Michelin's e-wheel eliminates gearboxes, drive shaft, and really boss rims

Electric car development is prompting a rethink in virtually every aspect of the automobile, from the size of the vehicle to the number of wheels and beyond. Nowhere is this more obvious than in the newest collab between Valeo and Michelin. The companies have agreed to collaborate on "electric and rechargeable hybrid vehicle systems such as the drive train, engine and battery cooling management, climate control, lighting, energy management and tires," beginning with the e-wheel. Using Michelin's Active Wheel Technology, this new device puts two electric wheels inside the hub -- one for motive power, one for active suspension -- a design that negates the need for gearboxes, drive shafts, and conventional suspension assemblies. The design has previously been tested in the Venturi Volage concept car, and the companies are currently looking to get involved with a mass-market auto maker to take this project to the next level. So if you're a large auto maker, give these guys a call -- and tell 'em Engadget sent you. Another image after the break.

[Flashpoint @ Feb 16th 2009 9:06PM]

GUESS WHAT.

This is exactly what we'll need to build a WARTHOG.

[SPARTEN II @ Feb 16th 2009 9:16PM]

You mean a Puma.

[Gregg @ Feb 16th 2009 9:26PM]

Ahh glad I wasn't the only one to think that.

[martyFREEDOM @ Feb 16th 2009 10:19PM]

@zumpa it was for the Halo live action commercials, not the movie.

[Snipermonky @ Feb 16th 2009 10:37PM]

Check out the vids on You Tube

Volvos new Hybrid
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T40ZqLZiZyg

And another vid here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tLQ2-yKT4Y

[Cass-D @ Feb 16th 2009 11:54PM]

ahh yes you mean the Chupathingy.

[bill cant fart @ Feb 16th 2009 9:06PM]

No more spinnerz?

[PrimalSteak @ Feb 16th 2009 9:08PM]

I'm sure they could add a third motor to power a set of rims ;)

[a ham sandwich @ Feb 16th 2009 10:47PM]

that's what i was thinkin! what about my 22's?!

like i drive a car with 22's....lol

[Jasper @ Feb 16th 2009 9:07PM]

Can you say unsprung weight

[David @ Feb 16th 2009 9:22PM]

Two more: active suspension

[raize221 @ Feb 16th 2009 10:33PM]

Yes, unsprung weight is a drawback, albeit a minor one when you consider the benefits (other than just the standard "full torque at 0 rpm argument). Think about it, each wheel's speed an be controlled completely independent of the others...

Traction control is no longer an odd combination of active center diffs and minute braking corrections. Now it's merely "reduce power to wheel # 3 by 4.2 volts".

A car with this type of powertrain will RULE and form of motorsport it takes part in. The car's computer can actively keep the tires right at their limit of adhesion through the turns. You could easily go as fast as possible without having to worry about understeer or the tail kicking out.

Not to mention that any braking will put power back into the system as will any bump on the road due to the active suspension. Running low on fuel? Take the dirt road home!

This also clears out the front and rear axles as well so it would be simple to integrate powered 4-wheel steering giving the car the ability to quite literally tun on a dime. Think about those old "Cyclone" R/C cars from years back.

No doubt there will always be a place for the internal combustion engine and a classic drivetrain - especially in motorsports, but for a daily driven car just pair these in an all wheel drive system with a hydrogen fuel cell and a supercapacitor (rather than a battery - no harmful chemicals) and you have the perfect car of the future.

[IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII (BarCODE) @ Feb 16th 2009 11:42PM]

Yes, but eliminating driveshafts, transmissions, and other drive line parts will lead to a vehicle that is simpler, lighter, more efficient, and faster.

[Evan @ Feb 16th 2009 11:51PM]

I'm sure they can engineer around the unsprung weight problem, but that's the point when it's easy to avoid the problem in the first place! You could still have independently controlled wheels with their own motors, while avoiding unsprung weight and reducing the car's moment of inertia by mounting the motors inboard and using a short drive shaft between each wheel and each motor.

[Mike P. @ Feb 16th 2009 11:58PM]

I'm not saying this is an optimal solution, but certain cars these days can already divert torque to each wheel with varying degrees of independence. Check out Acura's SH-AWD system. Audi, BMW, and Mitsubishi also have torque vectoring AWD systems which use electronic differentials to allocate power.

Of couse, if each wheel had its own motor... that would be better (I think). No bulky and heavy differentials and driveshafts. But unsprung weight is definitely an issue with this design.

[Jonathon @ Feb 17th 2009 10:09AM]

@raize221 - You pretty much nailed the benefits, but I've got to call you out on the take the dirt road home comment. You won't increase your efficiency by taking a bumpy road, just simply reduce the loss. FYI, the most efficient way to get from point A to point B will be a flat (frictionless) surface.

[Ken @ Feb 17th 2009 10:33AM]

Now all the bulk of a drive train can be eliminated and replaced with big squishy explosive batteries!!

[Justin Bell @ Feb 18th 2009 4:39AM]

Congratulations! As soon as I saw that image, I thought "I bet someone has posted something about unsprung weight with no understanding that in the real world, car design is all about compromises". Unsprung weight is just one of many, many things to consider when designing a car. Perhaps if we were talking about current, high-end performance cars, you might have had more of a point (although, not much more). Just because you've learnt a few technical terms to show off, doesn't mean you know what you're talking about. Sorry for being harsh, I've simply seen this too many times.

[DarkLord7854 @ Feb 16th 2009 9:12PM]

So now if some shmuck steals your rims, he gets to take your entire engine with him, sweet.

[Joe @ Feb 17th 2009 1:48AM]

Don't you mean he gets to take one of your engines with him?

[Chino B @ Feb 16th 2009 9:12PM]

Will it blend?, that is the question.

[Mike @ Feb 16th 2009 10:43PM]

No.

[GMFlash @ Feb 16th 2009 10:55PM]

2007 called. It wants its internet meme back.

[Rocketboy @ Feb 17th 2009 8:09AM]

2007 just called back, it wanted to let you know that it really didn't WANT it back, but would just rather it be left unsaid.

[tycham85 @ Feb 17th 2009 8:46AM]

@GMFlash

1992 called. Saved By The Bell wants its meme back.

[dwboston @ Feb 16th 2009 9:13PM]

Eff Michelin. After the PAX system fiasco I wouldn't trust Michelin to design anything.

[Aigarius @ Feb 16th 2009 9:18PM]

Now that is cool, remove all engines, transmissions, all that heavy and complex mechanical parts on the bottom of the car and reduce the car to: 4 e-wheels, batteries, computer and the passenger compartment (with all the controls, climate control stuff and safety stuff). No moving parts except for the wheels (and, maybe, the steering mechanism). That will significantly simplify automotive design in a way that non-electric cars simply can not compete with.

[bill cant fart @ Feb 16th 2009 9:21PM]

Too much Banjo Kazooie?

[Flashpoint @ Feb 16th 2009 9:44PM]

How will this simplify Automotive design?

Seems to me that it would actually make a vehicle more complicated and more difficult to maintain.

Not to mention the different driving characteristics associate with taking the main mass away from the center of the vehicle. When you add all this weight to the edges, you increase moment of inertia as well as unsprung weight.

and what would a vehicle like this be driving on snow and pavement?

I've like to imagine that more weight on the wheels would increase traction in snow - but, its possible snow could quickly damage the metal components - and can you saw UNDERSTEER?

[mvp @ Feb 16th 2009 9:57PM]

I can't saw under-steer, forgot the saw at work...

[yochachi @ Feb 16th 2009 10:10PM]

Think of all the BS systems that you wouldn't need on a vehicle driven by these. ever had a head gasket crack? well not on an electric. how about needing a new set of rings? again not a problem on an electric. lose that seal on the intake or exhaust manifold? not on an electric.

I'm not crazy; i do realize that electrics will have their own issues, especially early on. But anyway you slice it, an electric is not going to piss out a quart of oil on my driveway once a month. if the powertrain is located in each wheel, the bulk of the repairs can be executed by removing the troubled wheel and replacing/rebuilding the necessary components.
For handling, I too was concerned by the idea of having the bulk of the weight moved to the outer fringes of the vehicle. (i live in Cleveland, Ohio a land where no one can drive worth a damn) There are two things to consider: The weight of the battery system will likely be the heaviest single system of the vehicle and this can be designed and placed flexibly where ever best suits the vehicle. This will offset the gained weight on the outer edges which i would speculate to be much less than the overall weight of a standard engine. anyone who has ever taken a V6 or larger apart knows what i'm talking about here. Furthermore, having drive delivered to each of the 4 wheels directly inherently makes intelligent traction control a much simpler system than any current AWD traction control system where you would have electronic systems activating and interacting with mechanical systems. A system like this would be electronic all the way to the wheel and thus much simpler to control and likely allowing for finer tuned traction control and safety.

[darkmax @ Feb 16th 2009 10:11PM]

I am beginning to get the image of a Kart with massive wheel power.....

[nismo334 @ Feb 16th 2009 10:32PM]

sorry to burst everyone's bubble on this one, but I had the same thought about unsprung weight as well, but then I looked at the design. It appears all of that weight is indeed attached to the wheel assembly before the car, I know, I know it looks like the motor is attached after the spring, but I don't think it is. IMHO most of the weight is actually attached to the frame and not after the spring. It's tough to tell without an exploded view, but it perhaps could be done that way in either case.

[Jerome @ Feb 17th 2009 12:57AM]

By the way, Hydro-Québec ( Québec, Canada) has made a electric motor that fit in a wheel 10 years ago and has a patent on that.

Nothing new here!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxvPtKKAOtI

They are presently starting new car prototype that will use those motor ( I think ) Maybe not those wheel motors but something electric.

Can't wait to see.

[derbense @ Feb 16th 2009 11:31PM]

So rather than having one centralized engine and transmission, and have driveshafts going to each driven wheel, create all of this and place them on the corners of the vehicle.

This is a horrible idea and it will never ever catch on. Think about all the vibration that occur within the wheels a vehicle. So much vibration occurs that we have suspension to help dampen and absorb the frequent shock. Not sure about you guys, but prolonged vibration to gearboxes don't seem like a very good idea. It also drastically increases unsprung weight.

But what do I know, I'm just an sophomore mechanical engineering student.

[Flashpoint @ Feb 16th 2009 11:53PM]

Typical engadget morons downrank me when I mention moment of inertia, unsprung weight...or if I want to mention how understeer or as the last poster mentioned, vibration would effect driving.

I should have just said...IPHONE IS #1 and this wheel CAN RUN CRYSIS.

You guys are dumb.

But what do I know, I'm just a science professional holding two masters degrees which allows me to be an AP for science and technology.

[JodyL @ Feb 17th 2009 12:40PM]

@Aigarius

I totally agree. Can you imagine the dawn of the real modular car? Pick out a chassis, then a power source (Li-ion, hydrogen fuel cell, gasoline-hybrid, natural gas hybrid, whatever), then bolt on the 4 motor/wheels of your choice (or you really only need two with motors). If a newer, more efficient power source comes along, you don't have to scrap the whole vehicle. Same thing goes for when your motors begin to wear, simply replace them and it's as good as new, unlike todays cars where nothing seems to work the same after you replace the engine. I think GM had a similar concept with their "skateboard," but this goes way beyond that.

[grabbydad @ Feb 17th 2009 2:05PM]

@ Flashpoint and derbense:
You're down ranked not because you bring up valid points, but because you seem to put yourself on this pedestal that Engadget readers have yet to achieve or something.
But what do I know? I'm just God.
Peace!

[Finnschi @ Feb 16th 2009 9:25PM]

I like that... but what happens if you get a flat or if you hit a speed bump too fast... just thinking about those bumpy US highways!

[dr4g0n33rz @ Feb 16th 2009 9:35PM]

How would you change tires? seems complicated

[Electromodo @ Feb 16th 2009 9:54PM]

Yes, but think of the bright side: now you can replace motor and suspension all by yourself without paying to machanics or using garage. Just a parking lot near your apartment will do - remove the wheel, take it home and disassemble in the comfort of your cosy room.

Or even more - shops can sell pre-assembled e-wheels (eBay?) and you can replace your faulty motor/suspension/rim in minutes.

Modular design rules!

[darklighter @ Feb 16th 2009 11:25PM]

The same way you do now. Wheel != Tire.

[Austin @ Feb 16th 2009 9:38PM]

No driveSHAFT?
But then who will make our wednesday nights better with spirited renditions of oasis tunes?
Oh wait, they killed him off. Freakin' Lost writers.

[Russell @ Feb 16th 2009 9:48PM]

This things looks so sweet!

[decapitor @ Feb 16th 2009 10:11PM]

I like the idea of putting one of these on a motorcycle with a very minimalistic body made of unpainted stainless steel, with the batteries stored in the steel tubing.

[darkmax @ Feb 16th 2009 10:12PM]

perhaps even in a moocycle like in an anime....

[Plothole @ Feb 16th 2009 11:13PM]

@Darkmax

You mean a Motoslave?

[Farris @ Feb 16th 2009 10:19PM]

I could have sworn this was on here a while back.

[Farris @ Feb 16th 2009 10:22PM]

Nevermind... some quick Googling has revealed that it was Autoblog, not Engadget. My bad.

http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/01/michelin-partners-with-chinese-firm-to-create-active-wheel-syste/

[ninjatales @ Feb 16th 2009 10:21PM]

Replacing tires is going to be a nightmare for your budget.