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

[dcb]

the closed caption hurt my head

[NeilBlanchard]

Hi,

Originally Posted by dcb

the closed caption hurt my head

Which close caption are you referring to?

[Patrick]

Originally Posted by NeilBlanchard

Hi,



Which close caption are you referring to?

The video in post 80 has captioning under it, but apparently it was done by a voice-recognition system since it doesn't match the dialog very well.

[NeilBlanchard]

You can toggle that off in the lower right...

[dbc1218]

I went up to MIS for the public day they had yesterday at the X Prize and got to see the cars and talk to some of the teams. After looking a Edison2's cars and talking to some of the team members I think they are going to win in the mainstream class. Their cars are purpose built for the competition and they made sure that they would meet all the requirements. I've read some internet banter about how the cars aren't production ready but they told me that is their next move. To get some crash safety testing done so that they can go into production. Just from seeing them, I don't think the cars are to far from being production ready. People are going to need to realize that to achieve the kind of efficiency these guys are, they are going to need to accept this new kind of car.

I got some pictures too, check them out on Flickr, just search my username dbc1218

I guess I need more posts to have real link, sorry.

[NeilBlanchard]

They are the only mainstream cars left in the X-Prize, so the $5M is theirs to win or lose. Their only competition is themselves.

[NeilBlanchard]

A FB post from Oliver Kuttner:

The hardest part will be stay true to the original principle of light weight and unprecedented aerodynamic efficiency. We will say goodbye to the VLC 005 and 007 prototypes which will go to museum duty. The most efficient 4 seat cars in hi...story will be super- ceded by a remake of number 10 which will become more practical. T A next generation platform true to the principles will emerge with a 15 kw/hr battery pack and electric drive. Here we hope to work with the best of our X Prize competitor friends from TW4XP, Li- Ion and E tracer to put their ideas into our platforms.
After testing we expect to be able to deliver an electric vehicle with a new standard of performance. We will reduce the VLC to its original 650 lbs and then add content. We expect a delivered weight to be around 1200 to 1300 lbs which, with the true low CD and the low mass should step up the order of performance proven possible in the X prize together with a lower price point.
We will also develop the version 4.0 with a larger conventional drivetrain. We will explore several units including the Mercedes Smart and Fiat 500 powerplants. We expect this exploration to end in a gasoline 4 seat car that weighs in under 1200 lbs with an unprecedented durability and performance standard while delivering MPG above the mid 80s. These cars will last a very long time and will be very cheap to operate because the components are just not stressed due to the low weight. We hope that in this journey of exploration we will get several partners in industry who will benefit from our work and will join in the growth we believe will be inevitable.

Our cars do not only offer obvious advantages in aerodynamics but also offer unprecedented leaps in structure/ architecture as well as in handling and driving characteristics and in potential for value / cost.

IT IS A RARE MOMENT WHEN A BETTER PRODUCT IS ALSO A CHEAPER PRODUCT AND THIS BECOMES VERY NICE WHEN IT IS BETTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND OUR NATION.

We have a moment to take a breath after once again we set a new standard at the Chrysler proving grounds in low coast-down numbers by a leap.

We very much appreciate the following and many words of encouragement from all sides private and public. The X Prize set the stage and now it will be our task to stay true to our original principles of unprecedented efficiency in the platform.

I can not tell you when, but I can tell you that you will be able to buy a grandson of our VLC from the X Prize sometime in the future.

Thank you Oliver

[Patrick]

That's interesting that they used an ICE drive to "win" the X-prize, but are switching to EV drive for the "sale" cars. I assume, then, that they won't get 100 MPGe and/or that the range won't be 200 miles, or they would have used EV drive to begin with. Also, I wonder what the performance will be reduced to once the vehicles are fully loaded with people and cargo. If it degrades too much, people won't give up their mainstream cars to buy the VLCs unless the price point is substantially below current offerings.

[Arragonis]

Originally Posted by RobertSmalls

Is that a form of sliding pillar suspension ? If so then quite clever as it doesn't need an anti roll bar.

[NeilBlanchard]

I believe you are correct -- and the unsprung weight is very small, indeed. It is what makes the fixed struts possible.