Cool video shows how Hyundai’s new ‘crab driving’ electric car drives sideways
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Cya, parallel parking! Cool video shows Hyundai’s new ‘crab-driving’ electric car driving sideways into a tight spot on autopilot
Hyundai tests new technology that parallel parks cars like a pro.
The South Korean automaker debuted its e-Corner system that allows anyone to parallel park by turning the wheels 90 degrees and triggering a “crab walk” in space.
A video shows the system in a new all-electric IONIQ 5, pulling next to a clearing, turning its wheels and rolling perpendicularly.
The wheels can also travel diagonally at a 45-degree angle, allowing for quick direction changes.
Hyundai debuted its e-Corner system that allows anyone to parallel park by turning the wheels 90 degrees and triggering a “crab walk” in the parking lot
Hyundai shared a demonstration video captured at the Mobis proving ground in Seosan and adjacent roads to demonstrate different driving modes.
The technology is designed to help anyone parallel park – a feat required to get a US driver’s license.
The crab walk function seems to be seamless – the wheels turn simultaneously without straining the brake lines.
The wheels then return to their traditional position once the car is parked.
However, Hyundai notes that all wheels can move independently for traditional turns, as each has its own motor.
And the vehicle can also make a perfect 360 degree turn without occupying more space than the size of the car.
The video also introduced “diagonal driving,” where all four wheels turn 45 degrees in the same direction, smoothly dodging obstacles or vehicles on the road.
Pivot turn is also introduced in the video, which allows the driver to choose any point for the center axis to make the vehicle rotate accordingly, like drawing a circle with a compass.
A video shows the system in a new all-electric IONIQ 5, pulling next to a clearing, turning its wheels and rolling perpendicularly
Hyundai notes that all wheels can move independently for traditional turns, as each has its own motor. And the vehicle can also make a perfect 360 degree turn without occupying more space than the size of the car
Crabwalk technology can also be found in GM’s latest Hummer model, to be unveiled in 2020
Cheon Jae-seung, head of the Future Technology Convergence Institute at Hyundai Mobis, said, “We are idealizing the e-Corner system to meet the demand for future mobility.
“We will secure different types of customized mobility solutions that can be applied in autonomous driving and PBVs to reinforce our vision to reach new heights as a mobility platform provider.”
The crabwalk technology can also be found in GM’s latest Hummer model, which will be unveiled in 2020.
The battery-powered “super truck” has a range of 350 miles and can accelerate from 0-60 mph in three seconds for $112,000.
The ‘crab walk’ function allows the front and rear wheels to steer at the same angle at low speeds, enabling it to drive diagonally around obstacles.
The older version of the Hummer pales in comparison to the EV1. A 2010 Hummer H3 has 300 horsepower, 320 lb-ft of torque and a range of 322 miles.
In 2021, Hyundai unveiled a Transformer-esque “walking car” that can access remote parts of the world and one day Mars.
The autonomous vehicle, called TIGER, is not intended to carry passengers, but is designed for scientific exploration or as an assistant to deliver food and medicine during natural disasters.
Unlike other emergency vehicles, Hyundai’s concept can extend its four legs to climb over obstacles and then retract to transform into an all-wheel drive vehicle.