Plastic underbody panels on cars... What are they good for?

[bwringer]

So noise reduction or streamlining? Does anyone know if they are present on electric cars?
...

Battery packs in EVs are extremely well armored against punctures. Puncturing lithium battery packs can lead to some very fast, intense, and nasty fires. Tesla uses a titanium plate, and others probably do as well.

The battery pack is placed as low in the vehicle as possible. So, most of the bottom of an EV is just a flat metal surface, the armored bottom of the battery pack container.

EVs also have plastic panels around the suspension, bumpers, and other components for aerodynamic efficiency. And of course this reduces wind noise as well as drag. Some even have suspension components with added fairings, or the components themselves are sometimes shaped for aerodynamic efficiency.

Noise outside the car isn't really an issue with EVs. However, some (like Teslas) use tires that have a sort of foam donut inside to reduce tread noise. Without an engine, you can hear the tires roll and it can be annoying. And all EVs pay very careful attention to aerodynamic noise as well as drag, and cabin soundproofing in general. When there's no engine noise to mask things, people have different expectations for how quiet their car should be.

For a few years now, EVs have been mandated to make a noise at low speeds to alert pedestrians. If you're walking through a parking lot, for example, it's pretty startling and obviously somewhat unsage when an older Tesla just starts moving silently. They generally make an assortment of weird electronic noises.

So far none are using the Jetson's flying saucer noise as they should... I think some Tesla models can fart. Or maybe that's the horn. In any case, there's a fart noise you can choose in some models.

[Rob S.]

My '82 Z28 came with "ground effects" body parts (plastic under the doors). According to GM, "pulls the car closer to the ground at speed."

[Vmass]

My '82 Z28 came with "ground effects" body parts (plastic under the doors). According to GM, "pulls the car closer to the ground at speed."

I had an 82 Z28. Black with tan interior and gold ground effects. I remember installing Cragar window louvers.

One of these days I should write down all the vehicles I have owned and when........probably not.....

[Sandy]

All of our Subarus (4) had them and never had a problem with them coming off in the winter and yes they went through a number of windrows left by the snowplows. They were mounted quite well and even had a little access panel to get at the oil filter. Kept the engine compartment nice and clean as well.

[Jedz123]

Just finished up ripping the last of the plastics bits out of the car. Did the oil while I was under the car ( a little early). Brisk out there! -1'F when I came in to warm up.

[Jedz123]

All of our Subarus (4) had them and never had a problem with them coming off in the winter and yes they went through a number of windrows left by the snowplows. They were mounted quite well and even had a little access panel to get at the oil filter. Kept the engine compartment nice and clean as well.

The only issues I had with Subarus were head gaskets, ball joints, struts, wheel bearings...

The EJ25 is just a POS but I could do a HG swap with my eyes closed. My Girlfriends all drove Subies so I got ALLOT of practice.


However one of the best cars I ever owned was my 1994 Subaru Legacy (EJ22). I bought it off my best friend and we put 140K (240K miles) on that car and it just wouldn't quit.
It was FWD too!

[Rob S.]

I had an 82 Z28. Black with tan interior and gold ground effects. I remember installing Cragar window louvers.

Mine was the limited edition Pace Car replica. I had it a few weeks before the Indy 500.

image by Bob Wayne, on Flickr

[wymple]

"One of these days I should write down all the vehicles I have owned and when........probably not....."

Raised poor & driving cheap junk I cannot remember all the cars I owned. I bought cars back in the 60s as low as 45 bucks, and 250 was a pile for me. The most expensive car I owned back then was a 1960 Olds convertible that cost me 1500 and required a loan with a cosigner. I can think of no less than 21 cars by the time I was 21 years old. I had a 55 & a 56 Chevy at the same time, a 55 & a 56 Ford at the same time, a 64 & a 66 El Camino at the same time. Mind you these were all on their last legs, but still....

[Vmass]

"One of these days I should write down all the vehicles I have owned and when........probably not....."

Raised poor & driving cheap junk I cannot remember all the cars I owned. I bought cars back in the 60s as low as 45 bucks, and 250 was a pile for me. The most expensive car I owned back then was a 1960 Olds convertible that cost me 1500 and required a loan with a cosigner. I can think of no less than 21 cars by the time I was 21 years old. I had a 55 & a 56 Chevy at the same time, a 55 & a 56 Ford at the same time, a 64 & a 66 El Camino at the same time. Mind you these were all on their last legs, but still....

Lol....at 21 cars by 21 you certainly have me beat! At 14 years old I started working at a gas station in town, stayed there all through high school. Shortly after starting work I bought my first street bike for $600, a 1976 CB550, bought it from a nurse. Two days after turning 15, I went and got my permit.

Later that year I bought my first car which was sitting at a different gas station. It was a 1973 Road Runner with a pistol grip shifter. Every piece of glass was broken and the wiring was trashed. The gas station I worked had helped me out a lot with getting it road worthy.........to keep this on topic.....no plastic panels were found under the Road Runner, although my new retreads didn't stay together for too long.

[Cipher]

Mine was the limited edition Pace Car replica. I had it a few weeks before the Indy 500.

image by Bob Wayne, on Flickr

Another reason to delete the 80s from history. As ugly as the corvette in that period.

[rphillips]

And to think that thing replaced the beautiful orange & white "69" Camaro pace cars.