Hyundai's car parts maker wing showcases crab-walking vehicle

[Courtesy of Hyundai Mobis]

SEOUL -- Hyundai Mobis, the parts-making unit of South Korea's Hyundai auto group, has demonstrated an electric vehicle capable of crab driving, which enables cars to move sideways like a crab to evade obstacles or move out of a tight spot. Using four wheels that move at different angles, the crab-walking vehicle can also spin around 360 degrees.

The car parts maker released a video showing Hyundai’s IONIQ 5 equipped with the all-in-one electric vehicle (EV) wheel module called "e-Corner System." The new module features a 360-degree rotation in place, crab driving, and parallel parking with four wheels bent at 90 degrees. Each wheel connected to a motor can turn up to 90 degrees to move the car sideways or perform a stationary 360-degree turn.

"We will further solidify our vision to become a mobility platform provider by securing personalized mobility solutions that can be used for self-driving and purpose-built vehicles (PBVs) from many different angles," Hyundai Mobis' future technology convergence institute head Cheon Jae-seung said in a statement on April 23.

The video also showed the car being driven diagonally at an angle of 45 degrees. Drivers can easily overtake a vehicle in front of them through diagonal driving. Using a pivot turn function, drivers can park their vehicles just by turning them 90 degrees without repeatedly moving forward and backward to find a parking space.

The South Korean car parts maker has earlier announced that autonomous driving technology will be used to develop a purpose-built vehicle-based mobility service by 2025.

Kim Joo-heon jhkim123@ajunews.com

Hyundai's car parts maker wing showcases crab-walking vehicle

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