safer small cars
To get the best fuel efficiency, we need cars with less mass. Many Americans will not buy a small car if they believe that it is less safe than a large car.
I have invented a way to make small (all) cars safer in collisions.
I propose a central crumple zone box under the driver and passengers. Threaded shafts would push rear and side bumpers outward when the vehicle is moving. The bumpers would retract when the vehicle is parked.
My ideas are patent pending and are shown on my website
http://safersmallcars.com
better range for electric vehicles
steve shopa
Any engine technology will give better performance if the mass of the vehicle is reduced. However, as the mass is reduced, the injury to a passenger in a collision will tend to increase.
On my website safersmallcars.com, I show a way to use expandable bumpers connected to a common crumple zone. The current thinking is that a larger but lighter car is the best direction to go. My invention allows a small light car to expand into larger light car. It can then retract its bumpers to become an easy to part small car.
Please don't double post.
Please don't double post. You've already explained your idea once.
In reply to your idea I would actually argue that smaller cars have made huge progress with safety. I don't really subscribe to the idea that the bigger the car is the safer it is.
I would argue that if all cars were electric who cares what size car people want?
Injuries in heavy cars
Statistics say (weather in Germany , USA or any country), that SUV are some several times more likely to rollover, that a regular midsized car.
Sure the puls ist alway mass * velocity, so a smaller (lighter ) car, will alway have an disandvantage in a crash with another car.
When it comes to a crash with a still standing object, the weigt is not so important, but more the space, which can be compacted or to say it better better the length, which is compacted. Because it influces the accelleration ( F=m*a) and F kills you :-)), which will occour. Thats why a side-impact is worse compared to a front crash.
I drive an Audi A2 (small car) with an 1,4l Diesel (90 HP) and get roughly about 45 MPG and still can do 120 MPH (not at the same time though; at 120 MPH i still get about 28-30 MPG), but my next car will definitly be an electric car, even if it would be unsafer or a little bit more expensive.
What would help much more in the US reducing crashs, would be a "real driving-licence-test". In Germany everybody has to have about 30-40 hous drivinglessons and an obligated safty-training is in discussion here. This also reduced the number of accidents significantly.
But a DL costs about 2500 $ in Germany, maybe a little bit too much. But something between 35$ and 2500$ would make sence.
Don't you think so?