This Crab-Walking Hyundai EV Could End Our Parallel Parking Nightmares Forever – SlashGear

When Hyundai says that the “innovative technology has never been mass-produced anywhere in the world,” it is technically correct, but a similar parking solution dates back to the 1930s. The almost century-old system doesn’t involve four independently rotating wheels, but rather a “fifth wheel” which can be wound down and produce an effect similar to the Mobis e-Corner System’s pivot feature. The “fifth wheel” allowed drivers to avoid parallel parking by swinging their front end into a spot, winding down the fifth wheel, and then using that to swing the back end in. It could even be used to rotate a car 360-degrees, so you could maneuver out of a tight driveway with it. 

The fifth wheel could also be used as a spare tire, but this didn’t save any trunk space. The mechanism it relied on took up an awful lot of room, which is one of the reasons it never caught on. On the other hand, Hyundai’s new system is unlikely to require driver’s to trade storage space for easy maneuverability — so it has far more of a chance. Other vehicles have also had four-wheel steering for added mobility in the past. A more recent example is the Hummer EV, which has a “crab walk” talent similar to the one Hyundai is mentioned — though the Hummer’s wheels can’t swivel a full 90 degrees.