Donald Newsom
Member
Common Platform Or Chassis Pan
BMW 3 Series Touring (all dimensions in inches)
Height: 56
Length: 182
Width: 80
Front Track: 60.75
Rear Track: 62.5
Wheel Base: 110.5
Tesla Model S (all dimensions in inches)
Height: 56.5
Length: 196
Width: 86.2
Front Track: 65.4
Rear Track: 66.9
Wheelbase: 116.5
When seen in http://www.bmw.com/com/en/newvehicles/3series/touring/2012/showroom/index.html#id=start, if this is indeed the vehicle Tesla intends to target with the BlueStar compact family sedan (Model C?), then this vehicle will definitely have something other than three doors. I indicate the Touring as it, along with the Audi A3, posses passenger/luggage/cargo combination possibilities a sedan will find difficult to match. I also emphasize the Touring as with this configuration the back seats can be folded in a multiplicity of ways as with the rear seats in a Honda Fit, which I currently own. Additionally a folding front passenger seat, such as will be found in the forthcoming Encore from Buick, would also be a welcome feature.
Additionally in some areas there are quite notable differences in dimensions between the Model S and the BMW 3 Series Touring, particularly in width, wheelbase, front and rear track and length with a difference of 6.2 inches occurring in width, an even 6 inches in wheelbase, 4.9 inches in front track and 4.4 in inches rear track and 14 inches difference in length. It is in this last dimension that possibly Tesla’s engineers have some head scratching to do as to whether they can settle for a BlueStar Model C that is over a foot longer than the vehicle it targets, the 3 Series, or just take the requisite length out of the chassis pan then make adjustments in the length of the body to make up the difference. The problem, as a matter of course, with taking the length out of the body is that you may end up with something that resembles a Smart car in terms of the front and rear overhangs or lack thereof.
Thanks for the feedback so far. I think we'll let discussion roll on a bit before I compile an update.
Just one thing right now: To live the platform idea, IMO all cars must share a battery pack of uniform size & shape and a common chassis architecture (steel/aluminum). Hence the same wheel base and track. A 85kWh battery pack is out of reach as long as cell capacity is not increased by factor of 2, in comparison to the NCR-18650A with 3.1Ah.
BMW 3 Series Touring (all dimensions in inches)
Height: 56
Length: 182
Width: 80
Front Track: 60.75
Rear Track: 62.5
Wheel Base: 110.5
Tesla Model S (all dimensions in inches)
Height: 56.5
Length: 196
Width: 86.2
Front Track: 65.4
Rear Track: 66.9
Wheelbase: 116.5
When seen in http://www.bmw.com/com/en/newvehicles/3series/touring/2012/showroom/index.html#id=start, if this is indeed the vehicle Tesla intends to target with the BlueStar compact family sedan (Model C?), then this vehicle will definitely have something other than three doors. I indicate the Touring as it, along with the Audi A3, posses passenger/luggage/cargo combination possibilities a sedan will find difficult to match. I also emphasize the Touring as with this configuration the back seats can be folded in a multiplicity of ways as with the rear seats in a Honda Fit, which I currently own. Additionally a folding front passenger seat, such as will be found in the forthcoming Encore from Buick, would also be a welcome feature.
Additionally in some areas there are quite notable differences in dimensions between the Model S and the BMW 3 Series Touring, particularly in width, wheelbase, front and rear track and length with a difference of 6.2 inches occurring in width, an even 6 inches in wheelbase, 4.9 inches in front track and 4.4 in inches rear track and 14 inches difference in length. It is in this last dimension that possibly Tesla’s engineers have some head scratching to do as to whether they can settle for a BlueStar Model C that is over a foot longer than the vehicle it targets, the 3 Series, or just take the requisite length out of the chassis pan then make adjustments in the length of the body to make up the difference. The problem, as a matter of course, with taking the length out of the body is that you may end up with something that resembles a Smart car in terms of the front and rear overhangs or lack thereof.