SIM-LEI aero EV achieves 84Wh/km @ 100kph - 207 miles on a ~24kWh pack! Cd is 0.19
 

This is a great achievement:

http://www.blogcdn.com/green.autoblo.../03/sim-ev.jpg
(click on image for link)

It would be great to see it from a few other angles.

I sure hope my CarBEN EV is this good (or better?)!

The Nissan Leaf got ~173Wh/mile on the same test, but this is impressive none the less.

Aerodynamically, the one odd thing is that ridge on the beltline / door handles? That and the (apparently) holey rims... I'd love to see the back of this car -- I mean in a good way! ;)

Someone at ABG (David Martin) found these pictures!

http://www.total-manga.com/images/Ar...-B/sim-lei.jpg
http://www.total-manga.com/images/Ar...-B/sim-lei.jpg

Here's the original article: News Japon : Un véhicule électrique avec plus de 300 km d'autonomie 31/03/2011

Awesome!

The back is so ugly.

So is the front! Doesn't leave much, does it... ?

Could it be this is only a mule, made to be ugly ?

Let's mod this :
- relocate the lights to the front fenders
- ditch the bulges with the door handles
- lower the window line so it doesn't look as massive
- extend the windows aft , glazing the cargo area
- clean up the mess of different design lines on the rear
- full aft wheel covers

Vehicle data :

http://www.total-manga.com/images/Ar...la-sim-lei.png

Video-dash :

http://www.total-manga.com/images/Ar...-B/sim-lei.jpg

I see an ugly car, made nice by the stats, just like mine :)

Let's see ...
Crude, but you get the idea.

~135Wh/mile (84Wh/km) at a sustained 62/mph100kph -- that is the *best* performance of a 4 seat electric car that I know of; or any car for that matter.

I think the best was the EV1 at ~150Wh/mile at 60mph or something, although I imagine that if they used this powertrain in the EV1 they could do better than ~135Wh/mile.

I usually try to find the positive in everything but holy cow.
I'm sorry but that is just awful. I think they would have to give them away.

I think that's actually 77 Wh/km not mile. Still 115Wh/mile for a 4 seater is almost incredible. My golf cart won't get that!

Right, my later post has this corrected. I'll edit the first post...

I agree that some of the "graphics" of the design are odd, but the overall aerodynamic shape is pretty good. The protruding headlights are possibly there to help deflect the flow around the side mirrors? If this efficiency can be verified/duplicated then who cares what it looks like? I'm sure the looks can be improved, and I'm sure that many of our expectations on how a car "should" look will also change.

Nice rear end..... I mean the car's.

I'd drive that.

Your attachment didn't carry over. I like the cleaned up version.

The way they started the rear taper before / at the wheels is a nice touch.

I agree that the door handle bumps need to go. Flush handles would look better and give the same results.

We now know more about the SIM-LEI:

A New Venture SIM-Drive SIM-LEI | greencardesign.com

Cd is 0.19 and the pack is 24.9kWh and the range is 305km at a constant 100kmh. So it is about 50% better than the Leaf.

Aerodynamics can be beautiful.

Example : the 1992 Oldsmobile Aerotech

http://image.automobilemag.com/f/298...n_at_speed.jpg



Are they even trying at all ?

It's as if the design studies were funded by Exxon.

I take your point, but the Oldsmobile isn't very practical. I think the SIM-LEI could be "beautiful" if a talented designer (like Jason Hill?) could clean up the "graphics" of the skin; as opposed to changing the shape.

Having said that, the bulging headlights could be eliminated, if they used video mirrors:
http://www.greencardesign.com/site/s...eview11_01.jpg
And the bulges for the door safety beams are silly -- they should make the door surface flush with these.
http://www.greencardesign.com/site/s...eview11_03.jpg

YouTube video of this amazing car:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPwphfWTZ6w

Learned something very clever from the video about that odd "bump" along the belt line...

That ridge comprises the doors' strength member for crash protection, and it permitted them to get better aerodynamic results than a more conventional design:

By mounting the "crash bars" externally (literally thinking outside the box!), they were able to make the rest of the doors thinner by an equivalent amount, which permits reduced frontal area, and increased body taper toward the rear.

The door thickness was reduced by 50 mm each by making the crash protection bar external.

Unconventional and smart! Ugly, perhaps. But let's remember we're pretty much just trained monkeys when it comes to thinking about what looks "nice" on cars.

I'm 100% in favour of functional designs that challenge our preconceived notions.

Also learned in the video: the mirrors are apparently the smallest permissible by law.

So those "small" conventional mirrors also have video cameras incorporated to expand the field of view via screens in the cabin.

Hello -

I wish the initial designs were viable :

http://www.greencardesign.com/site/s...eview11_10.jpg

CarloSW2

I agree the earlier concepts were better looking -- and I'm sure the working prototype could be a lot better looking with a skilled designer; like for example Jason Hill.

The Cd could be further improved with smooth wheels and a few other changes, I'm sure. This car seems to fit with a theory of mine that the energy consumption overall more closely tracks the Cd and overall drag (CdA) than weight. The Edison2 VLCe got about 108Wh/mile (at ~45MPH average) and it's Cd is 0.161. This car got ~134Wh/mile (at ~55MPH) with a Cd of 0.19. I think the in hub motors of the SIM-LEI are more efficient than the DC drive used on the Edison2 VLCe; so it is hard to make a direct and exact comparison.

I also like the combination optical / video mirrors -- this is the best of both worlds, I think. The rear view screen is HUGE!

This is the second or third most efficient car ever built. Think about that...

And it is certainly the quickest and roomiest of this elite class. The other cars that are at the top of the list: the Edison2 VLC (which has lower aero drag at Cd of 0.161, but lags on drivetrain efficiency a bit), the early Aptera prototype, and the VW L1 prototype.

Other cars that are close to this efficiency are the Illuminati Motor Works 7, the GM EV1, Dave Cloud's Dolphin, and the FVT eVaro. The DBM Energy Kolibri powered A2 is a laggard compared to these...

All of these are low aero drag (the Illuminati 7 is the highest drag, I think?), and only the VW and the Edison2 are low weight. The SIM-LEI is quickest, the eVaro is next, and the 7 is also quick, followed by the EV1. The VLCe and Dolphin are DC drive, so they could be improved with AC drive. The Dolphin is super low drag, but with 1,980 pounds of batteries, it could lose 1,000 pounds and the battery pack could be ~2X greater capacity, and with AC drive it could have 400-500 miles of range.

The VLCe has the shortest range, followed by the EV1. The Dolphin, SIM-LEI, and 7 are all very close with 200+ range. And obviously the L1 and the eVaro have range because of their gen sets.

Who will be the first to have a 400 mile electric car? (At 55-60mph) The DBM Kolibri A2 could well be capable of this. With a 99kWh pack [/lust] it sure as heck *should* be! Drop that pack into the VLCe or the Dolphin or the SIM-LEI and I think they could hit 500-800 miles!

Here's a coupla' views of the SIM-LEI car that I have not seen before:

http://www.autoluxs.com/wp-content/u...pe-SIM-LEI.jpg

http://asituning.files.wordpress.com...1136545924.jpg

http://www.cars-show.org/wp-content/...kmrange-04.jpg

http://robotic-person.blog.so-net.ne...0-20110520.jpg

http://carlifenavi.com/article_image...073/319156.jpg

They have an updated version, called the SIM-WIL:

New SIM-WIL electric prototype has 218 mile range, in-wheel motors [w/video]

SIM-WIL: SIM-Drive's 351KM-range EV with 5.4 Second 0 - 100KM/H Performance | Integrity Exports

SIM-Drive Unveils EV Prototype With Long Drive Range -- Tech-On!

http://news.mynavi.jp/news/2012/03/2...mages/007l.jpg
http://techon.nikkeibp.co.jp/english...9/210402/2.jpg
http://autoprove.net/wp-content/uplo...03-600x244.jpg

The battery is now significantly larger (35.1kWh vs 24.9kWh) and it now consumes a smidge less than 100Wh/mile. So that speaks to a higher Cd than the SIM-LEI.

They have lightened it by ~70kg, and more importantly, it looks smoother. I would like to see the longer tail on the blue car. Please note the active grill louver. They are talking about production in 2014 -- kewl!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=OFHkliihm78#!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=he6fVX7tgGs

Unfortunately, if the want to go to production the'll probably have to massage the body a bit more to get customer acceptance. I think both the LEI and WIL look awesome though.

To me this looks as though it could be produced by Mitsubishi. Could be the nerdier, more efficient cousin of the iMIEV.

I'd wait a couple of years for this car based on looks alone.
It's like the Gen I Honda Insight and Gen II Prius.
It's got an attitude.
It screams,

This is different!
The differentness has a meaningful purpose.
This is the future.
WAKE UP!
Pay attention!

The excellent specs are a bonus.
And I really like the new rear-end treatment and rear skirts. :o

http://techon.nikkeibp.co.jp/english...9/210402/2.jpg

(Looks like the rear lights might form an aero "rear cavity." :confused: )

This car has officially dethroned my up-to-now-favorite EV prototype
with an attitude, the might be a distant cousin, Mistu i-MiEV Sport...
http://i.imgur.com/VYWlI.jpg
And as a double bonus, the SIM-WIL has the volume to be a practical,
useful in the real world, car. Wonderful!

I want one in Arrest-Me Red.

Neil, thank you buckets. :thumbup:

What is the effect of the aero cavity?

The tail of this vehicle is not the same as the base pressure recovery "box/cavity" referred to in the linked PDF.

For that particular mod to work, the "box/cavity" needs to be inset from the trailing edges of the vehicle, and extend out far enough to promote flow re-attachment, I believe, with entrained vortices in the "steps" between the sets of edges.

Okay, we now have a third SIM-Drive prototype - the SIM-CEL:

Sim-CEL has Tesla-quick performance, lasers for high beams

http://www.blogcdn.com/green.autoblo...lTBsxve9dk.jpg
http://image.itmedia.co.jp/mn/articl...imdrive_01.jpg

[youtube]RsfMiLxytEI[/youtube]
[youtube]gzx7rlsuMh4[/youtube]

Here's a slideshow of 15 pictures: SIM Drive to start mass production of EVs in Malaysia | Responsejp (Eco-car electric )

Here's a shot on the hatch area:
http://jpx.responsejp.com/jpx/images...jpg?fit=normal

...and the driver's seat:
http://jpx.responsejp.com/jpx/images...jpg?fit=normal

...from this slideshow: SIM-Drive SIM-CEL to offer comparable acceleration to the 8-wheeled ELiica | Responsejp (Automobile new model / new models )

Early concepts of the SIM-CEL:
http://jpx.responsejp.com/jpx/images...7/194591_6.jpg

Cool.

Incidentally, did you follow the comments on ABG after yours? Steve Fambro, still fighting the good fight.

Yes, Steve is keeping on top of these things. His new business is doing well, and the NDA is up on his Aptera days, I think.

This version most definitely looks the best in my opinion. But this one from what I can tell is geared for performance with only 2 seats etc. All of them regardless of looks is impressive I would agree Neil!

Nice post and thanks for sharing:thumbup:

GreenHornet

All the SIM-Drive cars have no gearing whatsoever - they use in-hub direct drive electric motors. They are 4 wheel drive, and have traction control, and lotsa' regenerative braking, too.

Kind of pointless to be all wheel drive. Prob would go farther with a simple fwd or rwd depending on engine location won't you think?

Johnathan,

There is no engine in any of the SIM-Drive cars. They are all electric and they all use electric hub motors; hence the total lack of gears, and the oodles of torque.

Sorry i know they are hubs I more meant get rid of 2 of the hubs and just increase the output on the two remaining.

I'm not sure that electric motors lose efficiency by being too powerful? They don't idle, and when they have large(r) diameter armatures, they increase in torque with the same electrical input, because of the physical leverage. They actually increase in efficiency (a bit) when the armature is larger because then you can fit in more coils, which improves the geometry.

With 4 wheel drive, you get both better acceleration, you get better regenerative braking. You do not have to power the motors equally all the time. With direct drive, you have no gearing losses, and with in hub motors, you don't even have U-joints or CV-joints; though you do increase the unsprung weight.