Hyundai Mobis has announced an Electronic Leveling Control (ELC) system developed with its owner, the Hyundai Motor Company. It can be applied in different environments, such as rough roads, highways, and parking lots. Together, the companies are currently verifying the solution’s reliability – using test vehicles to do so.
ELC will allow the driver to adjust the height of their vehicle by up to six centimeters upwards or downwards to best fit their driving situation. The system uses an electric hydraulic pump to control the height of the vehicle from all four wheels. Sensors attached to the car detect these changes, based on the driving speed and gross vehicle weight, and controls the height automatically. Drivers can also adjust the height manually as needed. In the future, Hyundai Mobis plans to develop an ELC technology in connection with the front-road-scanning camera and navigation data.
Hyundai Mobis has outlined many benefits of controlling the vehicle height – such as protecting high-voltage EV batteries by raising it. For all cars, adjusting the height can prevent the underside of the car from being scratched while driving on rough surfaces such as road curbs, unpaved roads, and speed bumps. Lowering the vehicle when driving on highways can minimize air resistance, thereby increasing the cruising distance, and can improve driving performance by creating a lower center of gravity.
When applying the ELC on PBVs, users can lower the vehicle height depending on whether the vehicle door is open or closed, improving passenger convenience when loading and unloading baggage or when entering or exiting the vehicle. With ELC, PBVs can maintain the proper height even when too much baggage is loaded or when the vehicle becomes crowded, without being overly pressed down.
