Modular Vehicles
Since the Power Cube is interchangable, it makes sense that the rest of the vehicle should be interchangable too. The following categories of vehicles will be considered.
P
Intended primarily to carry a single person. Examples are...
- ATVs
- Motorcycles
- Scooters
4-wheeled P-style vehicles are characterized as...
- $4-10K
- 430-695lbs
- 70 mph max
- 45-51" wheelbase
- 71-84" long
- 41-47" wide
- 30-36" seat height
P+
Intended primarily to carry one person and their cargo. The cargo can be replaced by one or more people. Examples are...
- Utility Vehicles
- ROVs
- UTVs
- Side by sides
4-wheeled, P+-style vehicles are characterized as...
- $8-11K
- 111-141" long
- 56-59" wide
- 73-75" wheelbase
- 1200-1500lbs
- 1-1.5K pounds payload
- 2-5 seats
PC
Intended primarily to carry several people and their cargo. Examples are...
- Automobile
- Car
- Sedan
- Coupe
4-wheeled PC-style vehicles are characterized as...
- $18-30K
- 174-197" long
- 73-77" wide
- 103-110" wheelbase
- 58-60" height
- 5 seats
- 17 cubic feet cargo
- 26-19mpg
C
Intended primarily to carry cargo. Examples are...
- Truck
- Pickup truck
- Lorry
4-wheeled C-style vehicles are characterized as...
- $18-30K
- 194-240" long
- 74-90" wide
- 115-152" wheelbase
- 67-78" height
- 3.5-6K pounds wet
- 44-61 cubic feet cargo
- 20-13mpg
- 4-12K tow capacity
- 3K pounds payload
C+
Intended primarily to carry a lot of cargo. The cargo can be replaced by a job-specific tool (like a crane). Examples are...
- Commercial truck
- Box truck
- Dump truck
- Cherry picker
- Flatbed
Cab forward, 2-axle C+-style vehicles are characterized as...
- 208-225" long
- 81-90" wide
- 96-108" height
- 10-13K pounds wet
- 7.5-11.6K pounds GAWR front
- 13.5-20K pounds GAWR rear
- 162-252hp
Frame
The vehicles should, whenever possible, be 3-wheelers with two front wheels.
- 3-wheeled vehicles, in nearly all cases, are not considered "cars" and are not as strictly regulated.
- They are lighter and easier to manufacture
- Less rolling resistance and more aerodynamic
The single front wheel layout naturally oversteers and the single rear wheel layout naturally understeers. Because some degree of understeer is preferred in consumer vehicles, the single rear wheel layout has the advantage in this department. Another consideration is the effect of braking and accelerating turns. A braking turn tends to destabilize a single front wheel vehicle, whereas an accelerating turn tends to destabilize a single rear wheel vehicle. Because braking forces can reach greater magnitudes than acceleration forces (maximum braking force is determined by the adhesion limit of all three wheels, rather than two or one wheel in the case of acceleration), the single rear wheel design has the advantage on this count as well. Consequently, the single rear wheel layout is usually considered the superior platform for a high-performance consumer automobile. But much depends on the details of the design. Three Wheel Cars
Licensing the driver of a 3-wheel vehicle is not as straightforward, varying greatly from state to state. In California, for instance, all that’s needed to pilot a 3-Wheeler is a car license. Most everywhere else a motorcycle license is required, and to further complicate matters, some states require that the driving test be taken on a 2-wheeler in order to get a license to drive a 3-wheel vehicle. NYT
However, there is a real question of whether or not a 3-wheeler can be practical as a working vehicle. OSE is primarily a farm, and making everything you need at home is kind of the point, so commuting isn't expected to be a core competency. 4 wheels make more sense for carrying heavy/awkward loads over rough/soft terrain.
Suspension & Driveline
The goal is to create a system of suspension/driveline components that can allow pretty much any object to become a "vehicle." By combining the spring, shock, steering and propulsion units into a single package it could be "bolted" on to nearly any frame and, with some hydraulic connections, and maybe some electrical connections, it would do what a suspension and driveline do.
The P-style vehicle (basically an ATV) would be mostly a power cube with the suspendrive units bolted on to the sides. Assuming the power cube is 24" wide that leaves about 10" on each side for the tires and suspendrive units to fit into a standard ATV width. That might not be enough given that it should have around 8" of suspension travel. Also, apparently ATV tires start at about 8" wide. That means the suspension units are going to have to be moved in front of (or behind) a standard 24" power cube.
It is possible the P+-style vehicle could have suspendrive units attached to the side of a power cube. They have about 15" on each side.
PC-style could definitely fit suspendrive units on either side of a power cube; they have about 25" on either side.
C and C+-style vehicles have about 30" on either side of a 24" power cube.