The Chinese company GAC at the Auto Guangzhou 2019 exhibition introduced the concept of a 6-seater electric car. The characteristics of this car may well compete with Tesla. More details under the cut.
The design of the concept car was developed under the leadership of Zhang Fan, who had worked in the Mercedes-Benz design team 12 years before. It is based on the concept of a “long tail”. The basis of this idea is an increase in the length of the rear of the car, which reduces aerodynamic turbulence and stabilizes the air flow. In this case, the tail does not change length.
I wrote about active tails earlier, and in general, for a family sedan, lengthening the tail in this way is not a particular problem.
The GAC electric car concept has a Cx of just 0.146!
Such indicators are achieved not only by the shape of the car, but also by the work of a number of active aerodynamics systems.
One of the systems is retractable pontoon deflectors near the wheels of the car.
The second is a system that narrows the gap between the tire of the wheel and the arch.
Both technologies work to reduce air turbulence around the wheels.
The bottom profile is made with the calculation of the use of the ground effect, which allows you to do without a wing to create downforce. At the same time, the rear diffuser minimizes the turbulence created by the combination of low and high pressure regions when using the "earth effect", which further reduces air resistance.
In pursuit of aerodynamic efficiency, the creators of GAC Eno.146 abandoned the usual doors, rear-view mirrors, and installed flat caps on the wheels.
How much the “gull wing” is appropriate in serial models is a big question, but it looks impressive on the concept.
Also, to reduce the drag coefficient, it was necessary to “lower” the vehicle, making its ground clearance minimal. There is no information about the possibility of adjusting information, but it is obvious that it is not difficult to implement this if necessary.
Competitors among concept cars have such indicators.
Quadruple
Lightyear One - Cx 0.20.
GM Precept (Concept) - Cx 0.163
Triple
Daihatsu UFE-III - Cx 0.168.
Double
Fiat Turbina 1954 - Cx 0.14.
1985 Ford Probe V (Concept) - Cx 0.137
Volkswagen XL1 2013 - Cx 0.189.
But there are no six-seater analogues ... therefore, the GAC Eno.146 in this regard has no analogues.
Inside, the interior of the car has certain life hacks that turn the disadvantages of the shape of the tail into advantages.
Inside the cabin are 4 ordinary "adult" chairs, and a seat that is offset back relative to the second row (which is in the "reclining" position) ...
... and in the center of the cabin is a child seat (turned back).
The interior of the concept is decorated with a touch screen, which stretched from edge to edge, and the steering wheel ... rectangular.
An unusual view of the transformation of the form of internal space is also found in other Chinese concepts.
For example, Techrules Ren in the original hand-drawn version had the opportunity to choose 3 body options (or rather a hood), which allows you to adjust not only the number of people on board, but also the frontal area of the car.
The main body material of the GAC ENO-146 is a recyclable composite, which reduces its weight. Unfortunately, there are no details about this material.
Eno.146 at the presentation announced the presence of autopilot, but the GAC is silent about the level of autonomy. The company also hinted that a sports and stylish car in the same spirit as the ENO-146 could be put into production in the near future, becoming part of the EV line of the AION LX crossover brand, and the AION S sedan.
Tests on the road showed that the electric car is capable of driving in steady mode at 60 km / h up to 1000 km! Which makes him a competitor to the Tesla Roadster II with the same result. In addition, the GAC checked the car in real driving conditions in China, but the mileage was expectedly lower - only 600 km on a single battery charge.
PS - The presented concept only confirms the future general trend to reduce aerodynamic drag in electric vehicles ... and even the Mask pickup is no exception in this regard (despite its polygonal design).