Hyundai Breaks the Norm With Next-Gen Foldable Steering Wheel for Futuristic Cars

The futuristic cars we used to see only in Sci-Fi movies are slowly coming to life and will most likely sport a completely different look than conventional vehicles.

Hyundai Mobis, one of the largest global automotive suppliers and main supplier for Hyundai and Kia, has unveiled an innovative, next-generation steering wheel that’s unlike anything currently on the market. After two years of research and development, the company has created a steering wheel technology that’s never been commercialized until now.

Basically, this smart-looking steering wheel’s main characteristic is its ability to fold, which creates more space for the driver’s seat. The entire system is based on innovative core parts, including a reaction force control device, a column, and a sliding rail mechanism that enables it to move forwards and backward up to 9.8” (25 cm).

Besides the foldable version, Hyundai Mobis also designed a storage-type model, where the steering wheel retracts into the dashboard.

The new design is also compatible with the company’s Steer by Wire (SBW) steering system, a technology that controls steering through electrical signals. The SBW system minimizes vibrations when driving on bumpy roads and improves steering performance in various driving conditions.

“Hyundai Mobis goes beyond simply reinterpreting existing technologies and instead develops parts technologies that apply to future cars in totally new ways,” said Jang-don Choi, managing director at Hyundai Mobis. The company intends to commercialize the innovative foldable steering wheel and develop many other “future-oriented” innovations in response to the rise of self-driving cars on the automotive market.

As part of its vision for the future, Hyundai Mobis also recently announced an investment of over $1.1 billion in two new fuel cell plants that are expected to produce 100,000 hydrogen fuel cells per year.