There are already similar technologies for controlling brakes independently on the left and the right, but with an in-wheel motor, not only is the torque reduced, it can also control the increasing of torque, broadening the range of control and attaining a more liberated driving experience.