It’s actually not a new idea. In wheel motors have been done before, the problem is the weight - specifically, the massively increased unsprung weight and all the ills that brings.
There are already several vehicles with hub-centric/in-wheel motors.
Lot of ev buses had hub motors.
True R G LeTourneau did that eons ago in is moving equipt.
1. It’s not a MASSIVE amount of unsprung weight. Think back to the 60’s through 90’s vehicles with rear drive.
2. The unsprung weight is not the major problem, but is a factor due to the COOLING SYSTEM required for each hub motor. That is what has slowed down the marketability of the hub motors. Cooling system involved complexity, added cost, and added weight.
SO.. weight is a factor, but not because it drastically added to unsprung weight.
There have been advances in motor design and streamlining of the cooling system recently and that is why this article was done. The technology is ready for production on a large scale and that will reduce COSTS.