Solar Car Frames
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| GTM supercar space frame | A look at Principia's space frame |
Unibody
Increasingly, solar car teams are choosing to use a unibody frame where joined composite panels form the chassis structure. In general, an equivalent space frame requires more material and thus more weight relative to a composite unibody. However, composite frames are generally more difficult to produce and service. It is also more difficult to recognize damages/defects on them.
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| A production car's unibody. | A look at Stanford's unibody. |
Monocoque
A monocoque is a structural system where loads are supported through an object's external skin, similar to an egg shell. MSXI used a monocoque as its frame which presented numerous challenges with regards to structure, manufacturing and serviceability. Due to these challenges, most solar car teams do not elect to use a monocoque.
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| A Lamborghini Aventador has a carbon fibre central monocoque, with front and rear steel subframes. | MSXI's monocoque prior to vinyl wrapping. |
