Comments on: Michelin Reinvents the Wheel, This Time with Motors

By: Homer10

Homer10 — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 06:44:51 +0000

I have always felt that this is the way to go. You split up the current to the wheels by 4. The Motors can be 1/4 as big. If one blows up, you still have 3. A brush less switching DC motor would be the best. To reduce weight concentrate the drive coils to something that looks like an over sized break caliper. Using modern switching methods, you could make a motor / generator that recharges the batteries for regenerative breaking. The control system for these drive caliper coils is a common technology. For a good performance car you will need to switch 200-300 Amps peak. The higher the drive voltage, the better. Then you can drop the current. A large part of the loss in a cars drive system is in the transmission and drive train. Eliminate the drive train, and you gain power or distance.

By: Electric Man

Electric Man — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 15:53:54 +0000

I’m preety sure the guy ment there would be a small motor somewhere to keep things going. The generators in the back wheels flor braking.

By: Bob R

Bob R — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 19:35:08 +0000

OK you say you would need to much energy to move the car, but what if you use a wind turbine where your cooling fan would be in the front grill to generate power to run the car? You would actually be able to stack multiple fans on top of each other.

By: milo

milo — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 05:43:16 +0000

very very very active

By: energy monitoring

energy monitoring — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 12:52:49 +0000

Now add a small generator, or magneto to each wheel, to recharge the batteries….. outside the box? what box?????

By: jp

jp — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 22:32:27 +0000

uh…. what if you get a flat?!

By: Jurjen

Jurjen — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 14:57:20 +0000

Can I bolt a pair of these wheels to the back of my front wheel drive car – throw a few batteries in the trunk and instantly have a hybrid – ie. use the electric rear wheels for regenerative braking and short city drives – the old drive can do the long haul work – and my car can fuel efficient hybrid righy now

By: Seth

Seth — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 05:05:12 +0000

@Mike Phillips
The big three dont have a submission in this category because they are using what little money they have to convert existing platforms with more proven technolgy to hybrids and PIEV's.
That is why they need more money, so they can actualy work on new projects like this.

By: bobc

bobc — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 11:53:11 +0000

Most applications of this system that I've seen employ the motor as a hub to which the wheel is bolted. This allows the system to be sealed in case you ,god forbid , have to drive through deep puddles or flash floods. The motor are also light in most of these applications so at most there may be less than a 10% increase in unsprung weight. PML did a 640 HP Mini and their unsprung weigh was 24Kg /wheel for their in wheel motor system vs 22Kg for a standard ICE Mini.

I would think that appropriate drive software and instantaneous traction control would negate any negative effects from any increase in unsprung weight. Designs from other companies employ over 1000 calculations per motor and each motor communicates with a central system and the other motors to optimize traction acceleration and braking. Such parameters could even with mass sensors in the vehicle compensate dynamically for all interior mass loading. Steering can also be power assist.

Conventional car companies have always been slow to adopt anything that challenges the status quo. They have an enormous infrastructure with billions in service centers, replacement parts, and usually a minimum of a 5 year life cycle just to pay for it all. GM made up all sorts of excuses almost to the point of knifing the baby with the EV1. If you could get an EV1 out of the Smithsonian, bring it back up to spec , throw in a 7KW modified generator in the trunk with a 10 gallon tank you would probably have a series hybrid with a 500 mile range.

By: Zero X Owner

Zero X Owner — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 23:18:04 +0000

Two of my vehicles crush Porsches in acceleration, but they are two-wheeled.

Re: those who commented on durability and rugged conditions performance. My electric motorcycle motor is at the bottom of the vehicle about at the center of the wheels and does just fine with lots of off-roading and 30 foot jumps. For those who are worried about electric vehicle reliability, why don't you get one and see for yourself? You'll quickly learn that the maintennace costs are less than on a gasser. Until then, your comments can mostly be filed under the category "I have no personal experience in what I'm talking about."

Right now there are 27 highway legal models with electric drive to choose from right now (hybrids, from econoboxes to luxury performers to huge SUVs) , so you all can start to get some experience with electric drive. Then I'll start to take you seriously.

@ Richard Simmons: a gas engine sounds great until someone with massive skill, equipment and tools kindly disconnects it and steals it. Same deal.

Really, the best complaint on this thread is on the unsprung weight - it'll handle poorly or feel like a pickup truck (but I repeat myself). Thus the perfect application is on a Jeep-like off-road vehicle - high center clearance (no drivetrain, so no getting high centered - yay!) and with independent motors you could spin the thing on a dime (like a tracked tank), so you can turn around in one shot on any trail as wide as the vehicle is long. Also, massive low speed torque for those technical and steep sections. Rugged off-road is where electric drive fully dominates.