Manufacturing Hold??

Toyota stated the 8 pounds the CF saved partly offset the weight of the battery. They also stated, I think, that the dual-wave glass helped with aerodynamics.

 

Yes, and they stated plain as day that it was meant to counter the higher drag resulting from the front end design.

 

But the question was, "Why did they make the hatch from carbon fiber anyway?"

 

weight-saving.

 

Right...I said that.

 

weight and aero end game: mpg's.

 

To gain manufacturing experience and field testing. Eventually all body panels may be made with carbon fiber.

 

oy, we'll be waiting forever for cars.

 

Nah, carbon fiber can be 1/2 or less the price of steel but then you are stuck with the same repops for 10 years or more to get the payback on the dies

 

Ah that's just peanuts!
People in the former GDR had to wait 15 (!) years for their Trabant !
Yeah that Russian led country really knew what economy was about...

And now really,wasn't it worth the wait ?

 

Gee, at this rate I'd settle for one of those. Do they get ok gas mileage?

 

Hm .... two stroke engine ...

 

Cars.com shows 433 Primes available in the USA.

 

Every little bit helps, and the reduction is from the rear were most of the extra weight of the Prime was added.

 

Look at bicycles. Carbon fiber bikes are more expensive. Expensive molds, layup process is labor intensive. Contrast that to stamping out a metal panel; simple, fast. Saturn used dent and corrosion resistant plastic body panels. Whatever happened to that idea?

 

interesting

 

That's true for something low volume like a bike but look at the progress in the last 3 years, BMW is claiming fiber is at parity with steel.

Take a look around the net from BMW to startups they are claiming to have eliminated the labor from fiber but again payback is long and adoption is slow.

That said carbon fiber is 1/10 the price today that it was 20 years ago, that trend is likely to continue.

 

Part of carbon fiber's higher price is in the smaller production runs; be it bicycles, high end sports cars, or cellos. The i3 is BMW's demo car for the advances they have made in reducing those costs for mass production.

The plastic used on Saturns could shatter in a hail storm, but I think its main detraction was the large expansion ratio it had compared to other materials. That meant the panel gaps had to be larger and unattractive.

 

While it has been stated that the delay isn't about a quality issue with existing Primes, it sure makes me nervous having just picked one up on Saturday that something may be lurking that will need to be replaced and by the time I know what it was they fixed, I will likely be outside the warranty period.

 

possible, but unlikely. if there is a problem with the hatch or window, toyota is likely to extend the warranty since it's such new technology.