Quote:
Originally Posted by cgtech
That is awesome!
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I certainly hope so. I went to US Legend Cars and toured the factory floor. I examined how those race cars are built, took measurements, and settled on the best model for what I am after. Aerodynamics was one of my primary criteria. Prior to this tour, I had considered buying one of their race car chassis and to try to adapt it for my use. After examining the suspension travel (or lack thereof) and other chassis limitations, I decided to stick with the RXV frame I had already bought. It will weigh more at the frame level, but weight can be saved elsewhere by having a full frame under the car.
In a race car chassis, doors are fixed and do not open. The roof hinges open and you climb in through the center of that opening. It uses a tubular roll cage that surrounds the driver. If I were to cut door openings in the sides of the race car chassis, it loses too much integrity. I want functional doors, so I will have to build an upper roll cage that bolts down to the RXV frame that allows the door openings to open outward, yet are solid enough when closed to still protect the driver in a possible side impact.
I also need a fully functional suspension, to handle real world road driving conditions. Race cars have a luxury of smooth pavement, with little need to be concerned with bumps, potholes, and obstructions in the roadway. Road cars do not have that luxury.
With typical EV/NEV design, we do not have as much concern for weight, so we are free to use conventional and well proven automotive design. This project has requirements that are similar to a race car. Keeping safety and weight reduction as primary goals, there will be technologies employed to make the vehicle more energy efficient. I want lower power consumption for propulsion as well as for lighting and climate control. I intend to use 200 A/H of LiFePO4 as the primary 48V traction pack.
Bob