CHASSIS/PLATFORM ARCHITECTURE 

            The fundamental objectives of the engineers for the E-Lectra-gt are the same as with any state of the art high performance vehicle:  a lightweight and extremely stiff chassis; a low center of gravity; and high resistance to impact and loads.  Composite reinforced plastic set in epoxy resin was selected to meet the weight and stiffness requirements for the high performance driving dynamics of the E-Lectra-gt  The E-Lectra-gt is one of the first streetable production automobiles to be built with a chassis, bodyshell, doors, hood, trunk, top, and complete cockpit module constructed from advanced composite and resin as a bonded monocoque.  The rear subframe serves both as the motor/transaxle mounting as well as the rear suspension anchors.  Special attention has been paid to this area because of its operating proximity to the batteries, electrical components and auxiliary generator.

            As with the rest of the chassis and body components  where optimized composite weaves and orientations have been specifically chosen to maximize load bearing capabilities and ease of shaping, the complex unitized subframe also has honeycomb elements sandwiched in for additional stiffness and insulation.  Despite being an open roadster (with removable hardtop), the E-Lectra-gt will have greater bending and torsional stiffness that a modern coupe.

            With a light weight and stiff race car like chassis comes a suspension design tested and proven over years of competition performance on race tracks from LeMans to Lagua Seca.  The E-Lectra-gt uses all round upper and lower A-arms (wishbone) to precisely control and optimize wheel movements across various load conditions.  The coilover shocks are adjustable as are the other elements of the steering apparatus to make precise suspension tuning possible for all conditions.

            For crash safety the E-Lectra-gt composite cockpit/passenger cel is designed to absorb extreme impact energy and the outer layer of the interior is bonded with Kevlar cloth to prevent the composite substrata from splintering and intruding into the cockpit.  The doors are reinforced with horizontal axis steel crashbar(s) as are the “A” pillars, windshield surround, “B” pillars, and roll bar along with more composite components to protect occupants in case of an accident.

CHASSIS/UNIBODY MONOCOQUE

             An integrated body and chassis (unibody) that combines external style and internal structure is a clear advantage composites bring to automotive construction.  Composites allow sufficient strength/stiffness to consolidate parts and eliminate a metal frame which also reduces overall weight.  For lightweight electric vehicles composites can be designed to meet crash worthiness.  Over the years many race car, aircraft, and boat builders have served as test beds for a sandwich construction unibody of continuous glass/epoxy over aramid honeycomb and pvc cores.

            E-Lectra-gt engineers, after studying federal motor vehicle safety standards, determined that continuous composite glass layup over core was needed to provide the mechanical properties necessary for handling crash loads in the 15 foot long, 6 foot wide, and 4 foot high vehicle.

            E-Lectra-gt design focuses on basic stress analysis, load versus deflection principles to determine stiffness and achieve an overall weight target.  The monocoque shell is comprised of three main sections (body, cockpit, and platform/undercarriage) laid up in composite glass/polyester tooling flanged and bolted together.  Cure can be at room temperature or accelerated in a heated autoclave.  All the parts are vacuum bagged to ensure resin penetration, uniformity, and minimize weight.  Post-cure the parts are adhesively bonded together and seams at the joining surfaces are covered with strips of composite glass fabric and epoxy as a wet layup by hand and cured at room temperature.

            The E-Lectra-gt torsionally stiff chassis/platform is built as a rough rectangle of structural composite torsion tubes connected by five bulkheads that transfer collision energy loads into the floor, side sills, and monocoque body work.  Main load bearing bulkheads in the unibody are forward of the front wheel wells, the firewall/dashboard, rear cockpit/forward battery box, forward rear wheel well, and aft rear wheel well.  These bulkheads support the highest bending loads in a collision and keep the front suspension tub, interior cockpit space, and rear suspension/mechanical areas intact.

            Composite aircraft style panels compromised of woven glass/epoxy fabric over honeycomb core are used to create angles, bends, etc. in the internal structure of the unibody.  All edges are filled with epoxy and laminated with glass composite/epoxy cloth to finish surfaces.