A few years ago, Finnish-Estonian startup Verge launched a wild motorcycle with a rear wheel so hollow you could stick a leg straight through it. Now the moto builder has realized the powerful ring-like hub motor sitting inside that hollow wheel has untapped potential reaching far beyond just???
Looks like something the Combine made.
“Pick up that can.”
I’m struggling to think of another application where a ring motor would be the superior option, except maybe: 1) EUCs, or 2) scenarios where the transmission needs to reside within the motor. That latter scenario is from something I vaguely remember seeing on YouTube, where the opposite was performed: sticking an engine within the hollow cavity of a massive transaxle.
But this is already a niche list of applications. Automobiles would not benefit from hollow hub motors because there’s already stuff onboard of each wheel. The only plausible case is for an AWD/4WD vehicle that wants to minimize torque steer by having the transaxle length be equal on both sides, precisely by having the transmission and motor centered.
Spokes – of both the wire variety on bicycles, and the solid type in automobiles – serve a structural purpose, and their removal for no other reason than aesthetics is a disservice to practicality, specifically by increasing weight and servicing effort when changing a tire.
You forgot 3: When you want to look like some cool dude on a bike from the future.
The future is chrome!
Currently powering the hype train, still, will look for it come CES.
