Quote:
Originally Posted by NoCO2
My only question, how will it pass a crash test?
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Why wouldn't it? From a safety perspective, it's the frame underneath - essentially a roll cage structure - that provides the crashworthiness of most cars. The skin is just there for appearance/aerodynamics. Get rid of the morphing features, and you could have a crashworthy inner structure that's common to all models of similar size, covered by a very light aerodynamic skin.
Minor body damage could become a thing of the past, too. Minor dings would just pop out. For cuts & tears, just zip in a new panel of fabric (which the factory could ship in an envelope, instead of a crate).
PS: An idea for aerodynamic eco-mods. Instead of adding weight by pasting on extended noses & tails, why not cut off some of the sheet metal, and mold a shape of foam (for stiffness) covered with thin, doped fabric? Seems like you could get pretty significant weight reduction that way...