BYD's Fangchengbao Bao 8 SUV has attracted attention in China after a video showed the car leaving a parking space with its left front wheel raised. A parking brake was attached to the wheel, but it remained in the air and failed to stop the car.
The footage was filmed in Jinshan, near Lianyungang. The video shows the dark green Bao 8 moving slowly while its left front wheel is approximately 30 centimeters above the road. The car is thus moving forward on only three wheels.
Suspension lifts an individual wheel
The maneuver is made possible by the DiSus-P Ultra hydraulic system. It uses dual-valve shock absorbers that allow the car to change the height of an individual wheel. BYD says the system provides a lifting force of over 19,000 pounds and can keep a wheel in the air for up to 24 hours.
The technology isn't designed to bypass lockouts. Its main purpose is to make it easier to change a tire without a traditional jack and to help with off-road driving. If the car hits a rock, log, or deep rut, lifting one wheel can increase ground clearance and provide more room to pass.
Movement remains limited to low speeds
With a wheel raised, the Bao 8 can only travel up to 15 km/h. The limitation is significant, as the system is designed for emergency maneuvering or slow-moving obstacles, not for normal road travel.
In the event of a flat tire, this feature could allow the driver to move the vehicle to a safer location without the damaged tire or rim continuing to roll on the pavement. In the case shown, the lifted wheel simply removes the blocker from contact with the road.
The case shows an unusual application of technology developed for emergency and off-road situations. The video does not change the purpose of the system, but demonstrates that the active suspension can also be used to move with a locked wheel, as long as the speed remains low.
Sources: carscoops.com, ndtv.com