[Courtesy of Hyundai Wia]
SEOUL -- Hyundai Wia, an automotive parts wing of South Korea's Hyundai auto group, made a technical breakthrough in the traditional method of delivering power to the wheel by developing an integrated drive axle (IDA) that would significantly improve ride and handling performances.
IDA will be applied first to a platform dedicated to electric vehicles, the company said Tuesday, adding the new part would provide a completely different driving experience.
For the first time in the world, Hyundai Wia combined the drive shaft and the wheel bearing. As a single part, IDA increased the stiffness by 55 percent and reduced the weight by more than 10 percent, compared to existing products.
With IDA, the company is able to increase the diameter of the wheel bearing by more than 40 percent and remove noise and vibration. The drive shaft angle gets larger so that the minimum turning radius can be greatly reduced.
reporter
Lim Chang-won
cwlim34@ajunews.com
