Adrian wrote:
The Natural Philosopher gurgled happily, sounding much like they
were saying:

about 40kg for enough steel to take the torque and vibration of a big
IC engine, and connect the stresses to the suspension pickup points.

How, exactly, were you planning to have this electric car deal with
suspension loadings and collision impacts?

with a minimal torsion box, of which te major part would probably be
integrated with the battery carrier cell.

Thats for the suspension anyway. you only neeed connect the cell to the
whhels..thats the only bit with any mass apart from the passengers.

As far as the passenger cell goes, I'd probbly take a leaf out of racing
practice, and make a roll /side impact cage and some crumple zones, and
encase that with foam plastic and moulded ppalstic panels, for
lightness.

Fine. So why isn't that being done with a _lighter_ internal combustion
drivetrain?

historical inertia.

Plus the fact that with such an expensive thing as a motor, given that
the cost is pretty much the same for a llttle un as a big un, its easier
to shove a big un in and throw some bent tinplate around it and still
have performance.

below a certain level. weight reduction isn't that mileage saving
anyway..its all aero/size on the motorway.