Stupid idea for a kit car

Kinja'd!!! "bhtooefr" (bhtooefr)
09/24/2018 at 00:56 • Filed to: Electric, caterham, lotus, tesla

Kinja'd!!!0 Kinja'd!!! 11

Start with, oh, a Lotus Seven clone design.

Move the cockpit forward by, oh, 18-24", because you don’t have an engine up front.

Put four Tesla Model S battery modules in the transmission tunnel area, on their side, paired up along the length of the tunnel . (This’ll be about 6" wide and a foot tall, so it’ll serve as the armrest.)

Put the rest of the modules (there’s 16 in a pack, so 12 modules - you can either lay them flat and stack them, or keep them on their side, either way works really ) behind the seats. Or put fewer in to save weight , although you’ll have lower voltage. You won’t have much of a battery case, because you’re trying to save weight , and really, if you get hit in something Lotus Seven-derived, you’re going to die anyway.

Put a Model 3 or maybe S rear drive unit in. (If you go S, and you carry over enough of the electronics from the S, maybe it’ll even Supercharge. But, I suspect a Model 3 drive unit will be lighter, and it’s definitely more efficient.)

Put streamlined bodywork on. You could go classic with something Lotus Eleven or Caterham 21-inspired, or you could go with something more modern. Proportions will be a bit strange just because you won’t quite have either front or mid -engine proportions. (Myself, I’d go with something with a liftback, so I can toss shit in there, but that’s just me.)

Enjoy your ~2100-23 00 lb long-range EV sports car with no safety whatsoever and silly power.


DISCUSSION (11)


Kinja'd!!! Tareim - V8 powered > bhtooefr
09/24/2018 at 04:03

Kinja'd!!!1

I’d love to do this but don’t have the money or the skills :(  


Kinja'd!!! bhtooefr > Tareim - V8 powered
09/24/2018 at 07:13

Kinja'd!!!0

Same, really (but add space to my excuses).


Kinja'd!!! shop-teacher > bhtooefr
09/24/2018 at 07:18

Kinja'd!!!1

That’s a terrible aweful idea ....

I freaking LOVE it!


Kinja'd!!! Tareim - V8 powered > bhtooefr
09/24/2018 at 09:46

Kinja'd!!!0

just thinking that as you’ll no longer need the transmission tunnel you could go for a central driving position and have yourself a budget Formula E car


Kinja'd!!! bhtooefr > Tareim - V8 powered
09/24/2018 at 09:49

Kinja'd!!!0

The problem with a central driving position is, you probably don’t want batteries outboard of you, meaning you lose the center batteries altogether (and their contribution to making the car not quite as rear-heavy), unless you put them underneath you or something.


Kinja'd!!! Tareim - V8 powered > bhtooefr
09/24/2018 at 10:08

Kinja'd!!!0

ideally yeah you’d have them mounted as low as possible so the whole floor would be batteries like the tesla’s to help keep the c. o. g down


Kinja'd!!! bhtooefr > Tareim - V8 powered
09/24/2018 at 10:11

Kinja'd!!!0

It really depends on what you’re going for - CoG or aerodynamic drag.

Floor-mounted helps CoG, whereas other placements optimize drag by getting the tallest part of the car (the driver) down.


Kinja'd!!! Tareim - V8 powered > bhtooefr
09/24/2018 at 10:14

Kinja'd!!!0

just have some kind of aero screen that deflects around the driver whilst minimising dr ag


Kinja'd!!! BaconSandwich is tasty. > bhtooefr
09/25/2018 at 00:25

Kinja'd!!!0

I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks of stuff like this! I would think the cheaper option would be a Volt battery pack and a salvaged P85 drive unit, like the Teslonda guy.


Kinja'd!!! bhtooefr > BaconSandwich is tasty.
09/25/2018 at 07:07

Kinja'd!!!1

Really, it depends on how much capacity you want.

A whole Volt pack will be about half the weight, and can deliver quite a bit of power, but not much energy. If you’re just autocrossing it and can plug in at some point , that’s fine, if you’re tracking it, more energy is helpful.


Kinja'd!!! BaconSandwich is tasty. > bhtooefr
09/25/2018 at 08:33

Kinja'd!!!0

Cost is also a consideration. I suspect a Volt pack would be a lot less expensive.

I'm just glad that I'm not the only one here on Oppo that thinks of stuff like this!