This is a pretty ingenious idea.
Although tire and break changing would be a
concern. The idea has lots of merit in simplifying
an EV creation.

Wonder if you used a flywheel KERS system with these motors if you could yank the ICE?
The price it right and the design simple enough.
Would it fit on an older Saturn SL1?

You people are too negative.
First point, changing a tyre. Undo the bolt of the torque arm, then take the plastic cover off the electric motor wheel, where you will find 4 standard bolts like a normal tyre. The only thing different is the rim and outside tyre moves while the centre stays static. Undoing these biolts will make the whole thing come off.
As far as the lack of manual control. I only worry if the accelerometer built into the system does not correctly interpret acceleration or breaking, as is the case if doing these things while turning. This would cause unnecessary strong breaking or accelerating that may unsettle the balance of the car.

Also, or course the torque arm is hooked up the the chassis or inner shell. If you were to hook it up to your plstic bumper it would rip it off straight away when you accelerate.

The concept is a great panic buy item when petrol becomes $20/gallon. Overall, it fits on most cars, and for the majority of the population this is ideal as most of us own old cars.

Battery packs can be configured at will, depending on your boot space or budget or desired distance travelled.

Esthetics are an insignificant matter. Give me any automobile and I'll show you a shop dedicated to accesorising it in a certain style. The outer hub is no different.

Perhaps the idea that's missing here is to attach the torque arm to a trailer hitch at the rear of the car. Trailer hitches are almost always connected to the rear subframe or frame of the vehicle. I think you'd need a telescoping system of tubes to accomodate different vehicle widths and rear overhang lengths. Otherwise using an electric motor to power a set of wheels thru the wheel lugs is doable. If necessary longer lugs can be put in at minimal cost.

Unsprung weight is massively increased. +38lbs per wheel! Holy crap. My car's (car is 2950lbs in weight) suspension would be annihilated after about the first 500 miles on the crappy California roads I drive on. With that much added unsprung weight, handling would be very negatively impacted as well.

I'd only consider this on a truck or big SUV - something with a heavy duty suspension and boat anchors for wheels already.

I predict this product will be a failure in the anything lighter than 42000lb vehicle market.

why not put two of these wheel motors on a small trailer carrying all the battery weight? Use a joystick on your lap instead of the accelerator pedal to have the trailer push you around town in idle on pure electric power. Then when you need to go 20 mile or more, leave all the battery and electric motor weight parked in your driveway. An engine running in idle can supply your air conditioning, heat, radio, lights etc. And if you need to accelerate suddenly, the ICE can kick in.

creativforce, you playing too many video games :)
You need system that will be list interruptive to your normal driving as impassible.

"I would like to see how someone just "changes" a differential gearing willy nilly if the auto manufacturer does not offer the same tranny with different ratios."

Thre a lot of shops that offer custom components for the drive train.
I just so entire custom truck differential for $1500. You could choose from 6 different ratio.
I see also custom Limited Slip Differentials for popular cars for $400.
http://www.importperformanceparts.net/imports/phantomgrip-toyota.html

mki, phantom grip MODIFIES an existing differential with two friction plates and high tension springs. This does not change the gearing. A LSD for a VERY popular SPORTS (or sporty) car is closer to $1200 + and these ratios are beefier for better acceleration not taller for better gas mileage.

You got me on the RWD cars though...but most people drive FWD (in the US).

It doesn't attach to your bumper. It attaches to the fender sheet metal. The shear strength of the sheet metal is plenty strong enough to hold the bar from turning.

Who cares if it isn't "pretty"? So your 10 year-old Accord isn't going to turn heads the way it used to...

A motor that slides over the input shaft on the driveshaft combined with a control attached to the throttle would be sufficient for most pick-ups and SUVs. Ideally, all initial throttle movement would go to the electric motor followed by normal operation of the base engine.

"You got me on the RWD cars though...but most people drive FWD (in the US)."

Most large cars, light trucks and SUVs in the U.S. are rear wheel drive. I don't think the U.S. fleet is primarily front drive. It is possible but I think the bias is still toward rear drive.

Positive - cheap, adaptable to many platforms, potential for widespread adoption, increases MPG above 100 (if it actually displaces 75% of regular use to electric), seems easy to copy, cheaper base platforms than the Hymotion, CALCAR and others.

Negative - low production goals, loads of unanswered questions, lack of controls, potential for warrantee void, no hard fuel economy data

The idea to used differential with low ration is used by Ford in Europe in there Fiesta ECOnetic (see the article):

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2008/07/ford-of-europe.html#more

If it work in that car it will work in any other car with positive effect.
I think all the SUV owners that straggle with fuel economy, should seriously consider such mod. It chipper then the one propose by Poulsen and can be adopt to any production car.
First step should be the differential mode then the Poulsen hybride.

It is not that difficult to convince the shops that specialized in custom differential if they will see the potential of enormous profit.

The comments above have hit on a few of the negatives of this system - changing the tire and unsprung weight, but if you have an automatic transmission this will not work. Automatic transmissions are lubricated by the fluid from the pump inside which is TURNED BY THE ICE. If you are pushing the vehicle and turning the transmission with it in neutral, most vehicles with automatic transmissions have a limit of 50 to 75 miles at a max of 50mph or something similar (intended for tow trucks). You would have to start the engine on a very regular basis to keep from burning up the transmission (which would not be covered by the manufacturer's warranty because the vehcile was "towed" too far.) You will also not have POWER STEERING, POWER BRAKES, and 12V BATTERY CHARGING (for headlights, wipers, etc.) This will never get DOT approval. It is not safe for the "average" driver to monitor how long it has been since the engine was started to keep the headlights/turnsignals/wipers/auto trans going while they are driving around. To make this work, you would have to have it tied into a remote starter that would start the engine every 5 minutes or so, convert to a non-power (manual) steering rack, non-power brakes, and have some sort of voltage monitor to watch for the 12V system dropping down. Why not just by a hybrid/PHEV/FCV/NGV???

Or, if you drive with the ICE engine running and the transmission in drive, and the motors are just boosting you it would work, but exactly how much fuel does that save you with a cost of $4800 for the system?

How much gas does an ice burn in idle?
A thought occurred to me that this thing could really be something. If you ran your engine in neutral

One of the posters is right: too easily stolen.
This thing needs to be hidden somewhere around
the axle, under the body, so it's not easily seen
by thieves. The punks are ubiquitous these days.
A good idea spoiled by depraved human nature.

Rear drive? Because it's a big truck or SUV?
With 14 hp for a big truck or SUV don't worry about max tow miles or fuel burn while driving at idle.
You'll need that ICE right quick with only 14 hp.
How many batteries do you plan to invest in and for how long will 14 hp be all you need? It will be like coasting with the wind behind you.
Multi K$ to tool up for differential gears?
These motors have only 7 hp, with no reduction gears, lads.
They are probably designed for 40 mph (1760 rpm).
At 20 mph (900 rpm) they just might make 5hp.
And at 10 mph, probably much less than 3hp.
That's only about 60 pounds thrust for 2 motors, like being pushed by hand.
Yes, electric motors have more torque at low speed.
Maybe 50% more at stall than at max power.
Seven hp at 40 mph is 20 lbs.
30 pounds at stall, times 2 motors is 60 pounds
This gives you a mild hybrid, like a BAS system.
No more -
BUT no less.

NO, WAIT. Too slow - that was me.

even 14hp will help, most suv and pu are driven by one person and not towing a load.. and they are the ones that need the help most. I would still prefer in-wheel motors in the front wheels, more practical. A 2kwh battery is fine.

Sorry previous message was me..

all you need is help to get that heavy monster going so even if the motors quit at 40mph it will have helped quite bit.

Nice but you could also wait two years when the real deal hits the market. I guess you'd just need to do the math. 2 years X miles per year X dollars per gallon = actual cost - cost of this kit. hmmmmm

Seven hp at 40 mph is 20 lbs

Actually 65.6 lbs. Two motors so 131 lbs total. It'd be much higher at lower speed.

I dont by into the longer Final drive gear saveing 10% on fuel:
In the past two years this would be one of things ALL auto manufacturers would have adopted as an easy modification to existing production platforms to yield fuel economy increases.
With the exception of high performance models, auto manufactures are already choosing the proper final drive ratios to maximize fuel economy, thats what consumers want right now.