this post was submitted on 03 Nov 2025
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Hub motors are a party trick. They will never reach mass market in a car.
They work well on bikes. I could appreciate 1000bhp hub on my 12kg touring bike. π€
I agree, they are good for minimally suspended low speed personal transport.
German company DeepDrive has some kinda promising tech. And the ID.Polo seems to be said to have hub motors.
Not even the concept had hub motors.
https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/volkswagen-id-polo
https://electricarworld.com/volkswagen-polo-makes-a-comeback-as-an-electric-car/
https://auto.hindustantimes.com/auto/electric-vehicles/volkswagen-id-polo-gti-breaks-cover-at-iaa-mobility-comes-as-reborn-polo-gti-41757316409552.html
Limited slip differential? Can't do that with hub motors. https://www.topgear.com.ph/news/car-news/volkswagen-id-polo-prototype-a5100-20250908
If you have different information about a production car, please share it. The theoretical concept ID.2 R may use hub motors but that is vaporware at this point.
I only have german articles. I only heard it in the video source below, and they sadly don't really say how the normal problems with hub motors would be solved even though they have a section for it in the video.
https://www.electrive.net/2025/06/20/vw-soll-neues-topmodell-id-2-r-mit-radnabenmotoren-erwaegen/
https://youtu.be/R3Sok4ZbUyo
Renault 5 RS Turbo has hub motors, Nostradamus.
That car is the definition of a party trick. You proved my point, so thank you.
Right, because 2000 of something is not mass production.
And here is a source in China definitely not making >20 hub motors for cars, scooters, etc.
And BMW did not invest $30M in DeepDrive, hub motor supplier.
You should tell these people they are all stupid.
That's because its a limited run show car. Its not meant to be practical.
Imagine on a motorcycle.... Probably nonstop wheely π€£
uni-motorcycle
They make sense for scooters, bikes, and other low speed or two wheel personal transport. For anything with an actual suspension (designed for a highway) there is just too much competition for space with brakes and suspension linkage. The unsprung weight, exposed high voltage cabling subject to road debris and accidents are problems too. And what to do hub motors really gain you?
Less weight, less parts, 4WD, 4W traction control, more cabin space because no driveshafts.
Simplicity, no transmission. As to unsprung weight, designs like these have a ridiculous power density, so add only very little. Advanced suspensions are active anyway, so just part of the wheel robot.
They DO require transmissions! A single speed planetary gear set is still required, same as current EV drives.
Find me a hub motor datasheet with quoted power and torque below 1000 rpms. The YASA datasheets are all out to 8000 rpms. Useless at wheel speed.
They're quoting 30 second power numbers and dry weight without a gearbox. They're fishing for dumb money.
Sure, get semantic.
I'm looking for benefits over current EV drivetrains. So far, there aren't any.