Michelin to Commercialize Active Wheel; Technology to Appear in 2010 Cars

By Scott Doggett, Contributor

By Scott Doggett, Contributor

Michelin's revolutionary Active Wheel technology, featuring dual electric motors mounted inside wheels that not only drive the car but also control the suspension, will be implemented in electric vehicles produced by French automaker Heuliez starting in 2010.


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Michelin's Active Wheel technology.

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So says the German Website Welt Online in a posting Sunday, attributing the information to Patrick Oliva, Michelin's director for sustainable development and future mobility. Michelin spokeswoman Lynne Slovick confirmed the gist of the report, but deferred details to officials at the company's French headquarters, who were not immediately available for comment.

This much we do know: Michelin has been working on Active Wheel for more than a decade, but the technology didn't really receive the attention it probably deserves until the 2008 Paris Auto Show held this past October. There, it appeared in the Heuliez Will Concept (pictured), as well as the Venturi Volage Concept.


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The Will will be the first vehicle to enter production with Active Wheel drive. Sadly, it's platform will be nothing sexier than Opel's Agila, despite the fact Active Wheel frees designers from the restrictions posed by the need for engine, transmission, drive shaft, differential and exhaust systems.

At the heart of the zero-emissions technology is a 95-pound wheel packing a drive motor, an active shock-absorption system with its own dedicated motor, and disk braking. Although the Will could be fitted with four Active Wheels, its light weight (1980 pounds, including lithium-ion battery pack) requires only two.

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