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Hi Alan,

If I was going for mass appeal, I wouldn't bother. I feel that we really need to go for ultimate efficiency -- and if it is as good as I hope, then the "appeal" is the performance; not the looks.

Yes, a breakout window is probably the best emergency exit. The prototype will almost certainly have plastic side windows, and once I find out how all the major stuff works, I'll worry about the aspects for "production".

Here's some images of the battery pack I modeled today (all 768 cells!):

Here's a screen capture of the latest 2D drawings of CarBEN EV -- I got HLR's of the SketchUp model and then spent 2+ days erasing thousands of edges of polygons...



Each view still contains 5-8 thousand lines...

Here's a newer and more detailed drawing:

Neil -

It's a little hard to see with the lines being in color - could you post one in black and white?

Hi Alan,

I can and I will once I get a few of the mistakes/unfinished bits finished up. If you click on the thumbnail, and then click on the larger image, you will see it "full size" and it should be fairly clear.

Yes, I did that - but my poor ol' eyes still are having a hard time of it!

I'll look forward to the B/W version when you get it polished up!

Here's the latest version of the drawing, showing the beginning of a schematic chassis:

Such an awsome car design. It looks the fabulous from all the side. Also I like its colour combination and design of the car. I am thankful to you to share the stuff.

Thanks, but no thanks -- Spam!

I am going to build a 1" = 1'-0" (1:12) scale model out of card stock; to try and develop a flattened pattern of the outside surface -- and also just to see CarBEN EV in a larger size 3D model. Here are the sections I developed in DataCAD X3:



I've printed them all out and I'll be busy with scissors for a while...

Here's the latest version of the drawing, showing the beginning of a schematic chassis:

As I have said before, I submit that the body/seat/doors are breathtakingly
bad design. But it does offer a unique last-resort advantage - the opportunity
for some frame triangulation in places where it wouldn't normally be found.
Here, we have a lightweight frame with no triangulation at all. So how are
you going to make those moment connections? Unless this is some secret
magicmetal/kryptonite alloy, you might as well make the body monocoque
and dispense with the frame altogether because essentially all it is doing
is adding to the weight but precious little to the structure.

The difference between compromise and bad design is that, by definition,
the former rewards with some quid pro quo.

Another 2c stir from

Hi Nick,

You're right I'm not showing triangulation -- it could be done several ways: foam composite sandwich, with the steel as a safety cage. Or, I could add diagonal tubes, or similar to what Dave Cloud did with his Dolphin, composite flat panels could be fixed within the steel frame, like this:

Rear Qtr.JPG (75.2 KiB) Viewed 17953 times

And here's his record breaking, super aerodynamic car:

DD007.jpg (134.93 KiB) Viewed 17953 times

I've done a relatively accurate model of Dave Cloud's Dolphin:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HqiK4kW4fU