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New Still waiting for auto companies to Learn from
Amory Lovins: his video demo of his own prototype of **modular sub-assemblies for a complete auto body:

Eliminating huge sheet-metal stampers [and $$Cost]
Manageable by-hand assembly/gluing==no module too heavy to man-handle
Stronger/#, crumple-rates á la cárte
Better torsional [and other axes] *rigidity
[* my Citroëns (DS-series of yore) advertised their superior torsional rigidity/absence of 'shake' in obstacle courses.]
And more... ...

Then too, unless Car USERS can be weaned from Needing their boxes to look like jewelry--and priced for that meme--NONE of Lovins' et alia SAVINGS can accrue.
Might as well bring back '59 Cad tail-fins for those with Murican car-as-spaceship prefs.

Fie on VW; they don't even have to deal with a Puritan-based kultur, yet they show no sign of grokking to even-moderation.. all of the above :-/

And for those in my $Class, no Way would I budget $35K for any piece of mobile jewelry; when the Acura Plutocrat becomes chopped-liver ... when gas hits $6+/gal?
Back to 2-wheels for all but emergencies/
no blizzards in Calif. Ever.


** Yes, of course: costs of resins, currently lazily-dependent upon Dead Dinosaur leavings + related 'OTOH' critiques
--this is where that nearly-Useless word [now] Innovation shall be requisite: so START ALREADY!
Modrin Car Dinosaurs: expensively-Suited fraidy-cat bumpkins as you all are, once anointed with affluenza on the new yacht.


Ed: PS--no es una problema with Safari--this link. Ditto FF--OS X version. fwiw
Expand Edited by Ashton March 16, 2013, 05:53:28 PM EDT
Expand Edited by Ashton March 16, 2013, 08:08:57 PM EDT
New Did you see that the XL1 is going into production?
Stuff like that is coming, slowly.

http://www.vwvortex....gets-green-light/

Future mobility is one of the most stimulating topics of our time. The key question here: By how much could the energy consumption of cars be reduced if all the stops were pulled out for efficiency? There is now an answer to this question from Volkswagen. It is the new XL1, with combined fuel consumption of 0.9 l/100 km. No other production car with a diesel plug-in hybrid is more fuel-efficient.

Lightweight construction (monocoque and add-on parts made of carbon fibre), very low aerodynamic drag (Cd 0.189) and a plug-in hybrid system - consisting of a two-cylinder TDI engine (35 kW / 48 PS), E-motor (20 kW / 27 PS), 7-speed dual-clutch transmission (DSG) and lithium-ion battery - enable a fuel consumption of 0.9 l/100 km, the new Volkswagen XL1 only emits 21 g/km CO2. Since it is designed as a plug-in hybrid, the XL1 can also be driven for up to 50 kilometers in pure electric mode, i.e. with zero emissions at point of use. The battery can be charged from a conventional household electric outlet. Naturally, battery regeneration is also employed to recover energy while slowing down and store as much of it as possible in the battery for re-use. In this case, the electric motor acts as an electric generator.

[...]

THE XL1 – MANUFACTURING

High-tech manufacturing: Body of new XL1 weighs just 230 kg / 507 lbs. Monocoque and exterior parts are produced from lightweight CFRP Volkswagen has set up handcrafting-like manufacturing for the XL1 in Osnabrück

The XL1 is a car of the future that is being built today. Not only are its technologies pioneering, but also the fact that Volkswagen is producing large parts of the XL1 in lightweight and strong carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP). The monocoque with its slightly offset seats for driver and front passenger, all exterior body parts as well as functional elements such as the anti-roll bars are all made of CFRP. The preferred process for producing CFRP components at Volkswagen is the RTM process (Resin Transfer Moulding). The density of this material or its specific gravity is only around 20 per cent that of a comparable steel exterior skin. The CFRP parts exhibit a level of stiffness and strength that is by no means inferior to that of comparable steel or aluminium parts, yet the exterior skin of the XL1 is just 1.2 mm thick.

Innovative RTM process

Compared to other methods such as manufacturing CFRP in a prepreg process, CFRP production via RTM is more economical – with lower costs at higher part volumes – because it can be automated. The RTM parts are produced in multi-shell, heated and vacuum-sealed tools. This involves injecting liquid resin at high pressure into the tool containing the semi-finished carbon material whose interior has the shape of the part to be produced. The part cures afterwards in the mould.


Lots more at the linky.

It sounds neat, but it's not coming to the US anytime soon. And even with all the automation and efficiency, it's not cheap (€50,000 lease only according to the comments, but pricing to be announced in the summer according to this review - http://www.autoblog....ive-review-video/ ).

FWIW.

Cheers,
Scott.
New No didn't.. guess I should get out more
Bitchin! even better than I had hoped-for, although the ramp-Up time "no Murican version 'this generation' means: the young-uns of [wtf we call This generation, now.] I lose.

So must set sights lower. Even the pricey Lease--depending muchly upon the devil/details of miles-charges--could be a decent cost for those remaining Experts:
folks who have to personally cover a large route near-daily, to get other folks out of deep-doo-do, and similar.
Anyway, this advanced level of almost-production IS indeed encouraging. Pity that our new Banana Republic gets no [Real] vote on prioritization of deliveries. But unsurprising.

Have to go back and adsorb the details; THIS sucker should galvanize some unaccustomed-Thinking across the whole industry (and its next morphing into Hype Modes never before seen.)
They WILL lie to us, repeatedly. Of course. But the Intarweb will keep them from joining their superiorsmentors {GOP-LiarsClub/Cheney Shogunate Battalion}

Thanks for a soupçon of verifiable Optimism about the CIEIO-Class--at least: the ones who HAVE to grok F=MA.

So far I have one redesign 'opinion': I'd like the layout reversed.. let's put that 5.5 KWhr battery/bomb at The Rear, go for fwd accordingly.
In a head-on, there are Lots of ergs ready to transform into heat/light/sound, under not so unusual circumstances.
Jeez, Could I get a Consulting gig with these Germans? You know: an Outsider

just lookin fer loopholes, Son ... lookin fer loopholes ...
I Know that WCFields has his still-admirers in that milieu--after all, he was an American, !=Murican.
     Nice car: VW Golf 7 Variant Wagon - (Another Scott) - (9)
         US citizens... - (folkert) - (1)
             No, VW has no trouble selling diesels. - (Another Scott)
         Linky possessed? - (scoenye) - (3)
             Weird. - (Another Scott) - (2)
                 Looks like they absolutely want cookies - (scoenye) - (1)
                     Ah. That makes sense. (I just delete them every day.) -NT - (Another Scott)
         Still waiting for auto companies to Learn from - (Ashton) - (2)
             Did you see that the XL1 is going into production? - (Another Scott) - (1)
                 No didn't.. guess I should get out more - (Ashton)

Yow!
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