You’re stuck in a tight parallel parking spot in a crowded city. Your bumper is inches from a concrete pillar, and the car behind you is practically touching your trunk. Usually, this means a twenty-point turn, a lot of sweat, and maybe a scratched rim. But then, you see a GMC Hummer EV next to you do something that looks like a glitch in the Matrix. It doesn't shuffle back and forth. It just... slides sideways. Diagonally. Like a crab. It's weird. It's mesmerizing. And honestly, it’s the biggest shift in vehicle dynamics we’ve seen in decades.
We’ve spent over a century accepting that cars move in a very specific, limited way. Front wheels steer, rear wheels follow. If you want to go left, you pivot. But the advent of high-torque electric motors and sophisticated "by-wire" steering systems means the old rules are dead. Cars move like this now because they finally can, thanks to a mix of rear-axle steering (RAS) and independent motor control.
The Physics of Moving Sideways
For the longest time, rear-wheel steering was a niche performance trick. Think of the 1980s Honda Prelude or the Nissan 300ZX. Back then, it was mostly about high-speed stability. At sixty miles per hour, the rear wheels would turn a tiny bit in the same direction as the front wheels to make lane changes feel smoother. At low speeds, they turned the opposite way to shorten the turning radius. It was mechanical, heavy, and complicated.
Fast forward to today. We have the GMC Hummer EV’s CrabWalk.
This isn't just a slight angle change. The Hummer can turn its rear wheels up to 10 degrees in tandem with the front wheels. This allows the vehicle to move diagonally without changing the direction its nose is pointing. Why does this matter? Beyond looking cool at a stoplight, it’s a massive advantage for off-roading. If you’re on a narrow trail and need to sidestep a boulder without swinging your rear end into a tree, CrabWalk is a literal lifesaver.
But it’s not just about diagonals.
Look at the Rivian R1T (or at least the prototypes they showcased early on). They teased something called the Tank Turn. Because the Rivian has four independent motors—one for each wheel—it can spin the left side wheels forward and the right side wheels backward. The result? The truck spins in place like a literal tank. Rivian eventually delayed the public release of this feature because it absolutely shreds tires and destroys trail surfaces, but the tech is there. It proves that the physical constraints of a metal axle are gone. We are now limited only by software and how much grip the rubber can find on the pavement.
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Why Rear-Wheel Steering Is No Longer Just for Supercars
You used to only find this stuff on a Porsche 911 GT3 or a Lamborghini Aventador. In those cars, it’s about "virtual wheelbase." By turning the rear wheels against the fronts, a long car feels short and nimble in a hairpin turn. By turning them with the fronts, a short car feels long and stable on the Autobahn.
Now, though? It’s hitting the luxury mainstream.
- The Mercedes-Benz EQS features a rear-steering system that allows the back wheels to pivot up to 10 degrees.
- This gives a massive electric limo the turning circle of a compact Volkswagen Golf.
- Audi’s e-tron GT uses it to sharpen turn-in.
- Even the new Silverado EV is leaning into these maneuvers.
The reality is that EVs are heavy. Batteries weigh a ton. To make a 6,000-pound truck feel like it isn't a barge, engineers have to cheat physics. Rear-wheel steering is that cheat code. It masks the weight. It makes the impossible possible in a tight parking garage.
The IonIQ 5 e-Corner System: The Final Boss of Maneuverability
If the Hummer’s CrabWalk is a neat trick, Hyundai Mobis’s e-Corner System is a total revolution. They showed off a prototype IonIQ 5 that can turn all four wheels 90 degrees.
Think about that. 90 degrees.
The car can literally drive sideways into a parking spot. No backing in. No angling. Just pull up parallel to the spot, flip the wheels, and glide in. It can also perform a "Zero Turn," where the wheels angle inward to let the car rotate 360 degrees on its center axis without moving an inch forward or back.
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This works because of In-Wheel Motors. Instead of having a big motor in the middle of the car connected to axles, the motor is the hub of the wheel. This removes the need for driveshafts that limit how far a wheel can turn. When you remove the mechanical "bones" of the car, the wheels become like casters on a grocery cart, capable of moving in any direction the computer deems safe.
Is This Just a Gimmick?
Some people say yes. There’s an argument that CrabWalk is just a marketing ploy to sell $100,000 trucks to people who will never go off-road. And yeah, for the average person driving to the grocery store, you might not need to drive diagonally.
But there is a genuine safety and accessibility argument here.
Large SUVs are getting bigger. Cities are getting more cramped. Rear-axle steering makes these massive vehicles safer to operate in tight urban environments. It reduces the "off-tracking" where the rear wheels cut a corner tighter than the fronts—that’s how people hit curbs or, worse, fire hydrants. By allowing the car to move more fluidly, we reduce the footprint it needs to navigate the world.
There's also the "pivot turn" seen in the Yangwang U8, a luxury SUV from BYD. It can do a 360-degree tank turn on dry pavement. While it looks like a party trick, the underlying tech—independent torque vectoring—is what allows the car to stay stable during a high-speed blowout or on a patch of black ice. The ability to control each wheel's direction and power independently isn't just about moving like a crab; it's about total control.
The Limitations: Why Every Car Doesn't Do This Yet
- Cost: Steering racks for the rear axle are expensive. They require extra actuators, sensors, and wiring.
- Complexity: More moving parts means more things that can break. If your rear steering actuator fails while angled, your car will "dog-track" down the highway, which is dangerous.
- Tire Wear: Moving sideways or spinning in place puts immense lateral stress on tire sidewalls. Tires aren't really designed to be dragged sideways across asphalt.
- Weight: Adding these systems adds pounds, which can slightly decrease the range of an electric vehicle.
Honestly, we're in the "early adopter" phase. Much like power steering was once a luxury reserved for the elite, high-angle four-wheel steering is currently a premium flex. But as steer-by-wire becomes the industry standard—where there is no physical steering column, only electronic signals—the cost will drop.
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What You Should Know Before Buying a Car That Moves Like This
If you're looking at a vehicle with these capabilities, you need to understand the maintenance. You aren't just getting a front-end alignment anymore. You're getting a four-wheel alignment that is significantly more technical.
Also, check the software.
On some Mercedes models, the full 10-degree steering is actually a subscription service. The hardware is in the car, but you have to pay an annual fee to unlock the full range of motion. It sounds crazy, but that’s the world we live in. You’re essentially DLC-locking your car’s turning radius.
On the flip side, if you're an avid trailer-tower, rear-wheel steering is a godsend. It makes backing a trailer into a driveway significantly more intuitive because the car can help "point" the trailer with much less steering input from the driver.
Actionable Insights for the Modern Driver
If you are in the market for a new EV or high-end SUV, here is how to handle this new tech:
- Test the turning circle: Don't just drive on the highway. Take the car into the tightest parking lot you can find. Feel the difference between a car with 3 degrees of rear steering versus 10. It’s night and day.
- Check the warranty: Ensure the rear-steering actuators are covered under the bumper-to-bumper warranty. These are high-torque electric motors exposed to road salt and grime; they need to be robust.
- Tire Rotations: Be more vigilant than ever. Rear-steering cars can wear tires in unusual patterns if the alignment is even slightly off. Rotate them every 5,000 miles without fail.
- Off-Roaders: If you’re buying a Hummer or a Silverado EV for the trails, practice CrabWalk in a flat, open dirt lot first. It feels completely unnatural the first time you do it. You have to recalibrate your brain to understand that the car can move where the hood isn't pointing.
The way cars move is no longer a fixed rule of geometry. It's a software choice. We’re moving toward a future where "forward" is just one of many options. Whether it’s for parking, trail-riding, or just showing off, the era of the rigid axle is ending. Embrace the crab.
Quick Reference: Notable Vehicles with Specialized Movement
| Vehicle | Feature Name | Primary Benefit |
|---|---|---|
| GMC Hummer EV | CrabWalk | Diagonal movement for obstacle avoidance. |
| Mercedes EQS | Rear-Axle Steering | Dramatically reduces turning circle in cities. |
| Yangwang U8 | Tank Turn | 360-degree rotation on its own axis. |
| Hyundai IonIQ 5 (e-Corner) | 90-Degree Steer | True sideways crabbing for parallel parking. |
| Porsche 911 | Active Rear Steering | High-speed cornering stability and agility. |
The evolution of vehicle movement is arguably the most "tangible" tech update in the automotive world. You can feel it in your hands and see it in the way the world moves past your window. As steer-by-wire and individual wheel motors become the baseline, the "parallel park" might just become a relic of the past, as obsolete as the hand-cranked engine.