Hyundai Elevate: Walking car concept revealed
The Hyundai Elevate concept has made its debut at the 2019 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.In a disaster, such an earthquake or tsunami, first responders are only able to get to the edge of the debris field using conventional cars and trucks, with the rest of journey completed on foot.The Elevate concept, dubbed an “ultimate mobility vehicle”, is designed to get past this limitation, and traverse ground even the most capable four-wheel drive would fail at.
In ‘walking’ mode, the Elevate’s legs have five degrees of freedom, can imitate the walking gate of mammals or reptiles, and can walk in all directions.Hyundai says the concept can climb over a 1.5m-high wall or step over a 1.5m-wide gap, while also keeping its body and passengers completely level while doing so.When the Elevate is engaged in driving mode, the legs are folded up and locked in place, and the car is driven by wheel hub motors.
The Elevate uses a modular EV platform and can be fitted with different bodies for various needs and situations. In one alternative scenario, Hyundai sees the Elevate operating as the ultimate wheelchair-friendly taxi.