How many times have we had to make 20 maneuvers to get our car into the tiny parking space we have at work/university? If the answer is too much. Stay, because this news interests you.
The German-American auto parts company ZF has unveiled an innovative front suspension concept with struts, which allows the front wheels to turn up to 80 degrees, which allows you to make very noticeable turns without much effort.
The Easyturn concept looks weird in action, as the front wheels feel like they’re about to fall off. In fact, it is a system that must be carefully designed, because it takes an unusually large amount of space in the wheel arches to get that angle.
It is only suitable for front-wheel drive vehicles, because pushing the rear wheels at an 80-degree angle will have obvious consequences.
In a commercial, ZF installed this system on a BMW i3 and demonstrates impressive handling. reverse into very narrow parallel parking spaces at unthinkable angles, and then straighten out with no problem.
One of the images from top to bottom shows the i3 making a U-turn, which we estimate is less than 3.5 times its own width. Essentially, this equates to a turning radius of around 6.2 meters compared to the standard i3 turning radius of 9.9 meters.
Keep in mind that this concept car also has a small degree of rear wheel steering. It is clear that such things would be amazing for small cars in the city.
In fact, it can be even more useful on larger vehicles that are more difficult to maneuver in tight spaces.
Whether this is a production-ready innovation or just a concept is not known. But ZF is one of the world’s leading suppliers of automotive parts, so if there is interest in launching one, ZF is the right company.
Source: Computer Hoy
