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

[pete c]

Thanks for the patent link. I get it now. it was described as being in the wheel, which had me puzzled. I think a better description is within the steering knuckle. Anyway, it is a neat way of doing it.

I wonder how well it would stand up to New England pot holes? It might stand up just fine for the same reason it does many other things well. It's light.

[XprizeRoadTrip]

Anyone else notice their new chassis in this Facebook photo?
Here's their facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ediso...146132?fref=ts



Photo description:

"Happy 2013!
"For last year's words belong to last year's language. And next year's words await another voice. And to make an end is to make a beginning." ~T.S. Eliot, "Little Gidding"

Here's our own Peter Kaymar, making a beginning as he crafts a component for our consumer prototype. Our shop may be too busy to reply, but feel free to comment."

[NeilBlanchard]

Very interesting presentation by Oliver Kuttner at Green@Google:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06wY7jGu1O0

This is an outstanding presentation! A little longer than a TED talk, but worth every minute.

[freebeard]

NeilBlanchard -- I'm going to have to watch that a few times. I even took notes. He has a good take on the engineering. With a disruptive technology that (with Google's help) makes mass transit go away because it is too expensive.

Did you notice he mentioned "the *Volkswagen* of the 21st century"?

3rd-party aftermarket upgrades to a BMW 3-series level of car. [he's a racer] He wants to sell suspension upgrades for you station wagon so it gets 60mpg. I need to watch that one again.

I like the 'breakaway' argument in favor of open wheels.

[nbleak21]

That was outstanding

[pete c]

The big boys better watch out. I just hope they don't figure out a way to crush him or buy him off.

The biggest problem I see is that people have been brainwashed into thinking that 0-60 speeds over 10 seconds are dangerously slow. This is a crock of you know what.

[pete c]

Originally Posted by freebeard

I like the 'breakaway' argument in favor of open wheels.

+1

It makes much more sense to have the passenger compartment come to a point in front so that it deflects rather than a huge heavy box that can't deflect and must therefore be able to crumple.

I think it would also help greatly with repair cost. A near head on collision ends up with just the suspension ripped away and the chassis has only cosmetic damage.

[freebeard]

pete c -- Tell me about it


Somebody left-turned into my driver side front wheel. The shop pulled the front axle beam. bent the mild steel torsion bar tubes straight, put it back on and aligned the front wheels.

[bhtooefr]

Originally Posted by pete c

It makes much more sense to have the passenger compartment come to a point in front so that it deflects rather than a huge heavy box that can't deflect and must therefore be able to crumple.

Also, most of the cars that did well in the IIHS small offset test rode a frame rail that pushed them away from the crash, rather than absorbing the crash.

[freebeard]

The off-roaders have figured it out.