Lexus LF-30 Has In-Wheel Electric Motors And A Cabin From The Future

[cawimmer430]

Lexus LF-30 Has In-Wheel Electric Motors And A Cabin From The Future

This is the Lexus LF-30 Electrified Concept, created by the Japanese car manufacturer as a vision for an upcoming generation of electrified vehicles. It will premiere at this week's Tokyo Motor Show.

Immediately distinguishing the LF-30 Electrified Concept from most other EVs, whether they are production models or concepts, is the fact that it features in-wheel electric motors at all four corners to deliver a combined 536 hp. The use of in-wheel electric motors provides superb handling characteristics aided by Lexus Advanced Posture Control technology that regulates the driver-power output from the high-power electric motors. The car can also be driven in front-wheel drive, all-wheel drive, and rear-wheel drive modes depending on the driving conditions.



The Lexus LF-30 Electrified Concept imagines a world where chunky charging cables are no longer required for EVs as it features advanced wireless charging technology. Another technology found is an advanced autonomous driving system that includes a self-parking function and a front-door pickup function similar to Tesla's Summon system.

Because the concept features small in-wheel electric motors, designers have a great deal of freedom with the car's overall shape. As such, there is a glass canopy that stretches from over the front wheels all the way back to the rear decklid. Lexus has also altered the look of its spindle grille while fashioning a set of large wheel arches.

Move to the inside and things get even more impressive. The driver and front passenger sit in futuristic-looking seats designed to mimic the openness of a first-class seat on an airliner. These seats also include artificial muscle technology to mold to the occupant. An audio system from Mark Levinson is also featured.
















Link: https://www.carscoops.com/2019/10/lexus-lf-30-has-in-wheel-electric-motors-and-a-cabin-from-the-future/

[FoMoJo]

The motors are in the wheels?  Wouldn't that dramatically impact the unsprung weight?

[12,000 RPM]

The motors are in the wheels?  Wouldn't that dramatically impact the unsprung weight?

Yes. Thankfully it's just a concept so its driving will be limited to rolling out of trailers and onto stages.

[2o6]

Yes. Thankfully it's just a concept so its driving will be limited to rolling out of trailers and onto stages.

With it being a concept, it's probably powered by absolutely nothing. Likely nothing more than a fiberglass or clay full scale model.

[FoMoJo]

With it being a concept, it's probably powered by absolutely nothing. Likely nothing more than a fiberglass or clay full scale model.

Maybe it's just tiny little electric motors to give some assistance when they're pushing it.

[GoCougs]

The motors are in the wheels?  Wouldn't that dramatically impact the unsprung weight?

But you'd not have axles/CV joints on some wheels, and brakes are likely smaller than typical (using the motors to help brakes).

This looks like a city commuter to me (i.e., little if any emphasis on performance).

[FoMoJo]

But you'd not have axles/CV joints on some wheels, and brakes are likely smaller than typical (using the motors to help brakes).

This looks like a city commuter to me (i.e., little if any emphasis on performance).

So, no suspension?

[565]

So, no suspension?

You can still have a suspension.  I used to work on the solar racing team back in college, and all of the solar race cars ran in-wheel electric motors.  It was just so much more efficient than having the motor in the chassis and using drive shafts.  They all still had suspensions. 

Since much of the regen-braking tech and electric motors was pioneered in solar racing (Honda and Toyota were involved in solar racing, and were the first to have Hybrids)  I sort of assumed production electric cars would use in wheel electric motors from the get go.  It's kind of surprising it took them this long to get the tech.

[Laconian]

Is the motor control higher bandwidth given the lack of interconnecting components?

[r0tor]

Mitsubishi MiEv concept from 2005 had in wheel motors

[GoCougs]

Is the motor control higher bandwidth given the lack of interconnecting components?

Yep. There are lots of vids out there of big rigs and trucks with big tires spinning out, and the wheels are "stuttering" which is windup in the axles and the like (i.e., exceeding mechanical bandwidth).