first practical hub motor

[myelectricbike]

ALBERT L. PARCELLE'S ELECTROMOTOR TRACTION-WHEEL Boston, Mass USA, July 29, 1890

[Leslie]

Most rotational motors are hubs except for the stator being stationary for the wheel,  BLDC and AC induction is the advancement of the invention otherwise its just another noisy electric motor..

It all started 1820's with Faraday and a William Sturgeon's work with electromagnets and stators and stuff.

[GM Brazil]

Not forgetting Tesla in this history

[myelectricbike]

Commutators have changed as new technology has been developed along with the use of powerful permanent magnets sufficiently powerful to replace coils and I would consider one of those changes in terms of practical use to be the upgrade from hall effect sensors to back EMF. What is important is that as such improvements continue to be made we the members of the electric bike community are major beneficiaries.