In-wheel electric motor technology could allow future cars to be both smaller and more agile, according to Ford.
After partnering up with Schaeffler, Ford has created the eWheelDrive research car. It may be based on the current Ford Fiesta, but Ford says the technology would allow future cars to be smaller and easier to park.
The rear-wheel drive hatch is pushed along by independent electric motors in each rear wheel. There's no engine under the bonnet, which in future cars could free up space for cars to be designed in a more space-efficient manner.
Ford says the technology could allow the development of a four-person car that only occupies the space of a two-person car today, although there’s no word on how such a car would be made safe in a frontal crash.
At the same time, eWheelDrive steering system designs could enable vehicles to move sideways into parking spaces - a potential breakthrough as cities become more populated and congested.
“We face challenges that will have to be addressed through time, thought and investment,” said Sheryl Connelly, Ford's global trends and futuring manager.
“It is by starting to look at how we might meet those challenges through research projects such as eWheelDrive, that we ensure that we embrace a future of choice and not a future of constraint.”