Lightweight Garage #26 EDAG Light Cocoon

©EDAG Group, Light Cocoon Car

The Vehicle

Behind this garage door is also a concept vehicle with some special features. The Cocoon Car from EDAG was presented in 2015 as an electrically powered vehicle. Equipped with a 185 kW electric motor, the Cocoon Car has a range of approximately 350 km. Optionally, the range can be extended by a range extender. With a target weight of 1250 kg, the vehicle weight is in the range of comparable two-seaters such as the Audi TT or BMW Z-4. The vehicle weight is made possible by various measures. From additively manufactured chassis to new body materials, various novel technologies are used.

The Technology

Already at first sight of the vehicle it is noticeable that the body of the vehicle is very different from the usual sheet metal bodies. The Cocoon Car does without sheet metal body parts and instead uses a textile that was developed together with Jack Wolfskin. The three-layer polyester jersey fabric is not only waterproof and very durable, but also extremely light with a weight per unit area of 19 kg/m². In addition to the outer skin, the chassis, which is visible through the textile fabric, is also an important factor for the low vehicle weight. Various technologies form the basis for the lightweight aspect in this vehicle. Based on EDAG's Genesis study, the Cocoon Car also relies on bionic structures, which were created with the help of topological CAE calculation simulations. Attention was paid to full compliance with the usual guidelines and load cases. As is usual in lightweight construction, special attention was paid to the calculation of the load paths, i.e. a load-appropriate design. Since such structures cannot be produced with conventional manufacturing processes, or only at great expense, 3D printed components were used for implementation.

©EDAG Group, Project Genesis

The Lightweighting Effect

The load path designs of the body and chassis components show the lightweight advantages of topology optimisations, which are often used for lightweight construction. If one compares the structure of the chassis and body with other 2-seater cars such as the Audi TT or BMW Z-4, it is noticeable that the Cocoon Car clearly stands out from other vehicles. The load path optimisation resulted in a predominantly bionic structure, the partially visible structures and the innovative outer skin concept offer both a modern visual impression and excellent lightweight construction aspects.

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