2023.08.17 Hyundai MOBIS
Hyundai Mobis E‒Corner System: Changing the Movement and Future of Automobiles
Hyundai Mobis’ e-corner system will completely change the movement of cars as we know them. Perhaps this will bring major changes to the automotive industry, including design, production, maintenance and driving.
Since the invention of the automobile, there has been no major change in the movement of automobiles. It can be said that forward and backward, left and right direction conversion was everything. However, the ‘e-corner System’, a core technology for Hyundai Mobis’ future mobility, provides more options. It enables various movements such as crab driving that moves left and right or 360° rotation in place.
Hyundai Mobis recently demonstrated various driving modes using Hyundai Motor Company’s IONIQ 5 technology test vehicle equipped with the e-corner system, running on the Seosan Test Drive Circuit and nearby roads. The test vehicle equipped with the e-corner system perfectly realized the movements of future mobility that could only be imagined: parallel parking in a narrow space by adjusting the angle of the wheels, turning 180° in an alley, and so on.
Such complex movements were possible because Hyundai Mobis’ e-corner system is a next-generation technology that integrates driving, braking, steering, and suspension systems within each wheel of a vehicle. It’s the secret to being able to drive completely different from current cars. Currently, automobile wheels move by receiving power from the power linkage shaft (constant velocity joint) mounted on the body. The driving direction is also changed by the steering gear and steering link connected to the vehicle body.
However, the wheels applied with the e-corner system operate independently without any mechanical connection with other devices, because the four components of the in-wheel motor, electric brake, electric steering, and damper are combined. The in-wheel motor mounted inside the wheel directly manipulates the wheel, and the electric steering attached to the side of the wheel changes the direction. The electric brake and damper are responsible for reducing speed and absorbing shock, respectively.
The e-corner system is such a system that eliminates the mechanical linkage between wheel and moving parts and between wheel and wheel. As much as that, the wheels can be changed to various angles and the driving force can be transmitted freely. You can also adjust the angle of each wheel differently, one wheel going forward and the other going backwards. Thanks to this, you can change the movement of the car in a wide variety of ways.
In the published test drive video, the test vehicle with the e-corner system showed various driving modes - sideways ‘crab driving’, ‘zero turn’, which rotates in place by changing the four wheels to different angles, ‘diagonal driving’ that moves obliquely at 45°, and ‘pivot turn’, which rotates at a desired angle around an arbitrary location designated by the driver as a central axis.
There are more advantages of the e-corner system; All parts related to driving have been moved to the wheels, so the area previously occupied by driving parts has become the cabin space of the car. This is also very helpful in freely changing the shape of the car. This is why the e-corner system is considered a key element in the realization of the era of purpose-based mobility (PBV) linked with electrification and autonomous driving.
Hyundai Mobis has been making various efforts to demonstrate the e-corner system. After the first application of the e-corner system (module) to the concept car M.Vision POP, which was unveiled in February 2022, the company improved the height, weight, and structural rigidity of the e-corner system, so that its structure can be used in actual vehicles. In addition, the e-corner system, which was applied to a large concept car, was miniaturized to fit a passenger car. This is the background for the IONIQ 5-based demonstration test vehicle.
In the future, the shape of automobiles will be very diverse. The shape of the car will be subdivided according to the purpose. The e-corner system was developed in preparation for this era of mobility, and its strengths stand out. The e-corner system is suitable for mobility – such as shuttles to and from the city center, robot taxis, logistics vehicles, and commuting vehicles – that require driving on complex roads while maximizing interior space and loading space.
Another advantage of the e-corner system is that it can be manufactured in various sizes depending on vehicle specifications. There are small and large, as well as ultra-small ones that can be used in robotics. It also has great scalability. For example, large logistics transport PBVs can be equipped with as many e-corner systems as required. Depending on the size and weight of the vehicle, you can install as many e-corner systems as needed.
The application of the e-corner system enables a new approach to cars. For example, in order to utilize all the different operating modes of the e-corner system, changes in social laws and infrastructure must be supported. Automakers also have to embrace a number of changes. Part design/development methods, platforms, assembly processes, and maintenance methods must be completely changed.
The platforms must be designed according to the mounting structure and control concept of the e-corner system. There are many things to change, but the advantages are just as clear - it can adopt a new mobility development method that takes into account multiple scalability. Then more types of cars will fill the city center.
The possibilities for development of e-corner systems are endless; It can implement various movements by controlling all wheels independently. In particular, the ‘pivot turn’ is highly useful as it can rotate around almost any position inside or outside the vehicle. In addition to improving the convenience of city driving, it can also contribute to creating more efficient parking spaces than today. Currently, Hyundai Mobis is conducting research considering the safety functions and driving convenience of the e-corner system, and plans to continue expanding the functions it can implement.
Then, what value can the e-corner system deliver to customers? The customers of Hyundai Mobis are global automakers and vehicle users. The e-corner system can deliver various values to automakers, such as a new design, production process, serviceability, autonomous driving freedom of movement, and a low-volume production platform. In addition, it will be able to provide convenience from various driving to the end user who purchases a car.
Modules and systems such as the e-corner system have not yet been mass-produced worldwide. This is a good example of Hyundai Mobis’ efforts to become a leader in the rapidly changing automobile industry. Currently, the e-corner system is in the stage of implementing its functions, and many efforts for future technology development are required. Many people are watching whether the e-corner system will become the wings of Hyundai Mobis, which is trying to become a mobility platform provider.
