'Low drag coefficients can result in unconventional designs' 'Tesla-3 designer [sez] it'll have a special design & be amazing'
http://www.ubergizmo.com/2015/11/elon-musk-reportedly-pushing-tesla-engineers-to-make-model-3-super-aerodynamic/ Elon Musk Reportedly Pushing Tesla Engineers To Make Model 3 Super Aerodynamic 11/18/2015 Adnan Farooqui [image http://cdn2.ubergizmo.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/model-s-70-d-tesla-640x353.jpg model-s-70-d-tesla ] Tesla’s electric cars aren’t exactly cheap, you can spend north of $100,000 on one right now, which means that it’s out of the reach of most average consumers. The company is going to fix this with the Model 3, an all electric car that is going to cost around $35,000, and according to a new report it may be more aerodynamic than the current flagship Tesla car. Citing sources close to the design process the report claims that Elon Musk is pushing engineers at Tesla to make the Model 3 as slippery as it can possibly be, meaning that the car slips through the air with the least amount of resistance. This reduces drag which directly contributes to performance and range, the latter being more crucial for an all electric car. Tesla Model S has a drag coefficient of 0.24 which is similar to that of a Mercedes-Benz S Class or C Class. Simply put, it’s up there with the market leaders, but that’s not enough for Musk it seems. The Tesla CEO has reportedly told engineers to shoot for a drag coefficient of less than 0.20, in the past manufacturers have been able to achieve this coefficient but by opting for outlandish designs that have been limited to concepts only. Since the company has not yet revealed what the Model 3 will look like this report only increases at least my interest in the actual design of the vehicle, it will be very interesting to see how Tesla is able to achieve a drag coefficient of under 0.20 while making the Model 3 look like a relatively conventional saloon car. Model 3 is on track for a March 2016 unveil [ http://www.ubergizmo.com/2015/11/tesla-model-3-on-track-for-march-2016-unveil/ ]. [© ubergizmo.com] http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1101046_tesla-model-3-to-aim-for-0-20-drag-coefficient-report Tesla Model 3 To Aim For 0.20 Drag Coefficient: Report Nov 18, 2015 Stephen Edelstein Tesla Motors is reportedly in the process of tweaking the design of its upcoming Model 3 electric car to lower its aerodynamic drag coefficient. The lowest possible wind resistance is important for electric cars to maximize efficiency, and the Model S' low coefficient of drag (cd) was touted by Tesla as one of the car's most impressive features. But if a new report proves true, the smaller Model 3 could do even better. Tesla is aiming for a drag coefficient below 0.20 for the Model 3, according to Electrek, which cites an anonymous source who is not a Tesla employee, but a friend of one. That figure is significantly lower than the 0.24 of the Model S, and could make the Model 3 among the most aerodynamic vehicles in mass production. And it will be even more impressive considering that Tesla is expected to give the Model 3 a fairly conventional sedan body--rather than a more exotic shape that might offer better aerodynamic properties. The Model 3 will be roughly the size of a BMW 3 Series, meaning it will be shorter and narrower than the Model S. It also won't use an all-aluminum structure as the Model S and Model X do, insiders suggest, but a blend of steel and aluminum. Tesla officials have said the smaller sedan won't exactly copy the styling of the Model S, which could leave room for some changes that enhance the car's aerodynamics. A crossover model is also rumored, possibly to be named Model Y. As with the Model X compared to the Model S, that smaller crossover will likely incur some aerodynamic penalty because of its taller, wider stance. The Model 3 will be shown to the public in March 2016, and Tesla will begin taking pre-orders for the car then. Production will start about two years from now, Tesla CEO Elon Musk has previously said. Tesla is hoping a 200-mile range and $35,000 base price will allow the Model 3 to appeal to a wider range of buyers, and help increase its sales volumes. To meet that price point, Tesla will rely on the economies of scale offered by its massive battery-cell "Gigafactory," currently under construction just outside Reno, Nevada. Tesla has said the Gigafactory will be the largest producer of lithium-ion cells in the world when it becomes fully operational. [© 2015 Green Car Reports] ... http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1099860_tesla-model-3-unveil-comes-in-march-pre-orders-start-then-ceo-musk-says Tesla Model 3 Unveil & Pre-Orders in 3/2016 ... http://bgr.com/2015/11/18/tesla-model-3-design/ Elon Musk says the Tesla Model 3 'won't look like other cars' ... Achieving extremely low drag coefficients can often result in unconventional – at times unappealing – designs. But considering Musk’s penchant for aesthetics, it is unlikely Tesla will sacrifice visual appeal for better aerodynamic performance ... ... http://cleantechnica.com/2015/11/17/tesla-model-3-leaks-small-ones-cleantechnica-exclusive/ ... Tesla designer [sez] the Model 3 will be amazing and it will have a very special design ... http://insideevs.com/tesla-model-3-dominate-drag-race-drag-coefficient-less-0-20/ Tesla Model 3 To Dominate Drag Race (Drag Coefficient Of Less Than 0.20) [19th November 2015] Tesla Mondo [images http://insideevs.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/xl1-nyc-2.jpg Volkswagen XL1 Is World’s Most Aerodynamic Production Car – Drag Coefficient Is 0.189 http://insideevs.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/tesla-model-3-via-kdwag.jpg (rear badge) Tesla Model 3 Price Target Is $35,000 Before Incentives – Aero Target Is Less Than 0.20 ] MODEL 3 MIGHT DRAG US ALL INTO A NEW CONVERSATION Tesla tends to kill all in a drag race. YouTube videos abound. Well, now it might dominate the other kind of drag race, as in drag coefficient. It’s a big factor in fuel economy and electric range. But it’s unglamorous. Aerodynamics usually bores everyone except automotive engineers. Leave it to Tesla to make it an exciting topic among laymen and force other automakers to stop chickening out and start building super-slippery cars, even if the styling startles at first. Model 3 might do exactly that. If today’s rumors have a foot in reality: Musk wants the 3 to slip under 0.20, besting the 0.24 of the S and X, and making it the slickest production car on earth. It would likely require a radical design, something normally relegated to an outlandish concept tucked behind the ropes at a car show. The Model 3 will indeed have a “special design,” says another bit of hearsay. Don’t forget, Elon did say Model 3 won’t look like other cars. Seems we might be in for a shocker next spring. Those nutty concept cars that nobody actually builds, Tesla might build, despite TeslaMondo’s view that the fledgling EV market requires restraint and disallows crazy designs. Winning this “drag race” would grant Tesla some mighty-impressive bragging rights during the 3 unveiling. Impressive to geeks, that is. But, you see, Tesla is making geeks of us all. [© insideevs.com] For EVLN EV-newswire posts use: http://evdl.org/evln/ {brucedp.150m.com} -- View this message in context: http://electric-vehicle-discussion-list.413529.n4.nabble.com/EVLN-Musk-sez-Tesla-3-to-shoot-for-2-drag-coefficient-tp4678785.html Sent from the Electric Vehicle Discussion List mailing list archive at Nabble.com. _______________________________________________ UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.evdl.org/help/index.html#usub http://lists.evdl.org/listinfo.cgi/ev-evdl.org Read EVAngel's EV News at http://evdl.org/evln/ Please discuss EV drag racing at NEDRA (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NEDRA)
