There’s no shortage of cartoons and futuristic television shows that feature cars moving laterally. The movement makes parallel parking look simple because drivers didn’t need to angle the vehicle to fit.
While the feature seemed distant in the past, some modern vehicles today can do it. The mode is often called crab walk and could signify what’s to come in the automotive industry.
What Is Crab Walking in a Car?
It’s easier to understand crab walking by defining four-wheel steering first. Four-wheel steering lets you control the angle of the front and rear wheels, as opposed to regular steering, which can only control the front wheels (the rear wheels follow).
Crab walking is a four-wheel steering setting that allows the rear wheels to copy the angle of the front wheels. With the right angle, the vehicle can move laterally. Note that the maximum angle varies depending on the model.
Some manufacturers and models have taken crab walking to the next level. For example, Hyundai’s e-Corner System is an electric vehicle (EV) drive technology that lets each wheel move independently.
Besides crab walking, some of these vehicles can also “Zero Turn” to let the front wheels move inward while the back wheels move outward to move the vehicle 360 degrees in the same spot.
“Pivot Turn,” which rotates the car around like a compass, is another move some vehicles that can crab walk can do. “Diagonal Drive” is another, which is a feature that moves all the wheels diagonally for more direct movement.
How Does Crab Walking in a Car Work?
Simply put, crab walk mode turns the back wheels in the opposite direction of the front wheels thanks to the signal sent by the car’s electrical systems.
Traditionally, cars use mechanical connections or hydraulic actuators for the front and back wheels to move together. However, modern vehicles have electrical systems that send signals to the back wheels to make them turn accordingly.
These systems make it easier to design new steering systems or improve on traditional ones. This is why manufacturers could implement systems like Hyundai’s e-Corner or GMC’s crab walk.
What Cars Can Crab Walk?
Several cars can crab walk, but the feature is most commonly found in electric vehicles because they have the technology that makes crab walking easier. Here are some models with crab walk mode:
- GMC Hummer EV SUV
- GMC Hummer EV Pickup
- Sierra EV Denali Editions 1 and 2
- Hyundai Ioniq 5
How to Crab Walk a Car
Before crab walking, it’s crucial to know that you can only activate CrabWalk Mode on models like the GMC Hummer if the vehicle is at low speeds (up to 1.2 mph). Check your owner’s manual if you’re unsure how slow the car should be.
Crab walking usually involves the following steps:
- Step 1: Keep your steering wheel still and ensure Super Cruise isn’t active.
- Step 2: Turn on CrabWalk using a button or the infotainment screen (depending on your model). You’ll know if CrabWalk is engaging based on the animation on the infotainment screen. Once engaged, the infotainment system might display HD Surround Vision.
- Step 3: You can now crab walk up to 20 mph. If you reach over 20, the front and rear wheels won’t turn at the same angle.
To turn off this mode, you can tap the crab icon on the infotainment screen, use the Controls app, or press the four-wheel steering button on the driver mode control dial. If none of those work, you can always drive over 20 mph for the system to automatically disengage.
Do note that the steps above and ways to turn off crab walk are for the GMC Hummer. Models like the Hyundai Ioniq 5 activate crab walk (part of the manufacturer’s e-Corner System) by also pressing a button. Still, the manufacturer might have different restrictions placed on the mode.
Regardless of what you’re driving, it’s best to consult the owner’s manual first.
How Useful Is Crab Walk Mode?
Crab walk offers a unique way to tackle scenarios that often prove difficult to drive around, like parking situations and off-roads.
The most obvious way this mode helps drivers is during parallel parking, especially if the space barely fits your vehicle. Crab walking lets you directly park between the spaces, as you only need to line your car up.
Similarly, a GMC spokesperson said crab walk is useful if you veer off into a ditch on the side of a trail and need to get out.
Crab walking lets you double the grip level while only moving sideways instead of moving forward while trying to rotate sideways. The mode also makes backing up to a trailer easier if there isn’t enough space to turn the truck.
At the end of the day, crab walking allows for more maneuverability because it reduces the turning circle by more than seven feet. While some scenarios mentioned above don’t happen often, they are still possibilities. And if you do run into them, you’ll be glad to have the crab walk mode (if it’s available in your ride).
Why Don’t All Cars Have Crab Walk?
The biggest reason why crab walking isn’t more common in modern vehicles is because of the innate complexity. And, as you may have picked up, the system itself isn’t that useful outside of parallel parking and the unlikely scenario of veering off into a ditch.
These two issues alone keep some manufacturers from integrating the mode into their models. After all, why implement something that drivers will likely not use? Another possible reason is that the feature can increase the vehicle price, potentially scaring away customers.
Additionally, the steering systems we have today have been around for decades because they’re reliable. A rack and pinion is a bar that moves left and right when the wheels rotate, while a tie rod is attached to the end of the rack to turn the wheels.
It’s simple and inexpensive compared to four-wheel steering systems with different electrical and moving parts. Not to mention that the four-wheel steering system is prone to failure because any malfunction within the electrical and mechanical parts may compromise the entire thing.
In short, crab walking isn’t common because it’s expensive, prone to failure, and rarely used.
Keep Reading: Related Posts
Any information provided on this Website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to replace consultation with a professional mechanic. The accuracy and timeliness of the information may change from the time of publication.
