Technocrat

Michelin and Electric Cars

zogger
Sun Nov 30 17:17:00 -0800 2008
Mechanics.
manage

Michelin is collaborating with a French chassis builder to produce pure electric cars. Their involvement goes beyond tires, they are the development company for the drive train that will be used in the new sedan, the Active Wheel (PDF). This concept houses the electric drive motor, the regenerative braking system, and an active electronic suspension all within the wheel itself. Because of this, there is ample room for battery packs in the vehicle and it will have front and rear trunks. The new 5 seater car called the WILL is being produced by the Heuliez group, and on board communications courtesy of Orange. This will be mid priced, around 27 to 35 thousand dollars depending on battery pack desired for range, up to 400 kilometers. A second very high end luxury car, the Volage, using four active wheels will be produced by experienced electric vehicle manufacturer Venturi.

ed.z.: Pretty interesting. With Michelin's involvement, perhaps this isn't vaporware and these vehicles will actually be produced in some numbers. The prices seem reasonable for the claimed ranges they will be getting, falling into the "pretty practical" distances, and coming in under the plug in hybrid Volt projected cost, which has now gone over 40 thousand..if GM makes it of course.

Michelin and Electric Cars
Michael Smith
Sun Nov 30 18:48:36 -0800 2008
 manage

I wonder how you take the wheel off? And while they are at it they could build in a tyre inflation system. That may solve the spare tyre problem as well. If you get a puncture use some power to keep the tyre inflated. If you get a small hole in the tyre raise an alarm so the driver knows to get it fixed before it becomes a problem.

Maybe tyre pressure could be controlled in real time to suit conditions.

Michelin and Electric Cars
Charles E Hill
Sun Nov 30 18:50:08 -0800 2008
 manage

You'd think a solid tyre, along the lines of one of those honeycomb models, would do away with that issue totally.

Michelin and Electric Cars
President4242
Mon Dec 01 09:30:52 -0800 2008
 manage

I've been hearing about Michelin's Active Wheel for some time now.  It makes me wonder why it couldn't be used to produce an all-electric drivetrain in any GM car without a lot of retooling of the factories.

Michelin and Electric Cars
ah.clem
Mon Dec 01 14:50:15 -0800 2008
 manage

This should be tossed into the face of the "Big Three" execs when they come back to capital hill begging for money.  I'm sadly afraid that they are going to get their "bridge" loan - I'd have better luck getting money back from my ex-brother in law.

Rather than foisting SUVs onto the market and fattening their (and their shareholder's) wallets, they should have been putting R&D into this type of production.

Let 'em fail - maybe there'll be more oversight next time.  Or maybe we'll get decent real mass trans in the form of electric/hydrogen buses and light-medium rail, and real heavy rail alternatives to the airlines/trucking companies.  Right... just as soon as those bridge loans get paid back.

The bailout money they get should be going into mass transit solutions, not saving a few badly run companies.  Provide jobs and infrastructure.

Well, that sure got off-topic.  But they shoulda.

Michelin and Electric Cars
President4242
Mon Dec 01 16:04:11 -0800 2008
 manage

If one rock star can get 50+MPG out of a 1959 Lincoln by converting it to electric drive train and a constant-speed generator, what do you think these wheels and a constant-speed generator would do for an SUV?

I'm thinking that it wouldn't take that much retooling for such a conversion.  Same body types they're already producing, just a different form of hybrid.

Motor Durability

tallfred
Mon Dec 01 21:59:10 -0800 2008
 manage

Wouldn't the electric motor be shaken to death inside the wheel?  Doesn't the suspension work better if the wheel is lighter, like without the motor weight?  Maybe the motor floats a bit, but not far inside that wheel, and it needs a mechanical linkage to deliver torque.

Motor Durability
Michael Smith
Tue Dec 02 00:32:44 -0800 2008
 manage

Wouldn't the electric motor be shaken to death inside the wheel?

Starter motors and alternators get shaken around attached to engines. They seem to survive okay.

Doesn't the suspension work better if the wheel is lighter, like without the motor weight?

Yes you would think so. If the wheel goes over a hole the suspension has to push it down. Increase mass and you increase the momentum to be put into the wheel. On the other hand the axle and heavy swing arm, etc probably mass a lot as well in the case of a chasis mounted motor.

I think electric drivelines are going to vastly simplify the drivelines of motor vehicles. Perhaps we will see 100 000km service intervals.

Fascinating!

The magical N-man
Thu Dec 04 01:17:22 -0800 2008
 manage

This sure is interesting. For instance, it opens the possibility of "partially upgrading" your car, by buying some better wheels (assuming this is significantly cheaper than buying a new car).

And I like the idea of two trunks, or rather I like the idea of a 7-seater (like Touran, Zafira) with an extra trunk.

Also, this concept "modularizes" the car, by further splitting energy production/storage from the propulsion system. This might enable quicker upgrades and improvements in both areas.

And even more, this opens up the possibility for stiffer competition: I might have a Ford car body but wheels from another producer. Assuming patents, DMCA etc doesn't prevent this...

The service time of motor vehicles might increase, but what about the service time of the wheels? And what would the price of the wheel be?

I'll believe this when I see it in actual use, but I really like the idea!

And on a final note, how does this relate to the tweel? (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tweel)

 

Do you have questions about the site? Write to bruce at perens.com . List of all articles we've ever published. Source Code Developer's Documentation RSS XML Sitemap XML News Sitemap Valid XHTML 1.0 Strict Valid CSS! [Valid RSS]