Edison2 and the Future of the Automobile

Or The Energy Implications of the

Very Light Car

OrThe X Prize Is Only The

Beginning

$10 Million Progressive Insurance Automotive X Prize

• Safe, producible, clean, well-performing, 100 MPGe* vehicle

*MPG equivalent = energy contained in one gallon of gasoline (measured plug-to-wheels for EVs)

Oliver Kuttner, Owner & FounderCharlottesville & Lynchburg Real Estate Re-developerSports Car Racing Entrepreneur

Ron Mathis, Chief of DesignDesigner, JE4 Daytona Prototype and the American Le Mans Series Ford GTR; former Race Engineer, Audi Sports North America

Barnaby Wainfan, Chief of AerodynamicsAerodynamics Fellow, Northrop Grumman

Edison2 Team

111 Teams entered the X Prize

Only Two Cars Made the Mainstream Class Finals

• Mainstream Class: 4-passenger, 4 wheels, 200 miles+ range, 100+ MPGe

• Alternative Class: 2-passenger, 100 mile range, 100+MPGe

Only Two Cars Made the Mainstream Class Finals

Both Edison2 Very Light Cars

Edison2Named assuming an electric or hybrid drive was a key to efficiency.

Energy Consumption, Weight and Regenerative BrakingIn a light car, little energy is used in acceleration, so little is available for regeneration.

“The only two absolute virtues for an efficient car are light weight and low aerodynamic drag…everything else is a desperate compromise”Ron MathisEdison2 Chief of Design

The Very Light Car

• < 840 lbs• Coefficient of Drag .159

Lowest ever seen at GM Aero Lab for 4 seater

• 129 MPGe (highway) in XPrize on-track testing

• Lowest greenhouse gas emissions at the Xprize

• Lowest coastdownresults at Chrysler Proving Grounds ever

• X Prize: 250 cc ICE, running on E85

The Very Light CarLess than half the aerodynamic drag and CO2 emissions of a Toyota Prius

Ground-Up Design

• Lesson of the X Prize: leap in efficiency cannot occur with existing platforms

• VLC: Almost all components redesigned for weight and strength

• “Light because it is light”

Lynchburg, Virginia

What about safety?

Design innovations from racing underlie safety in the Very Light Car

Shape: Aerodynamics and SafetyDiamond shape deflects impactsExternal wheelpods provide collapsible space

Active Safety

• Top results in X Prize– Consumers Union: Double lane change,

lateral acceleration, 60 – 0 braking• Ross, An Analysis of Traffic Deaths

by Vehicle Type and Model, 2002– Some SUV’s greater rate of death than

certain small cars

VLC: Energy Implications

• Edison2 chose an ICE for the X Prize– The energy in one gallon of gasoline (6 lbs)

= 500 lbs of batteries• Electric Vehicle Issues

– Range– Cost ($10k – 15k battery pack; life 7 years)– Infrastructure for charging– Grid issues– Source of electricity

VLC: Energy Implications

• Low mass = fewer material inputs• Low mass: secondary benefits

– Tires, roads, brakes• Conventional materials

– Readily available, inexpensive, recyclable

– Known production methods

VLC: Energy Implications

• Affordable– Low mass, conventional materials,

design simplicity– Autos cost $6/lb and up– Affordability key to widespread adoption

VLC: Energy Implications

• Platform efficiency– A car that simply requires little energy– VLC: 3.5 hp to cruise at 50 mph– A new market segment

What Next?

Next: Refining the VLC Prototype

• Consumer-friendly• Safety features• Array of designs• Maintaining high

efficiency

Next: Proving Safety in a Light Car

Next: Using Our Platform with Other Energy Sources

• Energy Source Agnostic– Increased efficiency with all sources– Natural Gas, Gasoline, Diesel, Ethanol,

Electric• Solves Electric Car Issues

– Range– Cost– Weight

Light Weight, Low Aerodynamic Drag

A Car That Uses Less Energyis

The Future of the Automobile