Auto – A wheel is obviously always round, but that doesn’t mean its shape can’t vary. Hyundai has filed a patent in this sense, which benefits electric autonomy, but not only
In the era of electric mobility, aerodynamics has never been more essential on the average person’s car. And one of the most critical areas of automobile aerodynamics is the wheels. This is evidenced by the new closed wheels used in F1, or the modifications that some tuners make to the rims of sports cars, to gain a few seconds per lap on a circuit.
At Hyundai, engineers estimate that 25% of a car’s air resistance occurs at the wheels. That’s why engineers developed a variable-shape wheel.
Open or closed
To sum up, a completely closed wheel is more aerodynamic. On the other hand, it does not allow the heat emitted by the brakes to escape during deceleration. However, brakes that heat up lose their effectiveness. The Hyundai wheel can therefore be open or closed depending on the situation. When braking, an elastic substance reacts to the heat, and “opens” the wheel flaps.
If necessary, a tiny electric motor can be added that also uses heat. When the brake is cooled, the reactions go in the opposite direction, and close the flaps, to optimize aerodynamics(…) - 20minutes
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