Can you Canoo?

[sloeffle]

Which is why Tesla is doing it different. No frame + body, the body IS the frame. It's an exoskeleton, which is very much NOT a unibody. They're going all in on both aerodynamics AND cost to manufacture by just using folded stainless steel in a simple and STRONG shape.

There's a reason no one can meet Tesla's specs or price. It's because Tesla went all in 100% on function over form.

I'll let you all know how well my Tri-Motor Cybertruck drives and hauls firewood when I get it in ~2023.

Once Tesla produces a vehicle that is on par quality wise as other automakers I'll be interested. Until then, I'll pass.

Tesla ranks last on influential JD Power quality survey

Tesla cars suffered 250 problems per 100 vehicles, well above industry average of 166.

www.theverge.com

For Tesla being such a bleeding edge company, I find it kind of ironic that Honda was the first company to have their level 3 autonomous driving system approved. Hasn't Tesla been touting how great their autopilot system is for years ?

Honda Legend Sedan with Level 3 Autonomy Available for Lease in Japan

Honda says its Sensing Elite technology means the driver of the limited-edition sedan won't have to pay attention under some conditions.

www.caranddriver.com

IMHO Tesla's customers are their guinea pigs. I've worked in IT long enough, and have seen this rodeo before.

 

[CombatChris]

Saying it's not a unibody vehicle is pure semantics. The body is structural, just like every unibody car. The stainless steel bodywork is kind of a head scratcher to me. Aluminum or composite would be lighter and more functional, but probably brings the cost too high.

OK, lets break it down more. The S, 3, Y, almost all other cars are uni-body. Let's look at a unibody.



See how little to none of the unibody is actually part of the exterior? The exterior is still made up of thin stamped panels which get mounted to the underlying unibody.

Compare that to the Cybertruck.



The outer skin, the 'body panel', ARE the load bearing frame. They're thick as hell compared to sheet metal panels at 3mm. They're also using cold rolled stainless for it's strength. Comparisons to Delorean fall flat on their face because the Delorean was a body on frame with SS panels bolted on.

See: https://www.sae.org/news/2020/06/tesla-cybertruck-stainless-steel

Tesla Cybertruck - WorldAutoSteel

Elon Musk has confirmed high quality 300 series stainless steel as their engineering team’s material of choice for the Cybertruck.It’s corrosion resistant, strong and affordable - that’s why the Tesla Cybertruck team chose a stainless steel alloy to create the Cybertruck exoskeleton.

www.worldautosteel.org

 

[ABMax24]

Most Europeans get all of that, minus the 5th wheel, done with a car or crossover SUV. You will regularly see Honda CRV's and VW Golfs towing travel trailers in Europe. Only in America do you need a truck to tow light loads. Obviously you aren't towing a 5th wheel camper with a Golf, but you get the point. Trucks in the US are underutilized.

Or you live in a place with roads that cars and small SUV's simply can't travel, never mind tow anything on. Our boat launch is a dirt ramp down to a gravel bar at the edge of the river, my truck doesn't make it back up that in 2wd, not really sure how a front wheel drive car would make it up that on its own, nevermind towing a boat. We usually run sled decks to haul our sleds, because we want that weight on the drive tires, the roads are icy and steep enough to want that extra traction, almost all of us carry tire chains on that road, something most people from the lower 48 have never used. Some people run open deck or enclosed trailers behind small pickups or large SUVs/Jeeps to haul sleds, and unfortunately I have come across enough of those setups upside down in the ditch to realize it's not ideal.

My 1 ton isn't under-utilized. It doesn't leave the driveway unless it's hauling or towing something. We have a diesel Chevy Colorado for a commuter vehicle, it was chosen due to having similar fuel mileage and a cost comparable to an SUV, with the added benefits of additional towing capacity and a truck bed. So sure I guess that one is under-utilized, but in terms of cost to me, or CO2 emissions its the same as an SUV.

 

[begreen]

So will off-roading in a Canoo be called canoodling?

 

[jetsam]

So will off-roading in a Canoo be called canoodling?

If you back it up too far on the boat ramp, it will most likely be called Canooing.

*consults crystal ball* I further predict at least one lawsuit from an idiot who drives it into the water on purpose and then sues because the name was misleading....

 

[begreen]

If you back it up too far on the boat ramp, it will most likely be called Canooing.

*consults crystal ball* I further predict at least one lawsuit from an idiot who drives it into the water on purpose and then sues because the name was misleading....

I suppose someone will come up with floatation devices as an accessory too.

 

[semipro]

If you back it up too far on the boat ramp, it will most likely be called Canooing.

And when the battery dies you'd be up the creek without a paddle.

 

[semipro]

I really wish these electric car makers would just try to replace existing vehicle platforms with electrics. If they want to make a difference in emissions, make a copy cat electric F150 or F350 with no bells and whistles, and a 500 mile range at a comparable price point. That would be a vehicle that large fleet operators would buy.

I get your point but so much about traditional vehicle design is based on accommodating a large central power source and the respective drivetrain and support systems (e.g. engine compartment, driveshaft tunnel, one or two fuel tanks, radiator for cooling, etc.).
Going electric, especially as we move towards a motor at each wheel, allows so much more flexibility with respect to the placement of batteries, electronics, etc. and does away with other components entirely.
"Skateboard" platforms like Canoo are exciting in that they offer a standard powertrain and power storage chassis that can be used with multiple body modules to build a range of vehicles very economically via standardization.
i think it's a great concept. We'll see where it goes.

 

[begreen]

And when the battery dies you'd be up the creek without a paddle.

That is a reasonable concern with any EV. AAA had a mobile charging unit, but that program got suspended a couple of years ago. Now the only option is a tow.

 

[jetsam]

That is a reasonable concern with any EV. AAA had a mobile charging unit, but that program got suspended a couple of years ago. Now the only option is a tow.

If you have big enough motors, a couple miles of low speed towing with the regenerative brakes on might get you enough juice to make the next exit. Be tough to find a willing tow truck driver though!

You could also pack a wind turbine and a folding solar array.... a week of charging with that should get you to at least half a tank! (Pack some beans and firewood.)