Hyundai’s Mobion can do a 360-degree turn and even drive completely sideways.
Based on the Ioniq 5, this is the new Hyundai Mobion concept and it comes with quite the party-piece thanks to its incredible ‘e-Corner System’. The Mobion can essentially turn its wheels front and rear to allow sideways movement, diagonal driving, and even “pivot turns”, according to Hyundai.
The Mobion has been wowing crowds at CES in Las Vegas, showcasing its full range of movement. The concept is based on othe Ioniq 5 and was developed by Hyundai’s ‘Mobis’ subsidiary. The company even claimed it conducted successful on-road tests of the Mobion’s driving capabilities in 2023.
Hyundai Mobis says there are plans to bring the Mobion’s “In-Wheel technology”, as the firm calls it, to market. “The Mobion represents the embodiment of Hyundai Mobis’ core technologies, all of which are ready for immediate mass production,” said Vice President Lee Seung-Hwan, the Head of Advanced Engineering at Hyundai Mobis.
To allow for the independent steering and greater angles of movement, the Mobion has been extensively tweaked underneath from the standard Ioniq 5. “In-Wheel technology involves placing four small motors inside each wheel, as opposed to the single large driving motor commonly used in EVs,” said Vice President Lee Young-kook, the Head of Electrification Lab. “This configuration enables each wheel to generate its own power independently.”
Given the greater range of movement, Hyundai Mobis has thought about the potential for the Mobion and its driver to accidentally bump into things. To counter this possibility, the Mobion comes with three LiDar devices as autonomous driving sensors to recognise and avoid nearby objects.
Hyundai Mobis claims its CES reveal of the Mobion shows the firm’s intention to “make these advanced technologies both accessible and tangible, reinforcing their real-world applicability.” A date on when we can expect to see this technology reach production vehicles has not been announced, however.