Summary
One powered wheel and a battery of any type can make a motorbike, two powered wheels and a battery of any type can make a powered freight or passenger carrying cart, three or more powered wheels and a battery of any type can make a car, 8, or more, can make a truck, and with a third rail or an overhead wire connection 8 or more can make a bus, passenger carrying railcar, freight carrying railcar, subway car, etc. The size of the wheel and of its contained motors can be increased to make long haul freight or passenger carrying vehicles.
Analysis
The development by General Motors and Sumitomo in 1984 of the very small powerful permanent magnets based on the rare earth alloy neodymium-iron-boron has made possible the self powered wheel now put into production by Michelin of France and its partners. This is because prior to the development of rare earth based magnets it was necessary to use iron magnets which were too heavy for simple economical transportation electrification.
Michelin's powered wheels make possible a wide variety of electrified vehicle types, because the number of wheels that can be used is in theory unlimited. Thus any type of battery and any size chassis can be considered. Proven and reliable battery technologies such as lead-acid and nickel metal hydride can be put into use immediately, and when long lived reliable lithium-ion or other technologies are ready they can be used also to extend range or increase performance where economical.
Simply removing the rubber tire gives you immediately a self powered railroad wheel with vast possibilities for small or even individual carriages that could even take the passenger directly into his home.
Small 'rental' taxis are due to be introduced into Paris in 2010 and the city now has a contest for the first provider of 2000 electric vehicles to be picked up and dropped off at 'stations' around the City of Light where they will be recharged and waiting for the next customer for a short haul intracity. Clearly Michelin had this use in mind as it was developing this device.
As a step towards the electrification of transportation this invention could not be more timely.
The mainstream media by focusing on battery development as the key to vehicle electrification has ignored developments such as Michelin's motorized wheel. Thus the public is unaware of perhaps the most important development in vehicle electrification in 100 years. A development that puts the power source back into perspective.
Vive la France.
