Quote:
Originally Posted by Vman455
This thing has a C D probably <0.10, is as large as a coffin, and races at a blistering 25 km/h. When you scale that up to something that seats 4 and isn't the size of a matchbox, has a significantly higher C D and frontal area, and drives on the highway...400 MPGe is a tough goal to meet. Even the VW XL1 was less than 300 MPGe running on electricity. (Keep in mind that power required to overcome aerodynamic drag increases with the cube of velocity). |
The Lightyear is an even more extreme design than the XL1, with hub motors and no engine. So yes, I do believe they can make a car that only uses 75% of the energy an XL1 needs.
Let's do the scaling on that thing though. Make it 3 times as big, it then has 9 times the drag - and it would be longer than the Lightyear 1.
Move it 4 times as fast for 100 km/h; the air resistance would increase 16 fold but friction, drive train losses and rolling resistance would not, so averaging that at 8 times more, multiply by the size factor and we have 72 times more energy to move the scaled up racer at 100 km/h.
That's only a fraction more than the 65 from my assumption, but we'd get there if we scale up by 2.8 times or drive at 94 km/h. That's faster than I usually drive anyway.
__________________
2011 Honda Insight + HID, LEDs, tiny PV panel, extra brake pad return springs, neutral wheel alignment, 44/42 PSI (air), PHEV light (inop), tightened wheel nut.
lifetime FE over 0.2 Gmeter or 0.13 Mmile.
For confirmation go to people just like you.
For education go to people unlike yourself.