Thursday 29th April 2010

Lotus Sends Volume Cars On A Diet

Design study shows how to cut vehicle mass by 38 per cent within a decade

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Lotus has shown mainstream manufacturers just how lardy their cars are, with a study that has revealed they could chop 38 per cent of a mainstream production car’s weight at a cost increase of just 3 per cent.

The study, conducted by Lotus Engineering and the International Council on Clean Transportation, focused on the use of lightweight materials and efficient design and demonstrated substantial mass savings.

The Lotus team used the US-market Toyota Venza crossover as a benchmark and, having carefully dissected one, reckon that vehicle mass (excluding the powertrain) could be reduced by more than a third – and that the technology required could be on stream by 2020 for a mere 3 per cent increase in component costs.

Lotus says this would be achieved through a mixture of stronger and lighter materials, dramatically increased component integration, and advanced joining and assembly techniques.

Despite its crash diet, the lightweight passenger concept developed by Lotus shares all key interior volumes, safety levels, vision, sight line, and interior comfort with the benchmarked Venza.

Lotus has also produced a second concept – one that would be production-viable by 2017 – which shaves 21 per cent from the mass of the Toyota.

Today's Toyota Venza

"Lighter vehicles are cleaner and more efficient. That philosophy has always been core to Lotus's approach to vehicle engineering and is now more relevant than ever. Lightweight Architectures and Efficient Performance are just two of our core competencies,” says Dr Robert Hentschel, Director of Lotus Engineering. “We believe that this approach will be commonplace in the industry for the future design of vehicles."

[Hellbound]

The technology 'could be' available by 2020?

Here's my design study for a Ferrari Enzo;

You could cut weight by 59% at an operational cost increase of only 9%. The technology to do this 'may be available' by 2050.

[soad]

At last someone is talking sense.

[shouldbworking]

article said:

Lotus says this would be achieved through a mixture of stronger and lighter materials, dramatically increased component integration, and advanced joining and assembly techniques. This will increase unit cost by approximately 200%. Another alternative would be to throw out all the pointless rubbish and the premise that quality is defined by amount of sound deadening material

Fixed it

[FunkyNige]

So no specifics on what they actually did?

[cliffie]

C'mon, this is British Engineering at its very best.

These are the guys that managed an 725KG mid engined mass produced sports car 16 years ago. Why disbelieve them now?

[5lab]

38% of non-drivetrain weight, so 25% of overall weight? But at what cost? I like carpets in my daily driver..

[Furyblade_Lee]

Hallelujah! About bloody time.

[Miklad]

Yes yes yes.


Now where's that flipping new Esprit??!!!

[Hunky Dory]

cliffie said:

C'mon, this is British Engineering at its very best.

Done by the US arm of Lotus Engineering...

Does anyone have any links to the actual report and content, rather than the reproduced press release stuff that is all I can find? I would actually be interested to read it.

[MrTappets]

Brilliant! A bit of common sense!

[andy_s]

Very good and certainly the way ahead.

[Baltic Trait]

One of the best things about British engineering is that we don't just make parts 'better', we invent unique solutions which allow us to stay ahead of the game and throw curve balls at our competitors. Speculating as an Mechanical Engineer, I am almost certain that this is what Lotus have done.

Edited by Baltic Trait on Thursday 29th April 13:10

[leon9191]

cliffie said:

C'mon, this is British Engineering at its very best.

These are the guys that managed an 725KG mid engined mass produced sports car 16 years ago. Why disbelieve them now?

Because isnt that very same sports car quite a bit heavier today?

Not saying the couldnt par the weight down a bit but 38% would be like cutting it in two.

[Gixer_fan]

Mind you, on a SUV like that, it shouldn't be too difficult to the reduce the weight. Probably weighs 2.5 tonnes to start with.
Funny how bike manufacturers have progressively been able to reduce the weight of their products - whilst improving safety and performance.

[edo]

to Lotus. Keep up the good work boys and girls.

[alexpa]

They need to do the same to the Evora!!!

[FunkyNige]

Whole press release is here, including a link to a PDF of the specifics (come on PH, why do I have to do the legwork? You know we will want to know the nuts and bolts of a story like this)

http://www.grouplotus.com/mediacentre_pressrelease...

[tridave]

Gixer_fan said:

Mind you, on a SUV like that, it shouldn't be too difficult to the reduce the weight. Probably weighs 2.5 tonnes to start with.
Funny how bike manufacturers have progressively been able to reduce the weight of their products - whilst improving safety and performance.

Yepp Toyota weighs a hefty 2200kg

US Honda accord 1630kg

25% weight reduction today.

Where do I send my Invoice for my vehicle weight study

[Ozzie Osmond]

cliffie said:

C'mon, this is British Engineering at its very best. These are the guys that managed an 725KG mid engined mass produced sports car 16 years ago. Why disbelieve them now?

Because the smallest model of the same car now weighs 860Kg!!!!

[Draexin]

"Lighter vehicles are cleaner and more efficient. That philosophy has always been core to Lotus's approach to vehicle engineering".
Really? I've never heard Colin say he designed the Seven to be as kind to the environment as possible...

Anyway, I was sort of hoping they'd already made the car instead of just telling us it'd be possible within 10 years...
Nonetheless, it's a step in the right direction that I hope many manufacturers will also take. (Mazda already being one of them)

Edited by Draexin on Thursday 29th April 14:08