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5d ago
What happens if one of the engines break down? Will the other engine/engines still work when driving?
What happens if one of the engines break down? Will the other engine/engines still work when driving?
4 answers1 reply
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Assuming it breaks down without interfering with the rotation of the wheel, the others should still be able to move the vehicle.
The power steering is handled by the two motors working to help turn the wheels. If one goes out it would force the car to turn into the direction of the broken motor. That's just a guess tho.
Motor breakdown is extremely unlikely, compared to an engine.
@kiteboarder in wheel motors have never been implemented into a production vehicle and reliability could actually be an issue. I wonder what would happen if a motor looses power while accelerating will the vehicle lose control or instantly cut power to opposing motor.
Based on their torture tests, including (but not limited to) freezing in a solid block of ice, complete submersion in salt water, & dropping them on the factory floors, reliability doesn't seem to be any more of an issue than with "conventional" EVs.