If the weight problems can indeed be overcome, the potential benefits of electric wheel motors are undeniably extensive. There is mechanical simplicity because the power source is within the wheel and has no mechanical link with the rest of the car; there is no engine under the bonnet, no exhaust under the floor, no gearbox, differential or driveshafts. This releases a lot of space; the batteries, which represent the largest additional mass, are relatively compact and can be situated where they have least impact on vehicle dynamics. There is multiple redundancy because each wheel can operate independently, offering extra layers of facility to electronic traction control and stability systems, plus infinitely variable all-wheel drive that is easier to control because there are no mechanical systems to be linked.
The shape of transport as I see it. The Brits are winning.
