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dotancohen • yesterday at 5:05 AM • 1 reply • view on HN

That first video is terrific - but it demonstrates bringing the pressure vessel far beyond design limitations. Would you like to see what a tank of gasoline does when taken far outside design limitations?

The other two videos are triggered by the copv failing, but the explosion is due to the methane and lox.

My point still stands. The composite overwrap either survives a collision (crash tests will determine this) or doesn't (the vehicle will not be legal for sale in the US and Europe). The crash conditions are inside the design limitations, just like the batteries are and just like a standard fuel tank is.


Replies

ceejayoz • yesterday at 2:44 PM

> The other two videos are triggered by the copv failing, but the explosion is due to the methane and lox.

Sure. For the car, the COPV rupturing is gonna look more like https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byford_Dolphin.

> the vehicle will not be legal for sale in the US and Europe

I think that's already safe to assume.