This is very interesting. I can see how a hydraulic drive would be much smoother and economical than a mechanical drive with more moving parts.
Approaching shocks is interesting also. I have been involved in racing and know how hot a working shock gets on a rough track. shocks are a very important part of the set up. Thats why NASCAR has shock engineers.
Harnessing the kinetic energy from shocks has a lot of potential. I find it a fascinating approach.