As you’ve probably noticed by now, most “crazy” vehicle concepts never come to market in their original form, which is unfortunate because there are some exciting concepts out there. CES 2019 kicked off on January 8th and as always, features lots of new automotive technology and concept vehicles. Of those new concepts at CES, Hyundai’s “Elevate” concept is sure to get the attention of off-road enthusiasts.

The “problem” with current off-road vehicles is the completely fixed suspension path. Air suspension allows you to change the ride height on the fly, but where the wheels are placed on the dirt remains the same. What if vehicles could walk? Some form of walking would allow a vehicle to reach new places previously not possible. This walking idea is one of the technologies implemented in the “Elevate” concept, which combines the power of robotics and EV technology. The idea is to completely change our perception of vehicular mobility and create a whole new vehicle category: Ultimate Mobility Vehicle.

From the few images provided by Hyundai, the “Elevate” concept appears to have suspension arms which have multiple joints almost like a leg. At the bottom of the suspension arm is a somewhat traditional wheel, which looks like it can fold in on itself. The lack of any shafts connected to the wheels points to the idea of in-wheel electric motors. The vehicle in the image appears to be a mobile medical station atop a rubble mound which is a location that a traditional vehicle, especially a mobile medical station, could not reach.

Of course, the Hyundai Elevate is just a concept, but the ideas behind it could be very useful in the real world.