Hyundai's new tech lets cars drive sideways
Hyundai is developing an e-Corner System that allows the wheels to turn 90 degrees, which lets a car drive perpendicular for parking, spin in place and move diagonally.
Hyundai wants to turn parallel parking into perpendicular parking and perpendicular parking into pivot parking.
The automaker's Hyundai Mobis division is developing a new type of four-wheel-steering system that will let cars move in ways they never have before.
The e-Corner System allows all the wheels to be turned a full 90 degrees in either direction.
Hyundai has installed it on an Ioniq 5 electric SUV, which has been equipped with in-wheel motors that eliminate the need for driveshafts.
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Hyundai's e-Corner System can turn all four wheels 90 degrees. (Hyundai)
Testing has moved into real world environments as it looks to improve the complex system's reliability.
The car can drive perfectly sideways when all four wheels are turned 90 degrees, which makes pulling into a curbside parking space easy.
It allows for a vehicle to move sideways. (Hyundai)
Just the rear wheels can be turned to swing the back of the car around, pivoting it into position for a perpendicular space.
The wheels can also be splayed in different directions to enable a "zero-turn" where the car spins in place, eliminating the need to make a U-turn or K-turn in tight confines.
A vehicle can also use it to spin in place. (Hyundai)
The vehicle is also capable of driving diagonally up to 45 degrees at higher speeds for quick changes of direction.
Several automakers currently offer four-wheel-steering systems, but the farthest that the rear wheels can turn is 10 degrees.
The GMC Hummer EV has a CrabWalk mode. (GMC)
The GMC Hummer EV uses this capability for what it calls CrabWalk mode and to reduce the turning circle of the vehicle, but neither compares to what Hyundai's system can do.
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Hyundai hasn't confirmed a timeframe for when the e-Corner System will be offered on a production car.
"We are idealizing the e-Corner System in order to meet the demands for future mobility," said Cheon Jae-seung, head of the Hyundai Mobis Future Technology Convergence Institute.
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"We will secure different types of customized mobility solutions that can be applied in autonomous driving and [purpose-built electric vehicles] to solidify our vision of reaching new heights as a mobility platform provider."