The concept car has no conventional steering, nor conventional brakes, but is capable of driving normally. The technology will provide an extra safety backup on top of the traditional braking and steering devices.
BYD's (OTCMKTS: BYDDY) premium brand Yangwang will let a concept car make its official debut at the Guangzhou auto show, which starts tomorrow. Before then, several videos obtained by CnEVPost show the extra safety the model will offer.
The concept resembles the already launched Yangwang U8 off-road SUV, except that the body is hollowed out and much of the internal structure can be seen.
Below is a video that incorporates several clips.
The concept car based on e⁴ technology has no conventional steering, or conventional brakes, but can drive normally.
Based on a quad-motor independent drive architecture, Yangwang's e⁴ technology integrates drive, brake, and steering functions.
The concept's four motors can vector control the magnitude and direction of the drive force to each wheel, allowing each wheel to rotate at a different torque to control the vehicle's trajectory.
Yangwang's e⁴ technology calculates the desired steering angle based on the driver's steering intentions, and a computer distributes torque to the front wheels for steering.
For braking, the e⁴ technology achieves braking by allowing the four drive motors to drag in reverse, somewhat like a single-pedal mode.
The technology generates a maximum braking deceleration of 1.0 G and brakes from 60 km/h over distances as small as 20 meters.
On top of the existing braking and steering devices, the technology will provide an additional safety backup, offering a second layer of safeguard for vehicle operation, according to BYD.
The Guangzhou auto show will start on Friday, with a media day on November 17, professional visitor days from November 18 to November 19, and general public days from November 20 to November 26.
Yangwang will hold a launch event starting at 10:20 am Beijing time tomorrow, where the e⁴-technology-based concept car as well as a supercar platform will be unveiled, according to information it announced earlier this week.
BYD launched the Yangwang brand in January, as well as the e⁴ technology platform, saying that the premium brand's entire future model lineup will be based on the platform.
BYD started the January launch event by having an SUV enter in crab-walk mode to show off this technology.
The e⁴ is China's first mass-produced four-motor independent drive technology platform, capable of achieving precise control of vehicle dynamics on all four wheels thanks to its four-motor independent vector control technology, BYD previously said.
The Yangwang U8, Yangwang's first production vehicle, has been officially launched and deliveries are expected to begin later this month.
BYD also unveiled the Yangwang U9 supercar in January, although that model has yet to be officially launched.
BYD Yangwang U8's 1st production cars roll off line, deliveries to start soon
