a transportation machine…

Xrayfrankensein is the possessed creation of designer and engineer Jesse Field.  Setting aside just about every traditional automotive design decree, the Xray vehicle embraces its function as transportation, a monster unashamed, created from various technologies and parts available on the web from multiple industries.

The Xray is an efficient and safe ultra-light three-wheel vehicle for up to four passengers.  The argument for this design is predicated on vehicle weight, as it is the primary factor of fuel efficiency, however vehicle weight continues to increase due in large part to the increasing requirements for vehicle safety.  The Xray allows for higher safety levels, and significantly reduced the overall vehicle weight -- while still providing a comfortable enclosed environment at commuting speeds for up to four occupants.  Because of the overall design simplicity, it also provides for uncommon affordability. 

Xray Effect:
The design has a unique rugged translucent styling, allowing light to penetrate—showing its frame through the shell, due to its polarized polycarbonate panels.  It has utilitarian architecture, and incorporates high-grade fabrics and plastics, with new textures and fresh materials, such as LED fabric which illuminates the body-shell panels.

Frankenstein Effect:
No mechanismo is hidden, just as bolts sticking out of its neck, or stitches in flesh, motors and attachments become an integral part of its character.  And yet it is a monster with a human side, as opposed to today’s unholy steel exoskeleton insect-bodies.  The Xray is an endoskeleton structure, with an impact absorbing shell, making it less susceptible to dings and scratches, and unsightly, undesired incidental damage.

Advantages
There are many advantages to this vehicle over the conventional steel monocoque construction, but the main reasons are reduced cost, increase efficiency, safety, and agility.

Cost advantage
It has more durability and less corrosive body, with increased reliability, and an overall simplicity allowing for reduced investment and tooling cost, reduced assembly and manufacturing overhead, and an overall reduced cost-per-vehicle, including a reduced cost of ownership, and time to market.

Efficiency advantage
Because it has significantly reduced mass it is substantially more energy efficient, and uses a more efficient AC motor configuration with no gear/drive train, and optimally configured regeneration from the motors--capturing both the potential energy during steering and braking.  There is also improved aero-dynamics, and rolling efficiency.

Safety advantage
The vehicle has an impact pressure-absorbing vehicle body, and through mechanisms such as pressure and tension, similar to the human body, such architecture gives the vehicle incremental protection and safety with increasing collision severity. 

Drive advantage
Best described as an athletic vehicle chassis, since it is much lighter than most vehicles--its ride is quick and agile, much like the sidewindercycle, a thrilling ride on back roads.  It also provides a unique driving experience; having a very commanding view of the road, and exhilarating three-wheel handling, and rear-steering agility.

Abstract Idea
The vehicle began as an idea, of comparing the crush strength of an empty tin soda can, to that of an empty plastic water bottle, and applying that to vehicles; assuming the tin can represents conventional automotive design, and the plastic water bottle represents 100% plastic vehicle concept.  What was observed was that it was quite easy to crush the can, by stepping on it, but the plastic bottle could not be crushed, if the top were still secured.  The thin walled plastic distributes the massive force equally, much like skin.

Aero Dynamics
Vehicle control and stability is improved through its shape, with a narrowing and undercut rear tail design, and frame architecture, which effectively keeps air moving around the sides, similar to a velomobile.  The overall vehicle shape creates 3 distinct pressure zones; top, bottom, and sides.  The top is flat and smooth while the sides have considerable overall contour, intended to create relatively slow moving air-flow over the top, and thus high pressure zone—ultimately pushing the vehicle to the road with increasing speed.  The open-wheel configuration is shaped to direct air around the sides, which have considerably more contour, and thereby higher velocity air-flow and a lower pressure.  The front shaping also limits the air traveling underneath in order to prevent high pressures underneath which tend to lift the vehicle, and keeps the air moving bellow, through to the rear, creating an additional low-pressure zone underneath.  These pressure zones combine to provide down-force or zero lift and a lower drag coefficient.