Momentum V97 - A Look Inside The Process

[floydv]

It would be good for EM to provide a drag differential between the classic fenders and the "final" design fenders so folks opting for the classic fenders can know better what they're giving up in terms of aerodynamic efficiency.

 

[Johnny Acree]

I wonder if they can improve the drag numbers by fine tuning the tail.

 

[RSchneider]

I wondered about the front fender. Elio went with 135 front tires because they needed less rolling resistance and to do what they can do improve the mileage. So, the fender looked way too big for the size of the new tire. From looking at their latest Momentum, it looks like something a co-op mechanical engineering student would use for their senior project. They spent a week between partying and class to crank out a few different designs, run CFD and then make a presentation for their senior design class. There's nothing wrong with that but I would have assumed that Elio would have done this 6 months ago.

I now wonder what it'll be like in the snow since there's no way to test that out on a computer.

 

[RSchneider]

I wonder if they can improve the drag numbers by fine tuning the tail.

I think they added a lip to the rear because a nice slope like that on the back, is the best way to produce lift. Someone probably discovered that and needed to reduce the lift on the rear, thus the lip. I'd think that a design like the Solo for the rear would make more sense aero wise because it would negate the lift and with a small integrated lip wing, it would produce downforce and make the rear much more stable for when someone is running 85 mph on a Texas highway.

 

[Rob Croson]

There's nothing wrong with that but I would have assumed that Elio would have done this 6 months ago.

Maybe they did. Telling us today doesn't men it was done yesterday.

 

[FC]

I wondered about the front fender. Elio went with 135 front tires because they needed less rolling resistance and to do what they can do improve the mileage. So, the fender looked way too big for the size of the new tire. From looking at their latest Momentum, it looks like something a co-op mechanical engineering student would use for their senior project. They spent a week between partying and class to crank out a few different designs, run CFD and then make a presentation for their senior design class. There's nothing wrong with that but I would have assumed that Elio would have done this 6 months ago.

I now wonder what it'll be like in the snow since there's no way to test that out on a computer.

I have the feeling it would do fine in the snow, any bump in the road would be rattling the snow out of the front fenders.
Something like an upside-down cup being pounded on a table.

 

[acentre]

I have the feeling it would do fine in the snow, any bump in the road would be rattling the snow out of the front fenders.
Something like an upside-down cup being pounded on a table.

I think Elio should focus on finalizing the details quickly and giving us our vehicles. It has been a 3 year wait for me...

 

[booboo]

Wheel Fairings Answers!
March 17, 2017

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Happy Friday Elio’ers! Today is a very special Friday. Not only is it Friday (our favorite day of the week,) but it is also St. Patrick’s Day. The cherry on top is the full slate of basketball games in the NCAA tournament. Hopefully, at this point your bracket is still in relatively good shape. Yesterday did not provide many stunning upsets, so if you went with the favorites your bracket should be intact. Even if you’re not the biggest basketball fan in the world, you have to admit that there’s something special about March Madness.

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This week’s blog has some quick answers to questions that you sent in from Wednesday’s Momentum…

How much effect do the wheel fairings have on the aerodynamics of the vehicle?

Great question! As you probably know, there are quite a few factors that influence our fuel efficiency. Our efficient engine, configuration, weight, and sleek design are all major contributing factors. The standard wheel fairings are a key component as well. The standard equipment wheel fairing covers have a positive impact of +/- 5% additional MPG over “naked” wheels.

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I really like the retro fenders on the configurator- what effect will they have on the gas mileage?

Given the answer above, the retro fenders will impact the vehicle’s total efficiency in the 0-5% range. The final number will depend on the ultimate design of the retro fenders. We will have a ton of information on all of our available options as we get closer to production, so make sure to check back as we get closer.

As always, thanks for your continued support!

 

[wizard of ahs]

WOW......why bother ???????????

 

[Ekh]

WOW......why bother ???????????

So they can make 84mpg and keep people from whining that 83.5 isn't good enough.

The actual improvement in mpg for the new fairings is about 1.3 mpg or a little more.

We know the car was "unofficially officially" getting 80 mpg, and in reality somewhere near 83. Let's work with 80.
5% of 80 = 4 mpg
An improvement of 34% (number given in Momentum 97) is a little more than 1.3 mpg.

That's a very large improvement at this stage of the game, when you're worrying about things like the forward-facing surface area of the hood latch pins. Incremental improvement is the name of the game, and this improvement in the fairings is a pretty large increment. Go Elio!