Blade Runner Redux - Tesla Cybertruck!

[aerohead]

Originally Posted by oldtamiyaphile

Rollovers account for 50% of fatalities in the United SUVs of America - the rest of the world is catching up though.



That's $52,000 in diesel at $3/gal

The Tesla will be 12-inches lower than Motor Trend's 2019 Truck of the Year,the RAM 2500 HD PowerWagon 6.4-L Hemi,Crew Cab.$54,595 - $67,655.
I suspect that the Tesla will have the lowest CG of any pickup on the market.It may demonstrate a distinct advantage as far as rollover safety.

[redpoint5]

I look forward to the day that crashes are so rare that no crumple zones, seatbelts, or airbags are required.

[aerohead]

Originally Posted by redpoint5

I look forward to the day that crashes are so rare that no crumple zones, seatbelts, or airbags are required.

It's interesting to be around at a time when we could even contemplate such a reality.

[redpoint5]

Originally Posted by aerohead

It's interesting to be around at a time when we could even contemplate such a reality.

Imagine large vehicles not being desired for "safety" because nobody knows anyone that has been in an accident. Crash safety would no longer be an engineering requirement for design, opening up more possibilities for shape.

[teoman]

I do not think anyone wants it for safety. That is just an excuse.

Small light vehicles... automated. If you need to haul more crap, get another to follow you.

[redpoint5]

The past month we've been getting nearly daily deliveries of packages since we no longer go to the store to buy anything but groceries and other consumable goods. That means stuff is being delivered on a nearly daily basis, and that will likely be true for the majority of people soon.

This got me thinking about drone deliveries and the problems they must overcome to be viable. My first thought was how darn noisy my drone is. You can hear it half a mile away, and when it's nearby, it's very loud. If we had thousands of these drones we'd have a perpetual buzz. Nobody would tolerate that. Perhaps the problem could be minimized with larger diameter rotors, which would probably necessitate a helicopter rather than multi-rotor design. Even that might still be too loud.

Next there is the problem of air traffic and vandalism, and failures resulting in objects falling from the sky. Big risk of injury when thousands of these are running about at all hours.

I'm not so sure we'll see drone deliveries, but autonomous vehicle delivery seems very likely. They would be nearly silent, and a breakdown would not result in injury. At some point I won't even be going to the grocery store. Delivery will be so cheap that it will be more expensive to have a storefront and the associated "breakage" and other waste rather than a warehouse that dispatches deliveries.

Most retail outlets will disappear and autonomous deliveries will help facilitate this.

[freebeard]

It's the flying cars conundrum all over again. "What would happen if everyone did it?"

[oldtamiyaphile]

Originally Posted by aerohead

The Tesla will be 12-inches lower than Motor Trend's 2019 Truck of the Year,the RAM 2500 HD PowerWagon 6.4-L Hemi,Crew Cab.$54,595 - $67,655.
I suspect that the Tesla will have the lowest CG of any pickup on the market.It may demonstrate a distinct advantage as far as rollover safety.

The CT (75") sits 6" lower than the Power Wagon (80.9"), which appears to be the tallest mid duty truck you can buy. CT sits at the same height as a F250.

To hit their stated target of 2.1 tons (same as a Model S), I have to conclude dry anode batteries will be used. At triple the power density the battery pack will be smaller and lighter than what we've seen today- that will have less effect on lowering the CG.

An ordinary truck uses a heavy ladder frame at it's lowest point. The CT's frame extends all the way up to the roof. Glass is generally one of the heaviest parts of a car, accounting for 5% of total weight, so Tesla have gone and made it at a 'bullet proof' thickness AND made the whole roof out of it too.

Sadly I don't think Tesla are going to make great inroads on CG. Better? Yes, but they need to be given the performance. Most likely it will be the Tesla's superior suspension and electronics that mitigate for roll overs.

[freebeard]

An ordinary truck uses a heavy ladder frame at it's lowest point. The CT's frame extends all the way up to the roof.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Kheops-Pyramid.jpg

[oldtamiyaphile]

Originally Posted by freebeard

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Kheops-Pyramid.jpg

Except the CT's pyramid doesn't start to taper until ~5' off the ground, and while it's stable fore and aft, side to side is less so: