The Future of Electric Vehicle Performance: Elaphe Hub-Motor Testing on the Ioniq 5
Elaphe’s innovative in-wheel hub-motor technology was put to the test in a modified Hyundai Ioniq 5 on an ice-covered lake, revealing the potential to redefine EV performance and packaging.
By Tim Stevens
Industry Veteran | 10+ Years Experience
March 18, 2026
Imagine piloting a 500-horsepower, front-engined, rear-wheel-drive American pony car on a sheet of ice without a single tire stud. The mere thought conjures images of violent fishtailing, hair-trigger throttle responses, and the constant threat of an embarrassing spin-out. Yet, here I am, foot buried to the floor, executing effortless drifts around a colossal skidpad with surprising grace. The secret? An advanced all-wheel-drive system seamlessly integrated into the vehicle’s front axle.
Where traditional front-wheel drive systems rely on mechanical differentials and driveshafts, this machine leverages a pair of sophisticated in-wheel hub motors. Bolted directly above the front brakes and nestled within the wheel housings, these motors not only deliver a substantial boost in power but, more importantly, provide an unprecedented level of control on low-friction surfaces. They transform a potentially challenging vehicle into an exhilarating dance partner on the ice.
Straight From Slovenia: The Elaphe Advantage
The brains behind this remarkable transformation is a relatively small Slovenian company named Elaphe. Though founded in 2006, Elaphe has largely operated behind the scenes, quietly supplying its advanced hub-motor technology to various manufacturers for specialized applications. While the broader market remains largely unaware of their contributions, Elaphe has been a quiet force, championing the potential of in-wheel motors far beyond their typical application in e-bikes and scooters.
The company’s most significant public breakthrough came through its partnership with Lordstown Motors, a venture that promised to bring Elaphe’s technology to the mainstream. However, the tumultuous history of Lordstown and its subsequent bankruptcy left this particular dream in limbo. Undeterred, Elaphe has since focused on demonstrating its capabilities with a diverse range of vehicle prototypes, showcasing the adaptability and power of its in-wheel motor solutions.
Our test vehicle for this exploration was a modified Hyundai Ioniq 5, a car already known for its competent performance in its standard configuration. However, in this iteration, the Ioniq 5 represented a fundamental shift in engineering philosophy. We began our evaluation on a specially prepared, snow-plowed handling circuit at the Colmis Proving Ground, located just outside Arjeplog, Sweden—a proving ground world-renowned for its extreme weather testing capabilities.
In its standard configuration, the Ioniq 5 is a capable vehicle. However, when pushed on unstudded snow tires, its electronic safety nets become immediately apparent. The traction and stability control systems intervene aggressively at the first sign of slip, cutting power abruptly and refusing to relinquish it readily. Attempting to accelerate out of a corner reveals a frustratingly narrow window of operation; stray even slightly from the prescribed line, and the car simply refuses to move forward.
Interestingly, a deliberate long-press of the traction control button disables these electronic guardians, transforming the stock Ioniq 5 into a fundamentally different machine. With the nannies switched off, the car allows for controlled sliding and tire spin, creating a more engaging, if still somewhat unpredictable, experience. The standard Ioniq 5 is notoriously difficult to drift smoothly, often snapping into aggressive oversteer with little warning. Furthermore, attempts to power through corners are frequently met with terminal understeer; even with a well-timed Scandinavian flick, the car tends to plow straight ahead as soon as significant throttle is applied.
Enter the Quad-Motor Ioniq: A New Paradigm
The Elaphe-equipped Ioniq 5 presented a completely different driving dynamic. To create this prototype, the engineering team replaced Hyundai’s dual-motor setup with four individual in-wheel hub motors, each boasting an impressive capability of generating 188 horsepower and a staggering 1,254 lb-ft of torque. Elaphe ingeniously integrated these motors with the vehicle’s existing battery and power electronics, ensuring that even the standard Ioniq 5 touchscreen continued to display the remaining state of charge accurately.
The user experience is remarkably intuitive. You simply enter the vehicle, engage drive by twisting the selector forward, and proceed as you would with a standard Ioniq. However, from this point onward, the driving experience diverges radically.
In its default mode, the car remains secure and manageable on the slick surface. Yet, where Hyundai’s safety systems cut power abruptly and reluctantly, the Elaphe system operates with far greater subtlety. As the driver turns the wheel into a corner, the Ioniq gently reduces power—so smoothly that it’s possible to maintain full throttle through the curve. This gentle power modulation is complemented by an increase in regenerative braking on the inside wheels, effectively vectoring the car through the turn without inducing oversteer. The subtle understeer that persists is just enough to encourage caution in novice drivers, preventing them from pushing beyond their comfort zone.
As the driver becomes more accustomed to the car’s capabilities, the drive modes can be escalated to Sport and Sport Plus, offering increasing levels of driver control and power. In Sport Plus mode, the Ioniq 5 becomes amenable to controlled drifts, with the throttle response sharpened significantly. Should the rear end begin to hang out beyond a certain threshold, the car smoothly reasserts control, again relying on the individual regenerative braking capabilities of the four wheels. The system operates without the jarring clatter of conventional ABS intervention, providing a seamless transition back to stability.
For those seeking the ultimate expression of the vehicle’s capabilities, a dedicated Drift mode awaits. In this setting, the electronic safety net recedes further, allowing the driver unprecedented freedom. The once-reserved Ioniq 5 transforms into an absolute delight on the ice, enabling drivers to execute deep slides through tight corners or power through high-speed sweepers with confidence. The vehicle responds with clean, predictable behavior, entirely free from abrupt power cuts or clumsy interventions. Even if the driver’s drifting technique falters, the system provides just enough assistance to prevent a complete spin, allowing the driver to focus on steering inputs and throttle control while pivoting and swinging the substantial 4,600-pound EV through elaborate maneuvers.
Weight Implications: Dispelling the Myth
Despite the addition of four motors, Elaphe representatives confirmed that their version of the Ioniq 5 weighs only a few pounds more than the standard model. The stock brakes are retained, although the suspension has been replaced with bespoke KW units, specifically calibrated to manage the added weight of the motors located at the wheels.
The question of unsprung mass inevitably arises. Each motor weighs approximately 60 pounds, which would typically be expected to have a detrimental effect on a vehicle’s handling characteristics. However, Elaphe CEO Gorazd Gotovac offers a compelling counterpoint: “The top test drivers in the top performance OEMs would disagree. From my perspective, that’s enough for me.”
Gotovac acknowledges that for premium luxury vehicles, the added weight in the wheels could introduce complexities in ride quality. Nevertheless, he asserts that such challenges are surmountable through the application of more advanced suspension damping technologies. He firmly believes that the notion of in-wheel motors negatively impacting handling performance is a persistent myth. “High-mu, low-mu, on tarmac and on ice, we prove that every day to OEMs,” he states with conviction.
Unfortunately, this specific aspect of the Ioniq 5 test could not be fully evaluated. While the ice on the lake offered a challenging low-friction surface, the test courses were meticulously groomed to be exceptionally smooth. Therefore, the real-world impact of the additional unsprung mass on high-speed handling over varied road surfaces remains to be seen.
Beyond the immediate handling considerations, Gotovac emphasizes that the potential benefits of Elaphe’s technology far outweigh the concerns associated with the added weight. By relocating the motors to the wheels, significant space is liberated within the vehicle’s chassis. This newfound flexibility allows for the accommodation of larger battery packs, expanded cargo capacity, or a more optimized interior packaging layout. In the Ioniq 5 prototype, for instance, the traditional, diminutive frunk was replaced by a cavernous, empty space under the hood, demonstrating the dramatic packaging advantages this architecture affords.
Furthermore, when vehicles are designed from the outset to incorporate Elaphe’s in-wheel motors, the overall vehicle weight can be significantly reduced. This optimization is achieved through the utilization of smaller braking systems and the elimination of reduction gearsets and differentials, which are known to consume power. Elaphe estimates that this integrated design approach could lead to a reduction in manufacturing costs of up to 10 percent. This cost saving is primarily attributable to the ability to incorporate smaller, more efficient batteries in lighter-weight vehicles.
Serviceability presents another compelling advantage. The challenge of accessing brakes located behind the motors is surprisingly straightforward. Once the wheel is removed, three exposed bolt heads are visible. By loosening these bolts and replacing them with retaining pins, the motor’s rotor and stator can be securely held in place, allowing for the motor to be unplugged and lifted off. This simplified process ensures that even routine maintenance is far less complex than traditional designs might suggest. Moreover, the motors themselves perform a significant portion of the braking, reducing wear on the physical brake components. Elaphe has engineered its hub motors to accommodate substantial brake diameters, up to nearly 14.8 inches, with even larger 15.7-inch versions available for hypercar-specific applications.
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