A New World of EV Performance? Testing the Elaphe Hub-Motor Prototype on Ice in a Hyundai Ioniq 5
We tested Elaphe’s in-wheel hub-motor tech in a Hyundai Ioniq 5 on a frozen lake, and the results could reshape EV performance and packaging.
Tim StevensWriterManufacturerPhotographerMar 18, 2026
A 500-horsepower, front-engined, rear-drive American pony car on ice without tire studs sounds like a real handful, a delicate dance requiring saintly levels of self-restraint and finesse. I’m a patient guy, but on a frozen Swedish lake in early March in the seat of just such a car, I’m not having to be nearly so careful. My right foot is flat to the floor, I’m drifting effortlessly around a massive skidpad, and I’m having a grand old time.
That’s because I’m getting more than a little help from the front axle and some advanced stability control on this machine. Up front, where normally only big brakes, suspension, and steering arms lie, this coupe has something extra: a pair of motors. Bolted on over those brakes and just fitting inside the wheels, the motors add power, yes, but more important, they add an incredible amount of capability to a car that, otherwise, would be better left stabled in these conditions.
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Straight From Slovenia
The motors come from a small Slovenian company called Elaphe. Though in operation since 2006, it has operated rather quietly, working on black-ops projects like this with various manufacturers and preaching the virtues of in-wheel hub motors on larger, grander scales than the scooters and e-bikes where they’re typically found.
Elaphe’s greatest claim to fame is the partnership with Lordstown that looked poised to finally bring the company’s motors to the masses. However, that dream failed with Lordstown’s bankruptcy, and now Elaphe is here to show what it can do on vehicles of various other sorts.
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Vehicles like a modified Hyundai Ioniq 5. In N form, the Ioniq 5 is quite a hoot. But, in its base, non-evolved form, it’s much humbler. That’s especially true on ice. I had a chance to start out with a base Ioniq 5 on a plowed handling circuit at the Colmis Proving Ground just outside of Arjeplog, Sweden.
The car is extremely competent in its default mode. Ask too much from its set of unstudded snow tires, and the stability and traction control systems are quick and abrupt in cutting power. Trying to accelerate out of a corner means trying to keep the steering and throttle within a very narrow window of functionality. Anywhere outside of that, and you’re going nowhere.
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Interestingly, though, it is possible to disable those systems with just a long press of the traction control button. With TC off, the stock Hyundai is a very different beast. Now it’s possible to slide and to spin up the tires in a much more enjoyable way, but it’s still far from rewarding. The Ioniq 5 is extremely difficult to drift smoothly, kicking into wild oversteer with little warning. Then, if you try to power your way out of corners, it has a tendency to fall into terminal understeer. Even with an extremely aggressive Scandinavian flick, it simply plowed straight ahead as soon as I got on the throttle.
Enter the Quad-Motor Ioniq
Elaphe’s version of the same car, however, was a completely different experience. To make it, the company binned Hyundai’s dual motors and installed four in-wheel hub motors, each capable of generating 188 horsepower and 1,254 lb-ft of torque. Elaphe integrated them with the car’s stock battery and power system, such that the Ioniq 5 even reports the remaining state of charge on the touchscreen.
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You get in, start up the car, and twist the drive selector forward for D just like in a standard Ioniq. Everything from there, though, is radically different.
In the default mode, the car is again safe and easy to drive on the slick surface. However, where Hyundai’s safety systems cut power abruptly when they detect slip and are then reluctant to give it back, the Elaphe car is far more subtle in this regard. Turn the wheel into a corner, and the Ioniq gently decreases power so smoothly that I could just keep my foot flat on the accelerator and drive around the course.
The car also increases the recuperative braking on the inside wheels to help the chassis turn, but never so much that it slips into oversteer. There’s just enough understeer to scare a novice driver from pushing too hard.
From there, you can step up to Sport and Sport Plus modes, with increasing control and power along the way. In Sport Plus, the car is now happy to engage in moderate drifts, while the throttle is significantly livelier. But hang out the tail by more than a few degrees, and the car brings it back in line, again relying on the individual regenerative braking power of the four wheels to do so smoothly and without the clatter of ABS firing away.
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There is, though, another mode beyond that, a true drift mode. Here, the system is still there to provide some help, but by and large, it let me do whatever I wanted. The formerly humble Ioniq 5 turned into an absolute joy on the ice. I could hang the tail way out through tighter corners or power it sideways through faster ones.
The car acted in a clean, predictable way, with no abrupt power cuts or clumsy interventions. When I fell a little behind in my drifting, there was just a little help to keep the tail from coming around completely, but otherwise I was free to pivot and swing the 4,600-pound EV as Iswagen 5 is a competent, if somewhat unexciting, EV in its base configuration. However, when equipped with Elaphe’s in-wheel hub motors, this unassuming crossover transforms into a dynamic powerhouse capable of thrilling maneuvers on even the slipperiest surfaces.
The testing grounds at Colmis Proving Ground, just outside Arjeplog, Sweden, provided the perfect proving ground. Here, on meticulously groomed circuits, automotive engineers and journalists gather annually to push vehicles to their absolute limits in extreme cold-weather conditions. While many electric vehicles struggle to maintain composure on ice and snow without specialized studs, the Elaphe-equipped Ioniq 5 demonstrated remarkable agility and control.
The transformation from a standard EV to a drift-capable machine is nothing short of remarkable. In its factory configuration, the Ioniq 5 is hampered by its traction and stability control systems, which are overly intrusive on low-grip surfaces. Attempting to accelerate out of a corner often results in abrupt power cuts, forcing the driver to navigate a frustratingly narrow window of throttle application. Even disabling these systems doesn’t fully resolve the issue, as the stock vehicle tends to oversteer aggressively before succumbing to terminal understeer when power is applied.
However, the Elaphe quad-motor system fundamentally alters the vehicle’s dynamics. By replacing the conventional dual-motor setup with four in-wheel motors, Elaphe has endowed the Ioniq 5 with unprecedented control over each wheel’s power delivery. Each motor is capable of producing 188 horsepower and a staggering 1,254 lb-ft of torque, resulting in a combined output that dwarfs the standard model’s capabilities.
Beyond the raw power increase, the true magic of the Elaphe system lies in its ability to manage power distribution with surgical precision. In the Ioniq 5, the base battery and power electronics are retained, yet the integration of the hub motors allows for a level of torque vectoring previously unimaginable in a vehicle of this class. This enables the car to maintain composure in corners where a conventional EV would be hopelessly adrift.
The driving experience in the Elaphe-equipped Ioniq 5 is a masterclass in controlled aggression. In its default mode, the system provides a reassuring safety net, gently modulating power to prevent excessive slip without the jarring interruptions common in standard EVs. As the driver advances through the drive modes, the vehicle’s personality transforms. The Sport and Sport Plus modes unlock progressively more aggressive handling characteristics, allowing for moderate drifts and spirited driving.
But it is in Drift mode that the Elaphe system truly shines. This mode unleashes the full potential of the quad-motor setup, allowing the driver to execute controlled slides and power-on drifts with surprising ease. The system provides just enough assistance to keep the vehicle from spinning out, while otherwise allowing the driver to explore the limits of adhesion. This delicate balance between driver control and electronic assistance is the hallmark of a truly advanced performance system.
Beyond the immediate driving experience, the implications of Elaphe’s in-wheel motor technology extend far beyond the realm of extreme performance. The relocation of the drive motors to the wheel hubs frees up significant space within the vehicle’s chassis. This architectural freedom opens up a world of possibilities for interior packaging, allowing for more spacious cabins, increased cargo capacity, and more innovative interior designs. In the prototype Ioniq 5, this was evident in the massive empty space under the hood, where a conventional EV’s drive unit would typically reside.
Furthermore, the adoption of in-wheel motors can lead to significant reductions in vehicle weight and manufacturing costs. By eliminating the need for traditional differentials
