CRK Coulomb

grabcad

This is the first of two concepts I'm uploading. (I will add sleeker renderings later.) The "Coulomb" model addresses the sportier side of the requirements, with a lower, more aerodynamic form. The forward-hinging cockpit allows for easy exit and entrance, while remaining within the vehicle's footprint- a helpful feature in tight parking spaces. The seats, which I have not modelled here, would be full-length contoured seats supporting the rather reclined seating position for maximum comfort; hinged hatch sections of the seating arrangement lift to reveal 3 of the 4 batteries, easily accessible and removeable. The fourth is placed behind the occupants, and would be equally accessed via a hatch. To save space and keep the profile of the car as low as possible, the motor is mounted above the axle and drives in the vertical axis, since its rotation will be translated by a differential anyway. It is placed low and close to the diff, keeping the centre of gravity low. The car has no conventional dash. The only form of control is a swing-down wheel on a shaft, which would have an adjustable tablet-holder built in, and displays key information. A heads-up display would be practical in a vehicle like this. The airy cockpit gives the illusion of space in a relatively small volume, and the frame surrounding it would be carbon, cored if necessary with aluminium honeycomb for impact energy absorption, and optionally with an outer skin of aramid on the interior side to minimise splintering of the carbon in case of impact, thus providing increased safety to the passengers. Storage comes by way of a rear-mounted box, which could be removed and used as a travelling case. (Above the box is the required air intake, routed directly to the motor.) The box is pretty, well, boxy, to maximise space, but could be made sleeker if necessary. The steering system would ideally be by wire.