The main idea they have is great. I would want to see how a more rigid version of this wheel would work with a regenerative shock absorber, like from Levant Power:
Levant Power Corp.
I got to meet with two of the Levant folks last week (at the MIT "Energy Night") and they would need to scale the shock down for a lower weight vehicle, and tune it for more frequent and smaller strokes that having a wheel like the ERW would bring.
The other major hurdle for ERW is aerodynamics. Having a open wheel will really churn the air and cause a lot of drag. Also, gravel and snow and rain will be flung by this wheel, and they can get inside the rim and throw it out of balance.
I would *love* to use these wheels on CarBEN EV5!
