RE: Westfield working on all-new car

[Fresh Air Ian]

nigelpugh7 said:

But what on earth is wrong with the green car at the top of the article?

It looks like it has been fitted with some house architrave along the underside, and the wheels seem comically tall and way too big too?

It's an electric powered one.

[nigelpugh7]

Fresh Air Ian said:

It's an electric powered one.

Thanks that explains a lot then!

Sorry if I missed it was referring to an electric version of the Westfield too!

[Truckosaurus]

MetA said:

Mooted by other ,manufacturers already, I'd reckon a rotary direct drive to a generator driving in hub electric motors

Indeed. Rotaries are efficient when running at a constant rpm and are physically small, perfect as a range extender for electric motorcars.

[anonymous-user]

spyder dryver said:

Well if you ask me they're going to have a hell of a job getting a rotary engine under such a low bonnet...

Except that's a radial engine.

[SteveSteveson]

Edmundo2 said:

What's ironic/laughable/frustrating is that the makers of a car that sells in very small numbers and gets driven circa 2000 miles a year by the average owner needs to worry about fecking emissions just because all manufacturers have to battle with broad brush euro regs etc. I'm all for a cleaner sustainable planet but lets just leave sports cars out of the strategy shall we as their contribution to C02 levels etc must be the square root of naff all!

I thought there was exemptions. Anyway, I can't imagine anyone making a lightweight sports car using a bought in engine from a major manufacturer, that must be emissions compliant in the first place, is going to have any problems. I would guess this is Westfield marketing rather than a need to meet any targets.

glazbagun said:

Was chatting to a girl who worked in shipping a couple of years ago and brought this up. She reckoned that global shipping CO2 production was less than that produecd by Germany. She seemed to think that was pretty good, though it sounded a lot to me. She probably has a much better idea of just how many thousands of ships are constantly at sea however, so maybe it is an impressive figure.

According to a program on BBC 4 the other day about Diesel engines a ship transporting goods from China to the UK produces less CO2 per item than the people driving it home from the shop. There are a lot of ships, traveling vast distances, carrying a lot of stuff. There are about 4000 oil tankers, 10000 container ships and 10000 bulk carriers currently in use. Thats just the big, every day, cargo ships. On top of that is all the passenger ships, specialized ships and smaller stuff. Less CO2 than Germany seems pretty good to me.

[lufbramatt]

Gojira said:

spyder dryver said:

Well if you ask me they're going to have a hell of a job getting a rotary engine under such a low bonnet...

Nitpick - that's a radial not a rotary engine...

Please tell me that no-one has been daft enough to try and put a -real- rotary piston engine, as used in Sopwith Camels and the like, in a bike!

see:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megola

Rotary engine mounted inside the front wheel, of all places! handling must have been interesting

[7Fan7]

Any updates on this carbon fibre chassis? Wondering if it is as beneficial as they claim it to be in terms of stiffness increase and weight-saving? Thoughts anyone?