Hmmm... That's a lot of tender electrics out there in the dirt and weather, and an exceeding great amount of unsprung weight. And what if you get a flat? Still, the idea of hub-motors is interesting.
We've talked about this before, but I don't know if this is the same one. Somebody was trying to develop this as a retrofit design. I remember seeing it on the back wheels of FWD compact cars. That would make it an electric assist and not(?) in conflict with a traditional ICE transmission.