Automotive X-Prize: "The Very Light Car" (also very aero) with conventional engine

[MetroMPG]

Alerted to this via ABG:



(You know you're an EcoModder when you show the rear view first )

The company, Edison2, is located in Lynchburg, Virginia, and ruled out an EV drivetrain primarily due to the weight of batteries.

We don't have any details on the weight or CdA, but they're dealing with an order of magnitude change in some areas on the weight side of things:

Every component of the Very Light Car has been evaluated for function and redesigned with an eye to simplicity, strength and low weight. Brakes that normally weigh 10 lbs are less than a pound; lug nuts 0.2 oz instead of 2 oz. - source

Here's the drivetrain. Anyone recognize it? Looks to me like it may be a motorbike engine:



Source: Edison2: The Very Light Car (X PRIZE Contender) - Gallery - The Very LightCar

Space frame:




Unfinished body shell:



ABG called it a "poor man's Aptera". Not very nice! (Probably not true, either.) Coincidentally, there's an Aptera in the left side of the above photo.

Web site: Edison2: The Very Light Car (X PRIZE Contender) - The Very Light Car

[luvit]

i want it.

[NeilBlanchard]

Hi Darin,

Ya beat me to it:

This car has come a long way since the last one we saw -- it is very similar to the Aptera 2e in some obvious ways, and it quite different in other ways.


(click on picture for link)





The similarities are: streamlined body with outrigger wheels, and two seats side-by-side, composite construction.

The main differences are: ICE-only power train, 4 wheels, 1 entry door.

I like parts of this, but others are a bit odd. So, what do you think?

[dcb]

Nice, aero, small engine, it should be able to do a long hiway trip more efficiently than any hybrid. Low weight might make it competitive in the city too.

[luvit]

does the driver door swing up like a delorean? ..or like a lamborghini?

[NeilBlanchard]

I was wondering how they made the suspension work within those fixed aero struts -- here's what appears to be the rear suspension:



The shock sits closer to the car, and the top is braced on the chassis. I guess that there are two large diameter bearings on the inner end, and the whole tube rotates as the wheel moves up and down? They seem to not be showing the outer swing arm? This set up bothers me -- there must be a lot of torque and bending on this tube...

And I also like the "very light wheels":


Darin, that engine certainly looks unique -- there is a heck of a lot of plumbing! It also looks to be a turbocharged 2-stroke?

[MetroMPG]

Not sure about the door. Might check their gallery: Edison2: The Very Light Car (X PRIZE Contender) - Gallery - The Very LightCar

One thing I noticed: doesn't seem to have any (conventional) suspension.

[NeilBlanchard]

They are not revealing the key spec: how much does it weigh?

[Frank Lee]

It has an extra wheel.

[dcb]

lol, it has two extra wheels for that matter, but I still like it

where's the tow hitch?