Yes, those wheels are turned sideways. The "crab walk" — a new buzzterm among suppliers of steering systems and corner modules, as well as autonomous drive pioneers — is seen here in a demonstration last month at the R&D headquarters of South Korea's Hyundai Mobis. Mobis calls the concept vehicle its M. Vision Pop. At each wheel is the company's e-Corner module with 180-degree wheel rotation, a technology the company said is undergoing testing with an unidentified automaker for commercialization. The sideways-turning wheels rely on an in-wheel motor integrated into a driving, braking, steering and suspension system at each corner.
"Hyundai Mobis has developed the in-wheel system and completed the actual vehicle durability test for commercial use," Lee Young Kook, head of Mobis' Electric Powertrain Lab, said during the demonstration. "We still have to consider how motors could be lightened and high-powered, depending on the wheel size, and how the braking systems could ensure stability and durability."
