Patent attributes
A vehicle is powered by an electric linear induction motor (LIM) in at least one of the vehicle wheels and the height from the ground and/or wheelbase changed by the wheel structure and its connection to the vehicle chassis. The LIM is disposed radially outwardly from the wheel axis of rotation and comprises a stator having an elelctrically energizable propulsion coil circumposed by a rotor. A stator shaft connects the stator to the vehicle chassis and the stator and associated shaft are fixedly-connected and angulary orbited about the inner diameter of the rotor whereby to change the height of the vehicle chassis from the ground or the wheelbase of the vehicle. The rotor is supported for rotation about the stator by bearings, or by magnetic levitation, as provided by a ring of permanent magnets in the rotor disposed in juxtaposition with an electrically energizable levitation coil in the stator.