In general, yes, though the article mentions one in-hub motor with a single rotor, for reduced size or weight. I guess an in-hub motor, which also acts as the w

In general, yes, though the article mentions one in-hub motor with a single rotor, for reduced size or weight. I guess an in-hub motor, which also acts as the wheel's axle, has to deal with much larger axial forces, from cornering, than those generated by the motor, so the latter are moot. Also, during operation, is not each magnet in the motor being simultaneously pulled by the pole it is moving towards, and pushed by the pole it is moving away from? If so then, at any given point in the rotation, the axial force would be the net of the two effects.