Chevy Bolt's aero is a 'disaster,'

[JSH]

Originally Posted by freebeard

While I'm not a Prius fan (just the Lexus/Highlander HSG rear axle), I like that they disrupted the public's perception to introduce that box-fish-like profile.

The Bionic was a response to the GM EV1 and first generation Insight. It was Mercedes saying, look at us, we can make a boxy shape with lower CD than the teardrop shape of the EV1.

[freebeard]

Having driven a lot of Type II transporters over the years, I think it goes back to duBonnet's Dolphin


http://www.banovsky.com/archive/dubonnet-dolphin

Compare to the hood/windshield break on the car to the right rear.

[NeilBlanchard]

Originally Posted by NHB

Bionic has a plenty of features, which make it not production ready.

• Rear seat only for two with no space for standard height men
• no mirrors
• no rear door
• no real door handles
• no brake cooling
• no ground clearance
• missing window wipers

There a long way from a design study to a production ready design.

In reverse order: wipers can be tucked into a pocket.

It has normal ground clearance at the front, and if the aero is ideal, the rear would have higher than normal clearance.

The brakes would be fine. If it had an electric drivetrain, it would barely use its friction brakes, anyway.

Look at the Tesla door handles.

I think it has a sliding door, and it certainly could have a hatch.

We need to change this law, and allow video side mirrors.

We don't know what the interior dimensions are. My CarBEN EV5 design is largely based on the Bionic (aka Boxfish) and my design has 3 seats with space for people ~6'-4"+ and a seat for someone ~5'-8, and a seat for someone ~5'-0" tall; 5 seats total.

[jamesqf]

Originally Posted by NHB

Rear seat only for two with no space for standard height men
no mirrors

Why is a rear seat necessary? Mercedes makes and successfully sells (at least I see a good few hereabouts) cars with two seats. If there is a rear seat, why must it necessarily carry two full-sized adults, when the likely market would be couples with smaller children?

no rear door

Plenty of 2-door cars out there.

no ground clearance

Citroen solved that problem more than half a century ago: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-levelling_suspension

[freebeard]

This is getting off-topic, but so I can search for it later, posted without comment:

Has car manufacturer taken the corner too fast with boxfish design? Design based on incorrect interpretation of characteristics of the fish
https://www.sciencedaily.com/release...0106095035.htm

Boxfish shell inspires new materials for body armor and flexible electronics
https://www.sciencedaily.com/release...0729101924.htm

[NHB]

Originally Posted by NeilBlanchard

In reverse order: wipers can be tucked into a pocket.

It has normal ground clearance at the front, and if the aero is ideal, the rear would have higher than normal clearance.

The brakes would be fine. If it had an electric drivetrain, it would barely use its friction brakes, anyway.

Look at the Tesla door handles.

I think it has a sliding door, and it certainly could have a hatch.

We need to change this law, and allow video side mirrors.

We don't know what the interior dimensions are. My CarBEN EV5 design is largely based on the Bionic (aka Boxfish) and my design has 3 seats with space for people ~6'-4"+ and a seat for someone ~5'-8, and a seat for someone ~5'-0" tall; 5 seats total.

There are reason, why Mercedes A-Class and Chevy Bolt have more clearance around the front wheel for example. If you offer something like that Bionic Concept for the masses, there will be a lot of broken side skirts and angry customers.

Even if you barely need to use the brakes usually, you still need capable brakes. Brakes must be able to perform well in the most demanding emergency braking even when the full battery is not able to receive any electricity. Electric cars are heavy and they need big brakes. I've seen those hidden door handles also in Aston Martins, but modern compact family cars don’t use them. A production car can't wait and hope the law to change.

I find CarBEN interesting project. How long and tall is the car? I am just trying to figure out, that how you can fit almost four seat rows in a car while many manufacturers have a hard time to offer comfortable legroom for two rows of seats. Your chassis has open roof and rear end. How do you make the chassis stiff enough?

IMO this picture shows clearly, that the Bionic Concept has very limited space for rear seats. That guy on the drivers seat would fit there only after decapitation.
http://images.hgmsites.net/lrg/merce...00009713_l.jpg

[NHB]

Originally Posted by jamesqf

Why is a rear seat necessary? Mercedes makes and successfully sells (at least I see a good few hereabouts) cars with two seats. If there is a rear seat, why must it necessarily carry two full-sized adults, when the likely market would be couples with smaller children?

Plenty of 2-door cars out there.

Citroen solved that problem more than half a century ago: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-levelling_suspension

I don't understand why we are even talking about two-seaters. Bolt is a family car. Cramped rear seats and two-seaters are not that popular. Bolt is more like VW Golf.

Even today Citroëns have standard ground clearance. Some rumors say, that they will stop using their hydropneumatic suspension.

[JSH]

Originally Posted by jamesqf

Why is a rear seat necessary? Mercedes makes and successfully sells (at least I see a good few hereabouts) cars with two seats. If there is a rear seat, why must it necessarily carry two full-sized adults, when the likely market would be couples with smaller children?

A rear seat is necessary because GM wants the Bolt to be mainstream car that sells in large numbers.