Edison2 Very Light Car: Chapter 2

[NeilBlanchard]

My impression is that it would be a serial hybrid; and we'll see how efficient it is. I think they can be more efficient because the ICE can be smaller (since it only has to meet average demand), and it can be tuned to run at a fixed RPM and therefore it always runs at peak efficiency. A smaller engine warms up faster, and requires less cooling, so the cooling intake can be closed when it is not needed; lowering drag. A serial hybrid has no multi-gear transmission.

Whenever you have to move the car with the ICE, it has to be larger (to meet peak demand) and it often is running off peak efficiency, and it idles some of the time; unless you also implement stop/start.

So, we'll see what it is as soon as they tell us!

[pete c]

My though for a hybrid drive would be to have it a serial type, but, also have the ability to link up directly for top gear cruising.

Imagine the motor mounted next to the electric drive motor with a clutch between them. For low speeds, the clutch disengages and the ICE drives the generator.At cruise speed, the clutch engages and you have direct mechanical drive.

All this adds is a single clutch.

[sheepdog 44]

^Thats a good idea Pete C about direct drive and serial battery charging! It would eliminate the poor highway mpg notorious of serial hybrids running on gas.

Along with Serial, i think there'll also be a gas (or diesel) version. High efficiency at low cost makes an even better return on your investment. That is if they can source a good engine. The automatic smart engine version can get 89mpg highway and leave other cars in the dust. Though i think a Prius like hybrid version with -1kwh hybrid pack wouldn't make sense. If you add $5,000 worth of hybrid electronics and batteries you will save so little gas by volume, that you won't make it up for a decade.

Say 50/89/70 mpg city/highway/combined on a Gas version, and an astronomical 120mpg combined on a hybrid version. At 15,000 miles a year it's $863(gas) - $500(hybrid) = $363 savings a year, making the return 13.6 years at 206,000 miles. If you drove cross country regularly, and therefore accumulated astronomical miles, a diesel would still be best as a hybrid still can't touch the mpg of a diesel cruising on the highway. One of Oliver Kuttners blogs even said that a 2,000lb gasoline Prius would get the same mpg as the hybrid version.

However, in 200,000 miles you would have used 58% less fuel and saved 1,400 gallons of gas from being burned.

The point being that a primarily electric serial hybrid would fill the niche for someone who wanted to burn nearly zero foreign oil, save the environment, and drive high technology. A simple, cheap and reliable gas or diesel option would suffice for everyone else.

The good thing is that the car literally sells itself! It's a given your going to need a car, but a VLC will literally save you over $1,000 a year over a similar conventional car. Who doesn't want a free vacation every year? Nearly a years worth of free groceries?

And once you can actually buy the thing, the Big 3 are going to be in Big trouble.

[NeilBlanchard]

A couple of pictures of the VLC V4.0:

[sheepdog 44]

So many VlCs in the background!

Henry Ford museum
20900 Oakwood Blvd Dearborn, MI 48121
(313) 982-6001

I highly suggest anyone from the forums that lives in Michigan go and check it out for the rest of us!

[HydroJim]

I wonder if I'll be working for Edison2 one day...

[pete c]

The VLC 4.0 nearing platform completion. notice airbag, HVAC and full instrumentation provisions from an android based dash control in house designed. This car is under 1000 lbs made of stamped metal and castings with a full implement of 10 kw/hrs of battery as a driving platform. It has 4 seats, 15 Cu Ft of trunk space and room for an ICE if hybrid is desired, all with a CD less than .17...

I really hope these numbers are right. If they are, it seems to me that the VLC blows the VW 1L out of the water. I still wanna see that little TDI hybrid drive in the VLC though.

I think it comes down to VLC's basic architecture. Deflection is a hell of a lot lighter than absorption when it comes to crash safety. As Oliver has pointed out, it doesn't matter what sort of unobtanium you build it from.

I suspect we will see this architecture from others a lot in the future.

[XprizeRoadTrip]

Originally Posted by pete c

I really hope these numbers are right....

A couple housekeeping requests if Neil doesn't mind.
The date for museum unveil has not been set, and the event has not yet been designated for anyone besides media and industry.

Most of the specs and description are either not accurate or not verifiable. This is troublesome because estimates can easily turn into hard expectation or "I really hope these numbers are right," as Pete says above. And getting those numbers right is how people will come to trust Edison2.

I recommend, for now, removing the quotes for the event date and the specs/description until Edison2 puts together something more accurate. Hopefully that'll be soon.

[XprizeRoadTrip]

Good news gang!

Things are getting coordinated at Edison2, and a regular schedule of images and updates is headed our way. Everyone will be in the loop on a whole new level. There's a milestone update coming to Edison2 Facebook and blog tomorrow, and I also heard about some excellent video coming down the pipeline.

If you're not on facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Edison2/255167146132 or in the habit of checking Edison2's blog, Edison2 - Very Light Blog, Neil is great at getting things posted here pretty quick.

[NeilBlanchard]

There are a few tidbits of info on this image from FB: