Development of the in-wheel driving system

摘要

At the beginning of the 21st century, there are pressing problems such as global warming, urban environmental pollution, and an energy crisis like the expiration of oil resources. In this connection, the general concern is focused on the advent of a new urban traffic means, i.e. electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) to which the EV technologies are applied. Meidensha Corporation has been keen on the development of the in-wheel drive system that is one of the ideal drive systems for the EV. In 1991, the company completed a 4-wheel direct drive system for the high-performance EV, the IZA, that had been developed by Tokyo Electric Power Company, and in 1997 a 2-in-wheel drive system for the compact high-performance 2-passenger EV, the Luciole, developed mainly by the National Environmental Research Institute. Recently, the company developed another higher-output, higher-performance in-wheel drive system for the 8-wheel drive high-performance, multi-purpose, 8passenger EV, the KAZ (See Fig. 1.), with a maximum speed of 300km/h, developed by the EV Laboratory of keio University, which is outlined below.