These vehicles inherently have a range of characteristics built-in that can exceed the level of control commonly attributed tofour-wheel drive vehicles or vehicles with extensive control systems. These characteristics may include:
Precise individual control of torque to each wheel[4][5]
If one motor fails, the other motors are powerful enough to drive the vehicle to the nearest repair shop[original research?]
Easier replacement of motors
No – possibly long and heavy –drive shafts, nocentral gear box and no mechanicaldifferentials orlockers, reducing vehicle weight, reducing or eliminating transmission losses and simplifying its construction[5]
On-the-spot, zero-radius turning like a tracked vehicle by rotating the drive-wheels in opposite directions[6]
The motors that are used in these vehicles are commonlywheel hub motors, since no transmission components are then required. Alternative layouts with inboard motors and drive shafts are also possible.
Hydraulic wheel drives share many of the same features as an electric wheel drive. They also lack the need for a central gear box, mechanical differentials, drive shafts, and provide on the fly switching between front, rear and all-wheel drive.[7][8] Hydraulic individual wheel drives are standard in various machines, such aszero-turn mowers, multi one lifts /front end loaders, andforklifts. Hydraulic drives are primarily found in machines that serve uses which benefit from the ability to "turn on adime", i.e. with an exceptionally shortturning diameter, and move between forward and reverse modes without shifting gears, such as lawn mowers and loading equipment.
^Hallowell, S.J.; Ray, L.R. (June 2003). "All-wheel driving using independent torque control of each wheel".Proceedings of the 2003 American Control Conference, 2003. Vol. 3. pp. 2590–2595 vol.3.doi:10.1109/ACC.2003.1243467.ISBN0-7803-7896-2.
