Elaphe's In‑Hub Motors Find New Life in Hyundai Project

In‑wheel or hub motors have a long, if niche, history in electric propulsion — from early experiments by Ferdinand Porsche to the Lunar Roving Vehicles of the 1970s. Despite high hopes during recent EV booms, they have rarely reached mass adoption beyond smaller applications like e‑bikes.

One notable setback was Lordstown Motors, whose pickup promised in‑wheel propulsion but ultimately failed amid corporate turmoil. Yet the component supplier behind that plan, Elaphe, hasn’t disappeared. The Slovenian company has kept developing its in‑hub motor systems and is now involved in a fresh project with Hyundai that examines traction use for internal combustion engine (ICE) platforms adapted with electric components.

Elaphe’s approach centers on packaging motors directly inside the wheel assembly, freeing up space elsewhere on the chassis and enabling precise torque control at each wheel. Engineers argue this can simplify drive hardware and improve traction control, particularly in vehicles where space and packaging constraints matter. For Hyundai, experimenting with such systems could mean lighter conversions or augmented traction on models not originally designed as EVs.

That said, in‑hub motors bring trade‑offs. Unsprung mass — the weight the suspension must manage — increases, potentially affecting ride and handling. Durability and environmental sealing are tougher when sensitive components sit so close to road debris and brakes. Elaphe says its latest iterations address many of these concerns through improved motor design and integration techniques.

Whether hub motors will ever enjoy mainstream adoption remains uncertain. But experiments like Hyundai’s collaboration with Elaphe highlight a pragmatic view: rather than a wholesale replacement for traditional drivetrains, in‑wheel motors could become a useful tool for specific applications where packaging, torque vectoring, or retrofit simplicity matter.