Edison2 Very Light Car: Chapter 2

[bhtooefr]

Stumbled on this: Engineers Win When Cars Break Land Speed Records > ENGINEERING.com

So something is being done with it, still...

One problem I can see with going about it a "different way", in the North American market, is economies of scale. They simply aren't there for any kit car, especially when the closest thing to a suitable off-the-shelf drivetrain that exists and is certified in the US for a car application is the ForTwo drivetrain, and it's overpowered for this car.

Lopping off a rear wheel would be effective, and then removes the safety requirements and greatly loosens the emissions requirements, but destroys cargo space and negatively affects handling (especially with the weight distribution of their driveline layout).

Then again, maybe they can get it into China or India for local consumption or something. I dunno.

[sheepdog 44]

So far mums the word on the results. Engineering.coms' twitter posted this gem! Look at that front spoiler!

At the Daytona International Speedway set to watch Edison2’s VLC test for a Land Speed Record! What an a amazing car

[sheepdog 44]

And another one, completely blocked off naca ducts. There also seems to be a short tail extension as well
Here the link to a higher resolution: Ow.ly - image uploaded by @ENGINEERINGcom

[bhtooefr]

From two days ago: Edison2

Originally Posted by Brad Jaeger

You're not going to see vehicles like you see behind me driving in the near future, but you'll definitely see certain aspects that come from the Very Light Car.

[gone-ot]

Sounds like they've given up on production and have decided "experimental" test vehicle is ALL they want to pursue.

[Frank Lee]

I thought the whole point of the huge prize money was to get something IN PRODUCTION. If they don't do it, shouldn't it be refunded???

[bhtooefr]

The PIAXP rules did not require actual sale, just judging of the vehicle to meet certain technical criteria and judging of a business plan to determine whether it seemed viable.

Originally Posted by PIAXP Competition Guidelines v1.3

Production Capability

How can you influence the market without requiring actual vehicle sales?

There are significant disadvantages to making the Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE a “sales race,” including:

• If the sales race were held in the near term, it would limit innovation (Risk aversion, traditional vehicle development cycles, and regulatory-approval cycles are such that we would get little innovation beyond what is already emerging from the laboratory today.)
• Unfortunately, the concept of a sales race is not compelling to the media, and not nearly as compelling as a real-world stage race (To have maximum market impact, we must maximize media engagement in, and exposure of, the Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE competition. Thus, a sales race would make it harder to attract sponsors and media partners, which in turn would limit the substantial indirect benefits of the Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE – publicity that attracts entrants, public education, private investment, acquisition, recruitment, etc.)
• A sales race creates an unfair advantage for established automobile manufacturers (momentum and experience, supplier and distribution relationships, fleet sales, sales networks, budgets for sales incentives and advertising, etc.), and would run counter to our goals of providing a fair and level playing field for all competitors

In addition, we believe the Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE will have significant, indirect market influence that leads to vehicle sales, including:

• Fostering conditions that make investments more likely, whether in startups or at existing companies
• Providing a stage for competing vehicles to establish or build a brand and reputation
• Teams being recruited and vehicles being acquired by established companies, leading to their innovations being built and sold
• Inspiring the next generation of automotive engineers
• Pushing innovation, whether through new technologies and materials or through novel methods of production and distribution
• Inspiring the existing automotive industry to adopt a more entrepreneurial spirit and risk innovation
• Changes in public perceptions and value systems, making efficiency a value worth spending money on

Considering the implications that Oliver Kuttner made regarding not getting enough investment, I'd argue that it was actually a failure of the X-Prize, to not attract the investment resources (the prize money wasn't enough to even come close to bringing the car into production, and to their credit, Edison2 didn't pull an Elio and take preorders) that they claimed their prize would attract.

[UltArc]

It's shocking to me some company doesn't buy this out. Start making it on their own. A big company, to make something that just works. Would prefer Honda or Toyota, but even Ford or another company. A no frills, just basic vehicle. Heck, it would be great even for a track car or auto cross car if at the right price point.

[NeilBlanchard]

They spent way more than $5M building the 10 cars they had before the X-Prize. They brought 4 cars to the X-Prize. Other teams at the X-Prize spent way more than the potential prize money - Aptera spent at least $35M, and they potentially could win "only" $2.5M.

I hope that Oliver Kuttner can finish the VLCe v4 and show the results of all their work.

[sheepdog 44]

I sort of wish they would abandon the lightweight for 1,800-2,000lbs to silence the critics. For a gas car, you'd have to upsize the engine and lose efficiency. But for electric, weight is not an issue. The motor can be small and efficient AND powerful.

If they can make a 1,200-1,400lb car, imagine adding 400-800lbs of just safety devices and roll cages! That would be a 5 star rated car in every aspect. Much safer than a Smart car. Weight should not be an issue for the naysayers!