Lotus Shows Low-Cost Lightweight Solutions

28 April, 2010 11:04:00

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Lotus Engineering and the International Council on Clean Transportation released a study that found that vehicle weight reduction is a cost-effective way to improve fuel-efficiency.

When compared with a benchmark Toyota Venza crossover, a 38% reduction in vehicle mass, excluding powertrain, can be achieved for only a 3% increase in component costs using engineering techniques and technologies viable for mainstream production programs by 2020.

The 2020 vehicle architecture utilizes a mix of stronger and lighter weight materials, a high degree of component integration and advanced joining and assembly methodologies.

Based on U.S. Department of Energy estimates, a total vehicle mass reduction of 33% including powertrain, as demonstrated on the 2020 passenger car model, results in a 23% reduction in fuel consumption.

The study investigated scenarios for two distinct vehicle architectures appropriate for production in 2017 and 2020. The near-term scenario is based on applying industry leading mass reducing technologies, improved materials and component integration and would be assembled using existing facilities. The mass reduction for this nearer term vehicle, excluding powertrain, is 21% with an estimated cost saving of 2%.

A benchmark Toyota Venza was disassembled, analyzed and weighed to develop a bill of materials and understand component masses. In developing the two low-mass concepts, Lotus Engineering employed a total vehicle mass-reduction strategy utilizing efficient design, component integration, materials selection, manufacturing and assembly.

All key interior and exterior dimensions and volumes were retained for both models and the vehicles were packaged to accommodate key safety and structural dimensional and quality targets. The new vehicles retain the vision, sight line, comfort and occupant package of the benchmarked Toyota Venza.

The 2017 vehicle was built using existing mass market technology. The mass reduction, excluding powertrain, was 21 percent, and the vehicle cost was two per cent lower.

Lotus concluded that all the materials used in its 2020 study will be commercially viable and that the lower weight would reduce fuel consumption by 23 percent.

The 2020 car had 211 parts, compared to the Venza having more than 400. The 2020 car also used 37 percent aluminum, 30 percent magnesium, 21 percent composites and seven per cent high-strength steel, whereas the Venza is 100 percent steel.

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