Is the cost of combining wheel hub motor technology with wire controlled steering technology high?

At present, the overall cost of combining wheel hub motor technology with wire controlled steering technology is at a relatively high level, which is a key factor restricting its large-scale popularization. However, with the promotion of domestic substitution and the implementation of large-scale production, there is great room for cost reduction in the future. The high cost of combining the two comes from both the cost pressure of individual technologies themselves and the additional investment in the integration process. The specific analysis is as follows: The cost of each individual technology is significantly higher than that of traditional components Wheel hub motor: Previously, the cost of a single domestically produced wheel hub motor was as high as 20000 yuan. Although the cost has been reduced to 8000 yuan through technological optimization and large-scale production, there is still a certain premium compared to traditional centralized motors. Moreover, if a passenger car is equipped with a four-wheel hub motor, the total cost of the motor alone would reach 32000 yuan. In addition, to solve the problems of heat dissipation and impact resistance of wheel hub motors, special components such as liquid cooling systems and magnetic levitation bearings are used, which further increase the basic cost. Wire controlled steering: The current cost per vehicle for wire controlled steering systems is between 8000-12000 yuan, while the cost of traditional electric power steering (EPS) is only 2000-3000 yuan, which is 2.5-3 times that of the latter. To meet the safety requirements of autonomous driving, wire controlled steering requires redundant configurations such as dual ECUs, dual motors, and dual power supplies, as well as core components such as high-precision angle/torque sensors. Some high-end products also rely on imports, which drives up their manufacturing costs. System integration and adaptation bring additional cost increments The combination of the two is not just a simple assembly of components, but requires precise coordination between power and steering, which brings a lot of additional costs. On the one hand, complex collaborative control algorithms need to be developed during the integration process to achieve millisecond level torque distribution and steering angle matching. The research and development process requires a large amount of testing and calibration, resulting in extremely high labor and equipment costs; On the other hand, highly integrated designs highlight the coupling effects of multiple physical fields such as mechanical, electrical, and thermal. To avoid issues such as component interference and thermal accumulation, customized optimization of the structure is required, such as special suspension adaptation designs and integrated heat dissipation solutions, which will increase research and development and manufacturing costs. At the same time, if car companies want to mass produce models with this combination technology, they also need to renovate their existing assembly lines, lay out modular assembly equipment and testing processes. The capital and time costs of this production line renovation should not be underestimated. The trend of cost reduction is clear, and long-term popularization is feasible Although the current cost is relatively high, the subsequent downward trend is clear. In the field of wire controlled steering, benefiting from the rapid replacement of domestic chips and sensors, its BOM cost is expected to be reduced to less than 5000 yuan by 2027. In terms of wheel hub motors, with the further popularization of silicon carbide chips and lightweight materials, as well as the expansion of mass production scale, there is still hope for further cost reduction. In addition, the Hongqi EHS9 achieved a sharp cost reduction by integrating wheel hub motors and wire controlled steering technologies, cutting 40 parts. The Liaocheng University team has also developed a product with a wire controlled chassis cost about 20000 yuan per unit lower than the existing wheel hub motor drive. These cases all prove that through technological integration innovation and modular design, the cost of combining the two can be significantly optimized, and it is expected to penetrate mainstream car models in the future.