Carbon fiber hood and trunk anyone? Lighter car= :) mpg ?

[majorleeslow]

I've been playing with the idea that if I reduce weight (long gorgeous but heavy hood) by substituting on metals with stronger / lighter Carbon fiber components. May be Racing bucket seats etc. How much of a difference in weight it would make.

 

Any estimates on weight reduction welcome.

[kuzzi]

There's a suggested calculation for if you drop x amount of weight you gain y amount of mpg. I don't remember exactly what it is. It's not substantial enough to go out and buy $250 uncomfortable bucket seats or $1000 carbon fiber components.

 

I imagine you could drop about 200-300 lbs if you went all out.

Edited September 7, 2013 by kuzzi

[majorleeslow]

 

 

Corrected link thanks for catching the error Corncobs. I must have been dozing off.

 

 

that's great any pounds less = faster pick-up better stopping distance and ofcourse mpgeez. not to mention the coolness factor. :)

 

check this out.

Edited September 8, 2013 by majorleeslow

[corncobs]

 

 

that's great any pounds less = faster pick-up better stopping distance and ofcourse mpgeez. not to mention the coolness factor. :)

 

check this out.

Did you copy the right link? The link above shows how to figure if ethanol is in your gas.

[dkegel]

Isn't the good already aluminum? You wouldn't save enough weight going to CF to justify the cost, IMO.

 

Dave

[hybridbear]

I doubt you'll ever get payback in fuel savings. If it were worth the cost then Ford would already build the car that way. As it is, I don't think you can justify the cost with a payback period. If you don't care about that and have money to burn then by all means :spend:

[majorleeslow]

 

 

 

 

 

part 2 and 3 of that same series.

Edited September 8, 2013 by majorleeslow

[majorleeslow]

I doubt you'll ever get payback in fuel savings. If it were worth the cost then Ford would already build the car that way. As it is, I don't think you can justify the cost with a payback period. If you don't care about that and have money to burn then by all means :spend:

Yes you are right about the pay back period. And it does have a steep cost but on this car any weight reduction can do miracles for pick up and coasting on EV. And I just want to find out if someone had tried it and seen any improvement.

 

Is the hood all Aluminum?

[kuzzi]

Maybe we can convince a sheikh in the UAE to buy an all CF FFH instead of an all Stainless Steel Aston Martin.

[vangonebuy]

How would the carbon fiber act in a crash?

It would be much more resistant to an impact.

 

Could it shear off the hinges as opposed to a crumple?

[murphy]

How would the carbon fiber act in a crash?

It would be much more resistant to an impact.

 

Could it shear off the hinges as opposed to a crumple?

Hmmm. Shear off the hinges and then the hood comes through the windshield intact and decapitates the front seat passengers.

[majorleeslow]

I believe CF would be more resistant compared to metals for smaller impacts. the part acts like a sprtng and bounce the smaller hits with no dents or dings. However the bigger heavier crashes it shatters as its brittle.

 

If you watched a F1 nose crash test it would give you a good idea.

[Waldo]

The problem with crashing with CF isn't how it crumples/shatters, it's how it's retained to the non CF parts. I once got a recall notice on my RX7 because a Mazdaspeed aftermarket hood (which I didn't have) was having problems with the front latch becoming detached from the fiberglass. CF will shatter, but will it shatter in the middle of the hood or will it shatter around the bolts that attach it to the hinge? That has to be very carefully designed.

 

But weight savings are always a good thing. But they shouldn't be any more relevant on a hybrid compared to a conventional car. You might be able to use EV a little bit longer on acceleration, but a lighter car will generate less regen energy when stopping from any given speed.

[acdii]

Keep in mind that all parts of the car are designed to absorb impact. Removing any one of those components reduces the crumple zones and increases the chances of injury in a frontal crash. So replace at your own risk.

[Sleddog]

I believe CF would be more resistant compared to metals for smaller impacts. the part acts like a sprtng and bounce the smaller hits with no dents or dings. However the bigger heavier crashes it shatters as its brittle.

 

If you watched a F1 nose crash test it would give you a good idea.

If you notice in the test, the nose is destroyed. It's an apple and oranges situation. The F1 nose is designed for a different purpose than a CF hood would be. Carbon fiber has a high strength-to-weight ratio, and is extremely rigid, but it's brittle. It will flex depending on how the fibers are laid down. But that flex is very small. If the impact is against the "grain" of the carbon fiber it will break. It will break before it will flex very far. It's all about strength and weight. A minor touch will break off a front wing end plate on an F1 car producing sharp shards. The nose piece that holds the front wing element is not part of the F1 safety system. That's why a F1 team can change a front wing in 5 seconds.

 

The nose that's attached to the drivers cockpit is a mandated safety system item. This structure is hidden behind the pretty parts on the front of the car. The nose in the video is not the current one in use. FIA made a change to the safety structure height and design parameters of the nose 2 years ago.

Edited September 12, 2013 by Sleddog