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I think I remember that same article, or a similar one from around the time frame. It also suggested some radical improvements. Once a car is based on a "skateb
by deftnerd 7y ago
I think I remember that same article, or a similar one from around the time frame. It also suggested some radical improvements. Once a car is based on a "skateboard" design, the front window can extend a lot further down allowing for some amazing views.
It didn't seem to think about the danger of removing a crumple zone, but it was definitely eye-catching.
- rconti 7y agoActually, our model 3 has an amazingly low dashboard, it's one of my favorite things about it. Side windows on modern cars, not so much. Crash standards have made our cars cocoons you can't see out of. But owning the 3 has definitely made me think a lot of the skateboard model: * Flat floor, no transmission/exhaust tunnel. * User interface (screen) is indepenent from body control modules and drivetrain. You can reboot the tablet while you're driving. Your turn signals stop making noise, but still flash! You can walk up to the car and it unlocks even if the tablet isn't working. IT's interesting ,you can really feel how discrete certain components are, how they can be rearranged and put into a different model. I'm sure there are more dependencies than I realize, though.
- organsnyder 7y agoI think your second point is true for lots of (all?) vehicles today, which have an architecture of multiple modules communicating over a CAN (car-area network) bus. I did a firmware update on my Pacifica PHEV while I was driving it, and though I lost the ability to listen to the radio and change settings on safety and convenience features (rain-sensing wipers, blind spot detection, etc.), the car still ran fine (and all of the safety features still functioned).