The Hyundai Ioniq 5 drives like a crab!

Thanks to a system of pivoting wheels, this Hyundai can park in a tight space with a simple click.

Hyundai Mobis, the technological division of Hyundai Motor Group, has been working for several years on an ingenious electric rotating wheel system. At the CES in Las Vegas, it was finally able to showcase the results of this work, the Mobion prototype, a contraction of “Mobis” and “On” like an electrical switch. The vehicle based on the Ioniq 5 uses these wheels to move laterally and spin on the spot in a quite entertaining dance. More seriously, this system allows parking in a tight space without performing a traditional parallel park or turning around on the spot.

The ingenuity of Mobion lies in four “In-Wheel” modules that combine the electric motor, braking, steering, and suspension into a single unit. We introduced this innovation to you just a few weeks ago. One In-Wheel unit is placed in each of the four wheels, individually powered and controlled by a central unit. The four wheels can move in unison or in different directions depending on the desired maneuver.

Turn each wheel inward to its maximum angle and the Mobion can slowly roll sideways. Keep the front wheels straight and still, and accelerate the rear wheels laterally, and the car will pivot in a rotation, turning in a circle centered around the front.

To avoid disturbing other drivers too much, Hyundai has considered integrating a lighting system that projects the direction of the Mobion’s movement onto the ground. The 360-degree lighting network can also draw a pedestrian crossing on the road for pedestrians detected by the vehicle’s autonomous sensing equipment.