Vehicle handling refers to how the vehicle steers, turns, and performs overall on the road. Vehicle handling is affected by many factors, such as weight distribution, suspension, wheel and tire selection, and motor configuration. The wheel motor is built into the hub of the wheel itself, and it affects handling in several key ways.
The effect of wheel motors on vehicle handling
- Wheel motors significantly reduce the unsprung weight of the vehicle. Unsprung weight refers to components such as wheels, tires, brakes, and suspension that are not supported by the vehicle's springs. Lower unsprung weight means that these components have less inertia, so they can react faster to changes in the road.
- The wheel motors provide instant torque and power to the wheels. This allows for very responsive steering and acceleration of the wheels, which is especially useful during low-speed maneuvers. It is also possible to precisely control the motor to provide optimum power to each wheel, which helps provide traction on slippery or uneven surfaces. Some wheeled maneuvers even have torque vectoring, which automatically provides power to each wheel as it turns to improve stability.
- Finally, the hub motor layout reduces the number of heavy components in the rest of the vehicle, such as the transmission, driveshaft, and differential. This results in an optimized weight distribution, with less weight over or around the front and rear axles. The optimized weight distribution contributes to balance and handling, making the vehicle feel smooth and responsive.
Conclusion
Wheel hub motor vehicles benefit from lower unsprung weight for better grip, immediate and optimized torque for a response, and improved weight distribution for balance, all of which contribute to improved handling and performance compared to traditional internal combustion engine vehicles. As hub motor technology continues to improve, handling is likely to get better.
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