Wheel hub motor

Electric hub motors were well received in early electric cars, but have not been commercially successful in modern production cars[1][2] because they negatively affect vehicle handling due to higher dynamic wheel load[3] and their placement makes them prone to damage.

[4] Bicycle hub motors are simple, durable, and affordable compared to other designs, but less suitable for high speeds.

[8] Among those who were awarded patents: Wellington Adams of St. Louis in 1884;[9] Edward Parkhurst of Woburn in 1890;[10] Albert Parcelle later in 1890;[11] Charles Theryc in 1896, who cites no transmission losses thanks to an absence of classic transmission rods from engines to wheels;[12] C F Goddard in 1896 who cites a piston hub motor for horseless carriages powered by expanding gas of some kind;[13] and W C Smith in 1897 who cites an explosive gas expansion motor inside a wheel hub that utilized cams on a track in the hub to transmit power to the wheel.

They allow for better weight distribution compared to a single motor, and they eliminate the need for many of the drive components in traditional vehicles like transmissions, differentials, and axles, which reduces wear and mechanical losses.

[3] Protean Electric and Lotus found that most negative effects of added unsprung mass could be eliminated by adding suspension damping, and that the ability to utilize accurate torque vectoring actually improved car's handling so much that the net effect of the whole arrangement was positive.

Costs were lowered by integrating the motor, inverter, and gear reduction into a single unit, and by avoiding heavy rare earth elements.

[25] Other concept cars presented at auto shows include: Chevrolet Sequel, 2005;[26] Mitsubishi MIEV, 2005;[27] Hi-Pa Drive Mini QED, 2006;[28] Honda FCX concept, 2005;[29] Citroën C-Métisse, 2006;[30] Protean Electric Ford F-150, 2008;[31] Heuliez WILL using the Michelin Active Wheel suspension, 2008;[32] Peugeot BB1, 2009;[33] Hiriko Fold, shown in 2012, a folding urban car with a maximum speed of 50 km/h (31 mph)[34][35] with a motor, steering actuators, suspension, and brake integrated into each wheel, controlled with a drive-by-wire system;[36] FlatFormer, a concept 6x6 autonomous truck chassis, shown in 2019;[37] various vehicles by Indigo Technologies since 2019;[2] Aptera Motors prototype in 2022,[38] and Italdesign Quintessenza with Elaphe Sonic in-wheel motors in 2025.