Comments From A Mechanical Engineer

[NSTG8R]

Aha! But there's nothing new in engineering (or films)///

Didn't even have to watch the video...James Bond! Never miss a James Bond marathon! Wife doesn't get it at all! In all seriousness, sci-fi leads to future inventions. I don't know how many of you have watched Avatar, but the "ducted fan" helicopter-type things they have, seem absolutely doable to me with the fly-by-wire technology we have now.

 

[NSTG8R]

Well to get technical, the vehicle survival wasn't the point. Occupant safety is the focus. Therefore, I perceive you were making a point of humor.

Sorry, I meant to address Billz, but I'm too lazy to go back and find his original quote. The Elio has quite a crumple zone...way more than I would've expected from a vehicle of this configuration. That said, I wish I could find the pic of the 914 I got an engine out of a few years ago. The ridiculous impact this car took [hitting a rock bluff when a farm tractor pulled out in front of him] was testament to the importance of crumple zones...914's have about the same, front and rear, but without the benefit of air bags. He came out with a broken ankle with the left front wheel jammed up to the "A" pillar [and rolled three times]. Lucky...for sure! But the engineering data they have to work with these days [simulation for sure] is incredible. This isn't the '70's anymore.

 

[goldwing06]

my number is high enough that i feel sure there will be someone or several will have tested the survivability of the vehicle before i get mine. thats just the way numbers work, unfortunately.

 

[goofyone]

my number is high enough that i feel sure there will be someone or several will have tested the survivability of the vehicle before i get mine. thats just the way numbers work, unfortunately.

This is unfortunate but likely very true. Hopefully all of EM's work ends up working out very well for whoever ends up testing these features. Even if nobody is seriously hurt I am sure they will be quite annoyed to see their new Elio trashed and now be forced to wait at the end of the line for a replacement.

 

[RMClubfitter]

This is unfortunate but likely very true. Hopefully all of EM's work ends up working out very well for whoever ends up testing these features. Even if nobody is seriously hurt I am sure they will be quite annoyed to see their new Elio trashed and now be forced to wait at the end of the line for a replacement.

I scanned through this thread this morning entitled "Comments from a Mechanical Engineer" and it reminded me of this;

An electrical engineer, mechanical engineer, and software engineer are on their way to a trade show when their car stalls and they are forced to pull over to the side of the road.

The mechanical engineer says, "It’s probably a mechanical problem. I'll get my tool box out of the trunk and I can fix it."

The electrical engineer says, "No, I'll bet it's an electrical problem. I have my multimeter with me and I'll go check it out."

Finally, the software engineer says, "I have the solution! Let's all get out of the car and then get back in. I'll bet we'll be back on the road in no time."

 

[Charles Stanley]

I studied Mechanical Engineering back in the 1970's. I don't agree with your friend. Without getting into a long rant, I'll just say this. The Elio weighs a lot less than cars. That alone will make a difference depending on how the car is driven. But regardless of anything if you look at the video of the Elio on the company web site driving around it there are no visible clues that there is any issue in the way it drives/handles. I was particularly impressed with the video of how well it tracked in the snow. And at the end when it pulled up to the curb and stopped, I expected it to slide to a stop. Nope. It was amazing. Judge for yourself. The thing about engineering is that you can get into "analysis paralysis" where the designers of something are never satisfied and keep messing with a design that already works well. Often they over do something and end up with a more complicated and more expensive product. Elio seems to know what to do and where to draw the line. After all in any engineering project you can do all the designing you want and spend millions on computer simulations, wind tunnel tests, ....etc. bottom line is you do not know for sure that you have it right until you test it in actual use. And even the best product is no good if people don;t like it. There is no problem with people liking the Elio.

 

[JEBar]

I keep going back to those who have pointed out that Elio Motors is building a commuter vehicle .... one that will be driven over regular roads doing regular traffic maneuvers .... most of us may never push the limits but there can be no doubt that some owners will choose to push the envelope and at that point we will begin to learn what its limitations are .... things may not show up as an issue when pushed hard may never be seen when used as designed

Jim

 

[skygazer6033]

In the words of Montgomery Scott " The more they overthink the plumbing the easier it is to stop up the drain".

 

[Kuda]

Snipped: The thing about engineering is that you can get into "analysis paralysis" where the designers of something are never satisfied and keep messing with a design that already works well. Often they over do something and end up with a more complicated and more expensive product. [/QUOTE]

 

[JEBar]

In the words of Montgomery Scott " The more they overthink the plumbing the easier it is to stop up the drain".

I tend to favor, "I'm give'n her all she's got captain!"

Jim