In a flash of nightmarish surrealism you break down on the side of the road and open your hood only to find that there’s no engine inside. What to do now? Well, if you’re Michelin you celebrate your ingenuity and seek a partnership to take it to the next level. The “Michelin Active Wheel” promises to ignite more than just buzz among the environmental crowd. By placing a small electric motor and suspension system in the wheel, Michelin eliminates the gearbox, clutch and transmission shaft and streamlines vehicle efficiency, potentially allowing for a safe performance ride sans gas. Hood space can now serve a different purpose—impact protection. Vehicles could use 2 or 4 Active Wheels depending upon their application. The technology was front and center at the 2008 Paris Motor Show where it was used in two concept debuts: the Volage Venturi, a roadster, and the WILL, touted as the first electrical vehicle able to hold its own against the gas-guzzling pack. Michelin recently signed with China’s CITIC Guoan Mengguli Corp. to help further develop the concept. The future of the Active Wheel remains to be seen, but possibilities tantalize. [via Autoblog]