Commuter Cars - Tango

[smorgasbord]

I watched a few videos now, and each time they start I keep thinking the aspect ratio of the video is wrong- like I'm watching a 2:35:1 "Scope" video compressed to 4:3 TV ratio. Of course, that's not what's going on, but it cracks me up that it gets me everytime.

[doug]

Noticed this bit on the website: http://www.commutercars.com/

Safety and Stability
Don't let the size of the Tango fool you . . . while it may appear small its FIA-certified roll cage is actually the structure required for race cars traveling over 200mph. It has 4 times more side protection bars, for example, than the largest SUV. Its 4-point harnesses, low center of gravity, and weight (comparable to a midsize sedan) combine to make the Tango extremely safe. With 2,000 lbs under the floor (mostly batteries), it is ballasted to achieve the rollover threshold of a sports car.

So maybe they were adding enough lead plating (we discussed earlier) to bring the mass up to 2,000 lbs including the batteries.

[TEG]

There is a local SF bay area Tesla Roadster + Tango owner that has given rides in both at local events.

The Tango leans quite a bit in corners, but it is the top part that leans as the battery box, drive-train and wheels stay firmly planted.
After my ride I thought "Weebles wobble but they don't fall down", if you know what I mean...

[vfx]

When I got my ride Rick said the cages was like a fighter cockpit or a race car.

He was about to convert to lithium and said we was going to add thick steel plates to the bottom to keep the low CG benefits the car relies on. Seemed like a step backwards to me but he was confident it was advantageous.

[daniel]

Safety and Stability
Don't let the size of the Tango fool you . . . while it may appear small its FIA-certified roll cage is actually the structure required for race cars traveling over 200mph. It has 4 times more side protection bars, for example, than the largest SUV. Its 4-point harnesses, low center of gravity, and weight (comparable to a midsize sedan) combine to make the Tango extremely safe. With 2,000 lbs under the floor (mostly batteries), it is ballasted to achieve the rollover threshold of a sports car.

It's heavy, stable, and solid. But it's never been crash tested. In a collision it's unlikely the driver's cage would be crushed onto the driver, but AFAIK there's no crumple zone, and it's the sudden stop that does most of the injury in a crash. It may have the same roll cage as a race car, but the roll cage is just one part of the safety equation, the crumple zone being the other. This is one of the reasons I decided against it. Rick is making safety claims based on theory, but those claims have never been tested, and I'm skeptical of the theory. Based on theory, Aristotle thought a heavier stone falls faster than a lighter one. Galileo decided to do a test and found the error in the theory. Nowadays a theory without test confirmation is considered just a hypothesis. This doesn't mean people shouldn't buy them. People ride motorcycles, and the Tango is certainly far safer than those. But they should be aware that the Tango is probably far less safe than a modern sedan.

The Xebra also has never been crash tested, but with a top speed on level ground of 35 mph, there's a LOT less kinetic energy. And my Zap dealer never made any safety claims other than its slow speed. I knew that if I got t-boned in it I'd probably be a goner.

[TEG]

Race cars tend to assume you are wearing a helmet too. In some cases a neck brace as well.

[doug]

Tango in the first few seconds of this movie trailer.