0pimo t1_jcpq639 wrote on March 18, 2023 at 4:38 PM

Reply to comment by squeevey in Qualcomm Is Poised to Dominate EVs Before Apple Gets a Chance by OutlandishnessOk2452

I'm no car engineer, but I don't think it's possible to build something like this and have it structurally safe without it weighing an awful lot.

Modern cars, the body is the chassis and the cabin is integral to the structural integrity of the car.

MrStayPuftSeesYou t1_jcqca2r wrote on March 18, 2023 at 7:08 PM

There are a lot of exotic materials that definitely fit the bill but we need economies of scale to make it viable financially.

squeevey t1_jcpr9xw wrote on March 18, 2023 at 4:46 PM

I don't disagree that it requires some engineering. I believe it is possible though. The cabin would be the safe zone. The sled would have the battery, motor, and wheels. The battery would like be in a non-crumple zone to prevent it from taking damage. Whereas the cabin would have crumple zones and could detach more easily.

Instead of thinking of the car as a complete unibody. You would compartmentalize the passenger cabin from the drive train.

0pimo t1_jcps1g6 wrote on March 18, 2023 at 4:50 PM

Yeah pretty sure having a non-crumpling frame is how you transfer a whole lot of energy to the driver and kill people when they crash.

squeevey t1_jcptbb2 wrote on March 18, 2023 at 4:59 PM

Yep it is. However, in an EV you still have to reinforce the battery so it does NOT crumple. And the battery has most of the mass.

So it is a matter of design to create crumpling for passengers while reinforcing the sled. Hence decoupling the two. Would be great to just have to purchase a new cabin instead of a whole new drive train.

peadith t1_jcps5sy wrote on March 18, 2023 at 4:51 PM

You know what would be funny is if the Chinese came out with a simple and cheap plain old electric vehicle without all this digital bull shit and it wipes the market.