DESIGN CRITERIA 

SUPER LIGHT ARCHITECTURE - The construction of the E-Lectra-GT, rather than being assembled from a set of steel or aluminum components, is made up of polymer composites.  Formed in inexpensive, easily constructed, composite tooling, the various shapes of the body shell, undercarriage, platform, cockpit enclosure and reinforcements are bonded together with adhesives in a method used in marine, aerospace, and race car construction.   The E-Lectra- GT benefits from the adaptation of these techniques in that the weight factor is reduced by approximately 50% over steel at the same time that strength is increased by the same factor.

            The manufacturing advantage comes in the ability to develop low cost, rapid tooling which is able to be utilized cost effectively in limited production circumstances and can be changed at will.  This makes it possible to spend less capital on long term production and put a greater emphasis on labor for assembly, finishing, quality control, etc.

            The advantages of the E-Lectra-GT super light/super strong construction deliver an automotive package that meets the needs of the 21^st century market.  The car is safe, strong, light, durable, tight and corrosion free.  The E-Lectra-GT is able to be fabricated in relatively small numbers, cost effectively, by teams of highly trained, multi disciplinary workers in facilities which do not require massive capital outlays to establish and operate.

 

AERO DYNAMICS – The E-Lectra-GT highly optimized streamlined body shape makes it possible to have a drag coefficient of approximately 0.20.  This is an extremely low number for a motor vehicle as a typical airfoil is approximately 0.07.  The E-Lectra-GT achieves this by the shape of its finely sculpted rear, its smooth wheel wells and their tires, a fully enclosed undercarriage, a low nose/frontal attitude and highly sloped windscreen, low ground clearance, very few projections (mirrors), and sculpted streamlined vent openings to the rear engine compartment.  This combination allows the vehicle to operate with very little friction from the air.

 

SUPER EFFICIENT HYBRID ELECTRIC DRIVE – In the E-Lectra-GT hybrid electric propulsion system the wheels are turned by an electric motor.  The electricity is stored in batteries recharged by plugging into the local electric grid when parked.  Alternatively, an on-board electric generator driven by an extremely efficient small internal combustion engine is used to power up the battery pack while the vehicle is under way.  This unit is fuelled by conventional sources and only comes into play on extended periods of use.  Most often, the E-Lectra-GT operates without additional power assistance.  This allows the E-Lectra-GT to leave a very small carbon footprint and delivers excellent fuel economy, 

            A hybrid electric drive system has many advantages over conventional propulsion systems.  It can convert more than 90% of the electricity produced into traction and uses no energy at idle or coasting.  The motors are light, simple, highly reliable, relatively inexpensive and provide high torque even at low speeds with abundant horsepower.  Finally electric propulsion motors can be employed as a generator in deceleration.  Energy recovered by this method is stored in the battery bank.  This method is called “regenerative braking”.