FAW-VW Bora Concept Uses Wheel Motors

[01greenjetta]

http://www.electric-vehiclenews.com/2013/12/protean-faw-vw-china-to-develop-rwd-in.html

It seems I'm not the only one who likes this dumb idea.
FAW-VW, a Chinese subsidiary of VW has announced a partnership with protean electric

 

[Ol'Rattler]

Can just imagine what they do to unsprung weight? Another solution looking for a non existant problem. They need to just stop pushing electric vehicles. Until they can make a light weight battery the concept is just so bogus.

 

[GoFaster]

I don't know where anyone got the idea that there is a huge power loss through a drive shaft, because there isn't.

Whole lot easier and with fewer bad side effects to have the motor fixed to the chassis where it is not part of the unsprung weight and not trying to share space with mechanical brakes (which can't be eliminated) and suspension or steering parts.

 

[vanbcguy]

The reason wheel motors are so attractive is that they free up space more than anything. For instance it becomes trivially easy to make an AWD car when you don't have to run drive shafts. Plus with no transmission or differential you've got more space for batteries. Or alternatively you can add interior space or make a more compact car.

Sent from my HTC One XL using Tapatalk

 

[bhtooefr]

Except when you're trying to pull an Edison2, and want to put the suspension in-wheel instead.

And their layout seems to free up even more space, which they're using for aerodynamic reasons (getting the wheels separate from the body so that the air is dealt with separately).

 

[powerfool]

They could just a use capacitors on these things and be done with the batteries... perfect for regenerative braking applications. Although, at that point, I start to become more interested in the flywheel technology that Volvo has developed for a very similar purpose.

For other energy generation, there was a group developing shocks that would use the fluid and compression to spin small turbines... enough power to offset the need for an alternator.

What I like about this idea is that it could be retrofit to existing vehicles, potentially. Just add it to the rear wheels of a FWD vehicle.

 

[01greenjetta]

What I like about this idea is that it could be retrofit to existing vehicles, potentially. Just add it to the rear wheels of a FWD vehicle.

That's why I like the idea too. Bolt on power and fuel economy. You and I have talked about Protean on this forum a few times over the years, I wonder if VAG reads this stuff?