Some time ago, GMC officially unveiled the Hummer EV, which boasted the Crabwalk feature – the car can turn the wheels to move diagonally or around its axis, which allows the SUV to drive through difficult areas outside the asphalt pavement. And, of course, a similar function would be very useful in the city – the vehicle could more easily leave narrow parking spaces, for example. Employees of Hyundai Mobis decided that it was worth implementing the feature before the rest, presenting their concept of an unusual wheelbase at CES 2023 using the Ioniq 5 electric car as an example.
The technology is called e-Corner and it allows you to turn the wheels of the car by 90 degrees, providing much more mobility and flexibility in a variety of situations. For example, a vehicle can turn all four wheels 90 degrees (two front wheels pointing inward and two rear wheels pointing outward), allowing the vehicle to turn 360 degrees on the spot. This is a very useful bonus, since you need a minimum of space to turn around and in tight parking lots or garages you can spend less time maneuvering. In addition, in countries in Europe where street parking space is usually very limited, the car will be able to drive sideways between two vehicles, simplifying the process of parallel parking to the limit.
At the same time, the manufacturer’s engineers said that to implement the e-Corner technology, it is not necessary to use a lot of space inside the car body. Experts believe that such a design can be installed on literally any car of the brand without compromising the bodywork or free space, so in the near future Hyundai will install the technology in everything from the latest electric cars to classic SUVs and sedans. The concept will probably have to be further developed and tested, but the company believes that in 2025 they will be able to send this wheelbase to sale.

And, most interestingly, Hyundai Mobis employees said that they do not plan to make this technology exclusive to their parent brand. This means that e-Corner technology may well appear on cars from other manufacturers – and Hyundai added that it is already ready to accept bulk orders from major players in the automotive market. Probably in three to five years, the problem of parallel parking and narrow parking spaces will be completely leveled by this technology, if other brands also decide to adopt it. Or at least create their own counterpart.
Source: Trash Box

Charles Grill is a tech-savvy writer with over 3 years of experience in the field. He writes on a variety of technology-related topics and has a strong focus on the latest advancements in the industry. He is connected with several online news websites and is currently contributing to a technology-focused platform.