There Are So Many Things Wrong With This Patent For Large Wheels

Usually when we feature a patent filing, it’s for something clever than an automaker has come up with, like Ford’s recent filing for a rear-wheel drive vehicle with an electric front axle, for example.

Every now and then we come across something that isn’t so clever, though. AutoGuide recently came across this filing for extremely large wheels for a car, which was sent to the United States Patent and Trademark Office by an unknown company called Or-Ment LLC. The patent alleges the the large wheels, which are described as being over 90 cm in dimeter (35.4 inches), can extend the range of a battery electric car.

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The patent says that by increasing the car wheel diameter , the car would “yield a larger travelling distance for the same axial to wheel friction related energy loss.” More simply put, it assumes that if you had larger wheels, you could travel further using the exact same amount of battery charge. The problem with this hypothesis is that it assumes it would require the same energy to move the larger wheel, when it would of course require more. Anyone who has installed larger wheels on their car and felt it become slower knows how much of an effect installing large wheels can have on performance.

This might work a bit better if the large wheel were extremely light, but that isn’t taking into account all the other challenges having massive wheels presents. The vehicle would not only be slower, it would have poor driving dynamics and bad aerodynamic efficiency. It would also look hilarious – try to taking a look at the Lamborghini example drawing from the patent above and not laughing.

Anyways, it’s nice to see inventors trying to help us implement greener transportation solutions, but we’re not sure this massive wheel patent is really helping. At least it’s good for a chuckle?