Trexa EV development platform is modular, extremely customizable
By Vlad Savov 
posted January 20th 2010 8:51AM
posted January 20th 2010 8:51AM
posted January 20th 2010 8:51AM
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Could I just keep it as a giant electric skateboard?
@NeoJew Yes, just put a Wii balance board on it.
@NeoJew
Not a bad idea. Offroad-capable skateboard.
@shadowj0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAIG8cygZ_c
t'da
GM built a concept like this called the HyWire. Saw it on Top Gear a while back.
I really like the idea of having a car when I need it, and then being able to switch the body out to say a Pick Up or a Minivan if I need the room....for my robotic prostitutes.
@TallFace i remember this being bandied about in Popular Science but it never came to fruition. fuel cells never really worked out the way people hoped it would
@TallFace That's just what I came here to mention. It was a fuel-cell drive-by-wire platform. More here (with pictures): http://www.adrianchernoff.com/pages/HyWire.html
@idiot
I read about it too. I think it was called the Autonomy. So long ago, can't remember... but was very much looking forward to driving one of those XD
Is that secure in collisions though?
@Wwhat
I don't think you just swap bodies on that base. You design the body, and it's all good.
Swappable bodies for the base would be unsafe.
As for collisions, ask the smart car owners.
@Wwhat
Yes, just be sure to collide with another giant electric skateboard and you should be OK.
@Wwhat
It might be safer, the lower half takes all the damage and you fly safely over the other car in your secure little Car Pod and land safely into oncoming traffic.
How could it possibly go wrong?
@7egend
I like that, secure little flying escape pod, so the designers should give it some small wings to aim it and a parachute maybe, or break rockets! to be extra fancy, the kind ejectionseats have to eject
@Wwhat
Yes but not so good if you ran into a high wall, you would just be a red smear, a bit higher up.
@(Unverified)
You might win an art prize though, posthumously
Definately looks cool, but more like a cool camera dock.
I know it is early concept, but it doesn't look very safe with it being so rigidly designed.
@raredesign
Collisions are not a problem. It's actually made of Legos. You can pick up the pieces after the wreck and make a totally different car.
@Why should I have all the fun
Now that is a selling point!
As someone who watched with bright-eyed wonderment the unveiling of the Autonomy concept as a grade-schooler a decade ago, I must say... I just jizzed my pants.
@engadget - if this contains all the drivetrain stuff then what is left for those "more professional ev designers." If it already has all the electrical components then there is really only so much optimization you can do...EV's are very reliant on the hardware. But, people can indeed make cool instument clusters and interesting bodies for these things if they wanted - maybe some good management programs.
On the other hand, it looks like you could design some kind of generator system to keep this thing going for an extended range vehicle.
It definitely has the cool factor though.
nice! now I can just buy a new skin for my car instead of a brand new one each time :-)
Looks like a great robot car platform.
To bad GM did this years ago. http://auto.howstuffworks.com/hy-wire.htm
Engadget if you think this is new tech then you guys are truly behind the times. Back to the future:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qow9r5yhhBo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Obs2tAq57j8&feature=related
The "Skateboard" platform has been around for a while, as mentioned by others - GM had the fully encapsulated system idea years ago, but were betting on hydrogen fuel cell tech, which seems to have died a quiet death in favor of EV tech these days. This product is nearly identical in almost every other respect to the Skateboard, so much that I have to wonder if there will be patent issues somewhere down the line! :(
The original concept was something like: you drive your little minivan into the garage, do a little work, have the minivan body unlocked and pulled off the chassis, and drop your convertible sports car body on for the weekend... In addition, the controls within each body are tuned to what makes sense for that body (high accel and handling for the sports car, more gentle accel and softer ride for the minivan, etc). If these guys can get a mass production environment going with the platform, we could see some very innovative EV body designs with a much lower sticker cost than many of the EVs hitting the market now.
@Vrmithrax
Maybe you lease the base and buy the tops. In ten years when the tires are bad, the batteries aren't doing as well, and the cheap metal bolts are starting to rust, they will swap it for you for a refurbished model.
It would be interesting if you could buy this base from one company, and the top from another.
It sounds like an interesting thing, I like it.
@rcappo Trexa is working closely with speciality automotive developers to manufacture compatible bodies "vehicle apps" for the Trexa vehicle development platform. In the future, consumers will have the ability to purchased directly from our partners; this means that a buyer will have the opportunity to purchase the Trexa from us and the vehicle bodies from any our partnering companies.
Ok...here's a REAL question....
Can I slap the top 1/2 of a Delorian on the thing, and can it go 88mph?
Best,
Brett
@vacomicon: Only if you want your Delorian to look like a 4x4.
It doesn't look friendly to low riding (not low riders) cars where you sit nearer to the ground.
In fact, the more concept electric cars I see are all very tall machines. I want something that hugs the ground please.
Behold, the basis of the first "green" go-kart.
does it come with remote control?
GM used to brag about this being the future of vehicles, that they were going to push ... along with hydrogen. They claimed to have '500 engineers' working on it full time. Maybe that is why they went belly up ...
Redundant adjective is redundant
Reminds me of the Shelby's Aero EV. They were talking about a similar drive train system that could be scaled from a compact car all the way up to a truck.
http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/27/shelbys-amazing-aero-ev-0-to-60-in-2-5-seconds-10-minute-rech/
Give me a shell that looks like a Geo Tracker/Suzuki Grand Vitara, only made for tall people (no back seat, front seats that can fit a 6'3" person, a little bit of a rear storage area where the back seats used to be). The version of the Tracker/Vitara that had removable sections for the T-top and back window area, would be nice. Add some all around air bags, for some nominal level of collision safety. Oh, and, keep the front engine compartment, and give the customer a choice of: a) flex-fuel generator, b) bio-diesel generator, c) extra batteries, d) cargo. So you can use it for extra-range, or extra carrying capacity.
Oh, and, put a built-in Android based car management/car navigation/mifi computer in the dash board (obviously the mifi wouldn't be for the driver, but for the passenger).
Sure, it might not be as safe as a unibody car, but it's probably safer than those e-v's that are based on suped up golf carts (or the ones that aren't safety tested, like the Zenn). And if the price is low enough, it might be interesting.
Oh, and, make a longer version that can be used for 4 seat sedan, 4 seat wagon/SUV, and 2 seat light pick-up truck type bodies. Not for heavy hauling, but for flexible use.
I'd probably go for the tracker/vitara type body (if it was adjusted to seat a 6'3" husky guy) or a 4 seat sedan body, with the cargo space in the front compartment ... especially if I could remove the cargo liner, go to the dealer, and rent a bio-diesel or flex-fuel generator to put in it for a day or a week, for long(er) trips.
Reminds me of the GM's HyWire concept. I know on safety, GM had a crumple zone between the wheels.
How about they come out with a battery standard for LiFePO4 ev batteries! We have AA, AAA, C, D, N, where is the V *for vehicle battery standard? Chevron thought they could kill EV's by buying the NiMH, but they were wrong! Neaner Neaner Neaner- Big oil can stop EV's from coming out!
I need one that will accommodate the length and width of this body http://www.decorides.com/sedandelivery.htm , it is modeled after the 1939 Lincoln Zephyr and has a flat floor which is perfect for an electric setup.
Let GM keep on yapping their mouth worthlessly with Volts!
Keep in Bed with the oil companies dreaming and stalling the production of their Volts, while others are busy producing and making that dream into reality.
Then GM can whine, biatch and files for bankruptcy again when they see Tesla and Fisker are taking away their dreams and profits!!!
Let GM keeps on yapping their mouth worthlessly with their Volts!
Keep'em remained in Bed with the oil companies dreaming and stalling the production of their Volts, while others are busy producing and making that dream into reality.
Then GM can whine, biatch and files for bankruptcy again after they see Tesla and Fisker are taking away their dreams and profits!!!