A New Horizon in Electric Performance? Testing Elaphe’s Hub-Motor Prototype on Ice in a Hyundai Ioniq 5
In early March, navigating a frozen lake in a 500-horsepower, rear-wheel-drive American pony car—without tire studs—sounds like a recipe for vehicular chaos. My right foot, planted firmly on the accelerator, sends the car into a controlled, four-wheel drift, turning the icy expanse into my personal playground. The effortless rotation around the skidpad, the controlled slides, the sheer fun of it—it all seems almost too easy.
The secret to this exhilarating performance isn’t just the V8 engine’s muscle or my questionable Swedish driving skills. It’s the cutting-edge technology integrated into the front axle. Where conventional cars house nothing more than brakes, suspension components, and steering knuckles, this beast features a pair of high-performance electric motors mounted directly over the front wheels. These motors don’t just add horsepower; they inject a level of agility and control that transforms a potentially treacherous vehicle into an absolute joy on the ice.
Hailing from Slovenia, the company behind this remarkable innovation is Elaphe. Though founded in 2006, Elaphe has largely operated in the background, specializing in black-ops projects for various automotive manufacturers. While the industry has predominantly focused on smaller applications like e-bikes and scooters, Elaphe has been quietly perfecting the art of the in-wheel hub motor for larger, more demanding vehicles. Their most high-profile collaboration was with Lordstown Motors, a partnership that promised to bring this technology to the masses. However, following Lordstown’s bankruptcy, Elaphe is now showcasing its capabilities in a range of other vehicles, including this modified Hyundai Ioniq 5.
Hyundai’s electric crossover is already a competent vehicle, even in its base form. But on ice, without the aid of tire studs, its true limitations become apparent. The stock Ioniq 5 is equipped with a sophisticated suite of stability and traction control systems designed to keep it planted on slippery surfaces. While these systems are effective in preventing accidents, they are far from engaging. Ask too much of the car—accelerate too aggressively out of a corner—and the electronics intervene with abrupt power cuts. The window for enjoyable driving is razor-thin; push beyond it, and the vehicle simply refuses to cooperate.
Intriguingly, these electronic nannies can be switched off with a prolonged press of the traction control button. With the systems disabled, the standard Ioniq 5 transforms into a fundamentally different machine. Sliding and tire spin become possible, yet the experience remains far from rewarding. The car is notoriously difficult to drift smoothly, often snapping into wild oversteer with little warning. Attempting to power out of a slide typically results in terminal understeer. Even a perfectly executed Scandinavian flick—a technique designed to initiate a controlled slide—is met with the car stubbornly plowing straight ahead the moment the throttle is applied. It’s a frustrating reminder that raw power alone doesn’t guarantee driving pleasure.
Enter Elaphe’s Quad-Motor Ioniq 5. This modified version of the Korean EV ditches Hyundai’s dual-motor setup in favor of four in-wheel hub motors. Each motor churns out an impressive 188 horsepower and a staggering 1,254 lb-ft of torque. Impressively, Elaphe has integrated these motors with the car’s stock battery and power management system. The dashboard even displays the remaining state of charge on the touchscreen, just as a standard Ioniq 5 would.
The user experience is remarkably familiar. You climb in, twist the drive selector forward for D, and everything appears normal. However, the moment you set off, the differences become strikingly apparent. In its default mode, the Elaphe Ioniq 5 remains commendably safe and easy to manage on the slick surface. Yet, unlike Hyundai’s abrupt intervention, Elaphe’s system responds with far greater subtlety. As you turn the wheel into a corner, the car gently reduces power, the transition so smooth that you can keep your foot planted on the accelerator and guide the car through the turn.
Simultaneously, the system increases regenerative braking on the inside wheels, effectively vectoring the car’s rotation. This sophisticated torque vectoring helps the chassis pivot through the corner without ever inducing the kind of oversteer that would unsettle the driver. There’s just enough understeer to keep novice drivers from pushing the car beyond its limits, ensuring a confidence-inspiring ride.
As you become more comfortable, you can progress through Sport and Sport Plus modes, each offering greater levels of control and power. In Sport Plus, the Ioniq 5 becomes noticeably livelier, readily engaging in moderate drifts. However, should the tail hang out too far, the car smoothly brings it back in line, again relying on the individual regenerative braking of the four wheels to orchestrate the correction. There’s no ABS clatter, no jarring power cuts—just seamless electronic artistry.
But the true revelation awaits in Drift mode. Here, the system steps back, offering minimal intervention while still providing a safety net. The formerly docile Ioniq 5 transforms into an absolute joy on the ice. You can hang the tail out through tight corners or power through faster turns with the rear end swinging wide. The car behaves with predictable precision, free from abrupt power cuts or clumsy electronic interference. When your drift begins to falter, the system provides just enough assistance to prevent a complete spin, but otherwise leaves you free to dance with the car, pivoting and swinging the 4,600-pound EV with intuitive control.
One of the most compelling questions surrounding this technology is its impact on vehicle dynamics. Elaphe representatives informed me that their version of the Ioniq 5 weighs only a few pounds more than the standard model, despite the addition of four motors. While the stock brakes are retained, the suspension has been replaced with bespoke KW units, specifically calibrated to handle the increased mass concentrated at the wheels.
Yes, there is an undeniable increase in unsprung mass, with each motor weighing approximately 60 pounds. Intuitively, this should wreak havoc on a car’s handling. However, Elaphe CEO Gorazd Gotovac dismisses this notion. “The top test drivers in the top performance OEMs would disagree,” he asserted. “From my perspective, that’s enough for me.”
Gotovac acknowledges that for premium luxury vehicles, the added unsprung mass could present challenges in ride quality. However, he maintains that these are not insurmountable issues, easily addressed with more advanced suspension damping technology. The prevailing belief that in-wheel motors inherently degrade handling performance, he argues, is simply a myth. “High-mu, low-mu, on tarmac and on ice, we prove that every day to OEMs,” he stated confidently.
While your average frozen lake is anything but smooth, the test courses we sampled in Sweden had been groomed to near-perfect condition. The true test of this technology on rough, undulating surfaces remains to be seen. Yet, the potential benefits of moving the motors to the wheels far outweigh the drawbacks. By relocating the propulsion units, significant space is freed up within the chassis. This newfound room can be utilized to accommodate larger battery packs, expand cargo capacity, or enable more efficient overall packaging. In this particular Ioniq 5, the typical compact frunk has been replaced by a cavernous storage area, highlighting the design freedom that in-wheel motors provide.
Furthermore, when a vehicle is designed from the ground up to incorporate these motors, substantial weight savings can be achieved. The need for traditional differentials and reduction gearsets—components that contribute to weight and power loss—is eliminated. Smaller brake systems can be employed, as the motors themselves handle much of the braking duty through regenerative capabilities. Elaphe estimates that by optimizing the entire vehicle architecture around their hub motors, manufacturers could potentially reduce manufacturing costs by up to 10 percent. This cost reduction stems from the ability to use smaller batteries in lighter, more efficient vehicles.
The practicalities of maintenance also warrant consideration. With the motors positioned over the brakes, servicing these components might seem complicated. However, the design is surprisingly straightforward. Once the wheel is removed, three exposed bolt heads are visible. Loosening these fasteners, replacing them with pins to secure the motor’s rotor and stator, and then simply unplugging the motor allows for its swift removal. This is a task that should rarely, if ever, need to be performed, given the motors’ significant regenerative braking capabilities. Still, Elaphe has designed its hub motors to accommodate substantial brake rotors, up to nearly 14.8 inches in diameter. For their hypercar-specification motors, they can even accommodate rotors up to 15.7 inches.
Shifting gears to the automotive landscape in the United States, Elaphe’s technology holds particular promise for the electric truck segment. The current generation of electric pickups, while boasting impressive straight-line acceleration, often struggle with towing and low-traction scenarios. The heavy weight of the battery packs, typically located in the floor of the vehicle, raises the center of gravity and can compromise stability when hauling heavy loads or navigating slippery conditions.
Imagine an electric pickup truck where the drive motors are integrated into the wheels. This configuration would allow for the battery pack to be repositioned, potentially lower in the chassis or even distributed across multiple locations, creating a more balanced weight distribution. The elimination of traditional drive shafts and differentials would reduce mechanical losses, freeing up more power for propulsion. In a truck designed specifically for towing, this translates to improved efficiency and greater hauling capability. On slippery job sites or unpaved roads, the individual-wheel torque vectoring provided by the hub motors would offer unprecedented traction and control, allowing the truck to maneuver
