Reporter Sun Lei
The strength of the structure designed with two pieces of 1500 megapascal hot formed steel is not weaker than that of a single layer of 3000 megapascal steel plate. Regarding the previously discussed idea that "two pieces of 1500 megapascal steel are equal to 3000 megapascals," the engineer in charge of collision safety at Ideal Automobile recently explained to a reporter from the Daily Economic News.
A material with a strength of 3000 megapascals does not exist in the automotive industry. The reason why the ideal MEGA wants to use such a strong material is because the design of the MPV side sliding door has formed an open beam above the vehicle body, which should normally be a closed beam. Generally speaking, a closed beam only requires a steel strength of 1500 megapascals, but after calculation, the open beam of MEGA needs to use a material with a strength of 3000 megapascals to withstand the same pressure. Therefore, we stacked two pieces of hot formed steel together, but this does not mean that their physical properties have changed The engineer said.
In addition, the engineer also responded to another hot topic of "Ideal MEGA white body fixed with bolts". The place where the bolts are used is the intersection of two frames, where the load-bearing capacity is crucial. If spot welding is used to connect the two frames, there may be a risk of failure in the welding points during collision. Finally, bolts are used to strengthen the connection to ensure the safety of the vehicle, "said the engineer.
Photo by journalist Sun Lei
Ideal Automobile stated that it also ensures the safety of passengers and drivers by adopting a cage shaped body structure in its products, using a large number of high-strength but lightweight materials, and equipped with 9 dual chamber airbags.
It is worth mentioning that recently, the China Insurance Automobile Safety Index (C-IASI) released the first batch of vehicle test results after the implementation of the 2023 version of the new regulations. Among them, the Ideal MEGA and Ideal L6 received G+(excellent+) in the evaluation of passenger safety inside the vehicle, pedestrian safety outside the vehicle, and vehicle auxiliary safety, and the durability and maintenance economy index also received A (good) evaluation.
Unlike before, in the new regulations implemented by China Insurance Research Institute this year, a new "G+" rating has been added, which is "excellent+". Taking the passenger safety index in the car as an example, in order to obtain a G+rating, one must first obtain an "excellent G" in all six routine sub tests for passenger protection in the car. At the same time, two additional test items must also achieve an excellent G, and two audit test items must be "passed".
In addition to adding G+and additional items, the regulations of China Insurance Research Institute also list some selected projects as new mandatory projects, such as the 25% small offset collision on the passenger side. According to actual road traffic accident statistics, the proportion of serious traffic accidents occurring on the right side is higher than on the left side in high-speed offset collisions.
Ji Xiangdong, Senior Director of R&D and Operations at Ideal Automobile, told reporters that unlike the 25% small offset collision in the driver's seat, the 25% small offset collision on the passenger side requires a 70 kilogram test dummy to be placed on the passenger side, which means the weight of the vehicle will increase and the kinetic energy during the collision will also increase. At the same time, the trailer hook is also placed on the right side of the front of the car, which increases the difficulty of passing through the offset collision. If we want to increase the development of small offset collisions on the passenger side, a car model would require an additional development cost of tens of millions of yuan, "said Ji Xiangdong.
Photo by journalist Sun Lei
Some people believe that excellent crash test results may not necessarily contribute to sales growth, but poor crash test results can affect user reputation. Previously, some car models had experienced setbacks in the collision tests conducted by China Insurance Research Institute, which sparked heated discussions and led to a decline in sales.
With the increasing attention and technological advancement of enterprises, some car companies have also begun to strengthen their products according to testing standards and projects. In the collision testing of China National Insurance Research Institute, there have been cases of fully excellent ratings (except for the sub indices of collision resistance and maintenance economy), and only a few individual products in most batches will be rated as good (A), while general (M) and poor (P) ratings are extremely rare.