Hyundai Mobis introduced their latest e-corner module in 2021 and it’s already been seen on a handful of the company’s concepts. However, it’s raising eyebrows today as they’ve shown an Ioniq 5 prototype outfitted with four e-corner modules.
The modules enable the wheels to turn up to 90 degrees and this gives vehicles unparalleled maneuverability. As you can see in the clip, the prototype has a “crab driving” mode which sees all four wheels turn 90 degrees. This enables the vehicle to travel side-to-side, instead of simply forward and back. Needless to say, this would make parallel parking a breeze as you’d simply pull up alongside an open spot and slide right in.
For times when you need to turn around quickly, there’s a zero turn function. It sees the wheels rotate at a roughly 45 degree angle to enable the prototype to spin around 360 degrees.
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Furthermore, the prototype can drive diagonally like the GMC Hummer EV. There’s also a pivot turn function, which sees the front wheels remain straight while the rear wheels turn 90 degrees. It’s similar to the zero turn function, although the turning radius seems a little larger.
Hyundai Mobis didn’t say much about the prototype, but said the video shows the “real-life motions” enabled by e-corner modules and noted their “benefits in narrow downtown or cargo areas should be self-evident.”
As we’ve previously reported, the e-corner modules combine steering, braking, suspension and driving systems into each wheel. Hyundai Mobis has been playing around with the idea for more than five years as a concept debuted at CES in 2018 and the technology has evolved since then. The ultimate goal is to see e-corner modules installed in production models, which can gracefully navigate tight quarters.