Posted on 06/30/2008 10:13:44 AM PDT by Red Badger
The "HUVO" electric vehicle weighing 150kg: The resin parts were manufactured by RP systems.
HUVO's body frame
Topia Corp, a company engaged in designing and prototyping automobiles, prototyped a single-seater electric vehicle "HUVO," which weighs only about 150kg (330 lb).
The vehicle was exhibited at the booth of Marubeni Information Systems Co Ltd in the 19th Design Engineering & Manufacturing Solutions Expo (DMS), which is an IT solution exhibition for manufacturers and runs from June 25-27, 2008, at Tokyo Big Sight.
The HUVO was developed by using Topia's proprietary design and production technologies, the company said.
If a vehicle of the same size as HUVO is made with existing technologies, it would weigh about 300kg, said Hideki Sasaki, president & CEO of Topia.
The body frame is made of high-tensile steel plate, the doors on both sides and the back panel are made of aluminum alloy, the roof is made of carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP), the windshield is made of polycarbonate, and the interior parts and the wheel covers are made of ABS resin.
For pressed parts such as the body frame and the doors, Topia not only designed and manufactured the press molds but also pressed and welded the parts in house. Using the press simulation and 3D measurement, the company enabled to form high-tensile steel plates into parts with high precision.
After the press molding, those parts are trimmed by 3D laser processing, and the body-in-white is manufactured by MIG welding, spot welding and self pierce riveting.
ABS resin parts were manufactured by Stratasys Inc's RP system. Topia has reportedly introduced two units of this RP system (including a 3D printer), and selectively used them according to the part size and the required precision. Topia also decided to introduce "FDM 900mc," Stratasys' large RP system released in April 2008, and will be the first FDM 900mc user in Japan, the company said.
Ping!.......
I’ve seen phone booths bigger than this.
0-60 in... oh, about half an hour.
I don’t like the fact that you have to put your feet through the floorboards to make it go.
I think it needs one of these on the front.
I bet a nominal wind of 25-35 mph would flip it..............
Yeah - no way this thing will ever tip over going around a corner...
*snicker*
“Okay, where do I put the ten bags of groceries, kids, and dog?...............”
Just because it won’t fit that purpose doesn’t make it useless. In my case, a vehicle like that could almost work. I commute 5 miles to work. A motorcycle is unacceptable due to our wild weather. The only problem with that thing is, on Wednesday I go golfing. No room for clubs. The smartcar would work for me, but it’s too darn pricey for a little POS.
But, in my family, if my wife drives a multipurpose vehicle that we can use for hauling, trips, etc. Then for me to have a utilitarian, efficent, commuter vehicle, that would make sense. I’d do it, if it was worth it.
Looks like a tiny kamikazi car used to try and take out evil SUV's or double as an appatizer for a semi.
Did I mention how it looks like a rabbit dropping?
Kind of reminds me of the sex machine in Woody Allens “Sleeper”.
“Okay, where do I put the ten bags of groceries, kids, and dog?...............”
That thing would get lost in most of the chuckholes in N.E. Ohio, not to mention getting lost in the snowdrifts around here.
Okay, where do I put the ten bags of groceries, kids, and dog?...............
I’ll use one when I see Al gore riding in one...right, that’ll be the day.
if ALgore was in that you’d have to beef up the suspension.
Actually, electric vehicles do very well in the acceleration department. They usually don’t fare too well on top end though. We bought a golf cart last year that has lights and mirrors so it is legal to drive on the street with a slow moving vehicle placard on the back. It has a so called “speed” chip and is lifted with oversize tires, so it tops out at about thirty MPH. We drive it the half mile to the grocery store, to fast food joints and to the daily checks on my 87 year old mother in law, that also lives about half a mile away. We only have to put it on the charger about once a week.
Motercycles and golf carts have already been invented.
America is looking for an energy efficient Camrey or Malibu.
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Silly question.
Might as well ask, "Where do I put the 10 yds of concrete?"
That's what cement mixers are for.
What part of a "One Seater" don't you understand?
Oh, so THAT'S what cement mixers are for!................
Well, it does seem to have some problems in a real world: a fatal combination of excess height, ultra-short wheelbase, tiny wheels and huge exposure to wind effect. Perhaps they incorporated a secret method of obtaining a super-low center of gravity, but I doubt that.
Of course, if it is designed for walking speed performance, that might be just an irritation, but a motorized wheelchair would do as well.
It is totally significant that no performance specs are even suggested.
They will have also to incorporate some means of defense against angry pedestrians and large dogs.
I missed the part about insisting on hauling the family in any vehicle; even on vacations...
Sorry.
I can already see that many states’ laws will have to be changed to accommodate these vehicles in the near future!...........
“Dude - the DOG just stole my car!”
Heck, there’s no room for a purse or a laptop bag. Sheesh!
I want trunk space. Since it has none, I’ll keep the gas-guzzling pickup truck.
That depends..............
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