Could hybrid vehicles be manufactured with motors in the hub instead of using transmissions?
November 15th, 2009 | by admin |Train engines are diesel electric with a motor at each drive wheel.
Todays electronics allow better traction for each wheel.
Hi,
if you’d like to see a fun ride, do a Google search for the BMW Mini that had a motor pack placed in each of the four wheels.
That Mini produced over 700 combined horsepower. I want to say that Car and Driver had a hand in it, but I may just remember them reporting on it.
Also, multiple manufacturers are working on just that type of system to allow more passenger and cargo room in the same size vehicle, or to allow much smaller vehicles for easier parking/commuting.
If you ever look at the front end of a Prius, there is very little front space needed because the Prius does not have a traditional transmission and doesn’t need the space that large casing would take up. The Prius uses a compact CVT (continuously variable transmission) called a "power-split device" that sits between the gas engine and the electric drive generator, called the MG1.
It’s not electric drives in each wheel, but there is very little need for large, heavy transmissions in passenger vehicles (notice I didn’t say trucks, SUV’s or 4WD vehicles, that is a different story).
The infrastructure is still in place to design and produce regular transmissions for most vehicles, but we are heading for the day when regular transmissions will go the way of push-rods and carburetors.
4 Responses to “Could hybrid vehicles be manufactured with motors in the hub instead of using transmissions?”
By dickn2000a on Nov 15, 2009 | Reply
Already been done. I was on a team back in 1972 that built an electric car for General Electric that had motors that drove the wheels directly with no transmission. Talk about a smooth ride!!
References :
By Missourian on Nov 15, 2009 | Reply
I think you hit the nail on the head…traction and speed/gearing. The best practical example of a direct drive electric car is a golf cart. Check it out here: http://www.instructables.com/id/Golf-Cart/
References :
By wiseornotyoudecide on Nov 15, 2009 | Reply
sure they can but would you be whiling to pay 3 times much more for that vehicle? Think of your question for a second, because a transmission multiplies power. So you will get the same amount of power out of 4 motors that you would get out of one with a transmission. About your claim regarding Diesel Electric locomotives read this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diesel_locomotives
that way you can be clarified on how the system works and in brief is a generator that produces allot of power that needs to go somewhere(see how you can fit such system even if it could be possible in a minivan size vehicle to produce power to drive the motors in it, and where are the passengers going to sit).
References :
By professorprius on Nov 15, 2009 | Reply
Hi,
if you’d like to see a fun ride, do a Google search for the BMW Mini that had a motor pack placed in each of the four wheels.
That Mini produced over 700 combined horsepower. I want to say that Car and Driver had a hand in it, but I may just remember them reporting on it.
Also, multiple manufacturers are working on just that type of system to allow more passenger and cargo room in the same size vehicle, or to allow much smaller vehicles for easier parking/commuting.
If you ever look at the front end of a Prius, there is very little front space needed because the Prius does not have a traditional transmission and doesn’t need the space that large casing would take up. The Prius uses a compact CVT (continuously variable transmission) called a "power-split device" that sits between the gas engine and the electric drive generator, called the MG1.
It’s not electric drives in each wheel, but there is very little need for large, heavy transmissions in passenger vehicles (notice I didn’t say trucks, SUV’s or 4WD vehicles, that is a different story).
The infrastructure is still in place to design and produce regular transmissions for most vehicles, but we are heading for the day when regular transmissions will go the way of push-rods and carburetors.
References :
I teach about hybrids and advanced tech for Toyota.