When we decided to enter the X Prize competition we expected to choose an electric or hybrid power source. The closer we looked, however, the less attracted to electricity we were.
Our main issue with electricity is that the extra weight of batteries ultimately means more energy is needed to move a heavier vehicle. Low weight is an absolute virtue for an efficient car, but batteries inevitably add to a vehicle’s weight. So we moved away from lugging around the weight of batteries and instead sought efficiency through basic physics.
The Very Light Car is extremely light and extremely aerodynamic. The aerodynamics fellow at Northrup Grumman, Barnaby Wainfan, is a designer of our car. Every component of the Very Light Car has been evaluated for function and redesigned with an eye to simplicity, strength and low weight. Brakes that normally weigh 10 lbs are less than a pound; lug nuts 0.2 oz instead of 2 oz. In some ways our car is light because it is light; as mass is designed out of the car, components can be smaller and lighter, and the car becomes lighter still.
We believe this design, with our efficient engine, positions us well for the X Prize competition. Our car is favored by physics. More important, however, our innovations in weight and aerodynamics apply regardless of power source, making a hybrid or electric car much more efficient.
