NSK shows off first transmission-equipped wheel hub motor
Manufacturing company NSK has offered up the first transmission-equipped wheel hub motor, which it says will boost the performance, safety and environmental performance of cars. In-wheel motors can reduce vehicle weight, improve torque vectoring and allow for larger cabin space. However, making wheel-hub motors big enough to achieve both the large drive torque necessary for acceleration and hill climbing and a sufficient maximum speed is challenging. NSK is planning to commercialise the component in the near future.
NSK Ltd. has successfully demonstrated the first transmission-equipped wheel hub motor, designed to improve the environmental performance, safety, and comfort of automobiles. Building on the knowledge it has gained from the prototype wheel hub motor it developed, NSK is aiming to commercialize wheel hub components such as the hub unit bearing with built-in speed reducer, the one-way clutch unit, the miniature cage and roller bearing, and the anti-corrosion bearing.

In-wheel motors that can work with various drive systems independent of the body structure of automobiles are attracting interest as next-generation electric drive devices. An in-wheel motor located near the wheel can reduce the weight of the vehicle, control the drive force of each wheel for improved torque vectoring, and enable the expansion of the size of the cabin space, thereby improving environmental performance, safety, and comfort.