Is This Three-Piece Concept The Wheel Of The Future?

This is what the wheel of the future might look like, if Continental gives its New Wheel Concept the green light. It’s not totally reinventing the idea – it’s still round and looks very much like a wheel – but it’s built differently and it’s cleverer than it looks.

It’s a three-piece affair, with an outer ‘rim well’ and an inner ‘carrier star’ that bolt together. A huge aluminium brake disc then bolts to the star while a caliper sits inside the disc, itself bolted to the wheel carrier on the axle.

Continental says it’s a lot lighter than current designs, and it’s perfect for bloated electric cars not just for that reason, but also because EVs are increasingly relying on regenerative braking, which means Continental’s New Wheel Concept would last the lifetime of the car. The discs wouldn’t go rusty, either, and only the brake pads would ever need replacing.

The larger disc gives a wider friction radius and more stopping power, allowing for smaller, less powerful and lighter calipers that save even more on materials and weight. The design, the company says, is built for small and medium-sized electric cars. The narrow, tall shape mimics the likes of those on the BMW i3. We think they look pretty cool, but we’ll open up the floor…

Via: Continental