Revolutionizing the Road: Toyota’s Innovative In-Wheel Electric Motor Technology Inches Closer to Reality

Toyota advances in-wheel motor technology with fresh patent filing

Toyota has submitted a patent for in-wheel electric motors, signaling the company's ongoing efforts in this field.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) made the patent submission public on July 18, 2024. Toyota had initially submitted it on October 30, 2023. This particular patent focuses on a gear-case structure incorporating a pair of helical gears along with thrust bearings. Toyota asserts in their submission that this design enables the gear case to handle axial loads on the gears while adding only a slight amount of weight.

Image depicting Toyota's patented in-wheel motor design

In car design, reducing weight is generally beneficial, and this is particularly true for the gear case. By keeping it light, you can cut down on the unsprung mass, which is the weight not held up by the car's suspension, like the motors fixed to the wheel hubs. If there's too much of this unsprung weight, it can complicate the adjustments needed for a smooth ride and precise steering control.

Product blueprints differ from patent filings; however, as highlighted by Just-Auto, Toyota's numerous patent submissions for in-wheel motors indicate ongoing efforts in this area. Previously, Toyota (alongside General Motors) developed in-wheel motors internally. This recent patent activity could hint at the continuation or resurgence of this program.

Concept for the Toyota Baby Lunar Cruiser

Over a decade and a half ago, Toyota emphasized the use of in-wheel motors for their benefits in efficiency and design space. They even hinted at the possibility of incorporating them into their own iQ EV model. However, when the iQ EV was released, it featured the conventional inboard motor configuration. In more recent developments, Toyota has hinted at the potential inclusion of in-wheel motors in its Lunar Cruiser concept vehicle.

The technology is slowly being integrated into consumer cars, and Aptera is incorporating it into what they promise to be an extremely energy-efficient electric trike, yet there are still numerous concerns about how long-lasting and safe it is. Hyundai has hinted at an alternative method that positions an in-wheel motor near the wheels, but not actually within them—though they have not provided definitive plans for manufacturing.

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