This thesis presents the development of an in-wheel drive system consisting of an axial-flux switched-reluctance motor and a hub suspension. The motor is designed using Maxwell's stress tensor and numerical analysis techniques, including FEA and transient numerical simulations. A new integral inductance function is introduced that improves the accuracy of the motor model, and a new in-phase current-shaping technique is implemented using a fuzzy controller to extend the constant-power region of the motor.

The hub suspension system is simulated using a half-car model with 6 degrees of freedom, and the overall torque, power, and efficiency of the drive system is calculated. A peak torque of 500[Nm] is developed at the high end of the drive system's speed range, and the hub suspension system is shown to eliminate the impact of the motor's increased unsprung mass on vehicle handling.