Increased Efficiency? How modular is the exterior?

[EverythingSlate]

An interesting episode of Mythbusters reappeared on my feed recently. I’ve loved the show since I was a kid. I am thankful to have had this show before the YouTube years. Now kids these days have unlimited options to pursue their creative desires. I couldn’t help but consider what types of modifications could be made to the Slate to achieve similar effects? Or to what extent custom composite panels could be made to change the appearance of many of the external components.

 

[Trace26]

I was thinking the same thing! The fiero had similar steel frame plastic panels and a lot of body kits were made for it including a Ferrari kit that was sold through Pontiac dealerships (until Ferrari sued them).
The Slate with it's exposed fasteners would be even easier to have a body kits for.
Think when slate refreshs the truck we could just by a body kits to update our current truck.

 

[Daemoch]

V8Archie was always my favorite.
Itll flag as not being a secure site (lord but it could use some updating!), but last time I drove past the building they were still around.

 

[zipn]

We plan on getting the lowering kit should be buy a Slate ( less likely now if over $25k) which should improve efficiency a little bit. I do wish it was more efficient though. I think all EVs should have a miles/kwh rating with 4+ being considered good. I think the slate will be closer to 2.7 or so. I also suspect the smaller lighter battery pack will have a little better miles/kwh.

 

[GaRailroader]

We plan on getting the lowering kit should be buy a Slate ( less likely now if over $25k) which should improve efficiency a little bit. I do wish it was more efficient though. I think all EVs should have a miles/kwh rating with 4+ being considered good. I think the slate will be closer to 2.7 or so. I also suspect the smaller lighter battery pack will have a little better miles/kwh.

I think when you calculate using the usable capacity of both standard and extended range battery you come up with 3.2 miles/kWh. I don’t disagree though that it should be more efficient. I’d like to see them use a smaller more efficient tire for the standard tire and let people change them out for larger tires if they so desire.

 

[Trace26]

We plan on getting the lowering kit should be buy a Slate ( less likely now if over $25k) which should improve efficiency a little bit. I do wish it was more efficient though. I think all EVs should have a miles/kwh rating with 4+ being considered good. I think the slate will be closer to 2.7 or so. I also suspect the smaller lighter battery pack will have a little better miles/kwh.

Many tests have shown that weight has little effect on efficiency compared to wind resistance.

 

[KevinRS]

There will probably be a slight efficiency difference, and it would affect city driving more than highway, but regenerative braking negates a lot of the city loss.
That's why I've thought for a while that EVs would be ideal for some postal routes, where the carrier is stopping every few hundred feet. Gas engines in that case burn most of their fuel either accelerating from a stop or idling, and there is practically no coasting.