Auto Industry Consulting with produces Ezi-methods reviews the I3 and Toyota Prius 4..
Conintuing its continued theme of progressive, timely information to customers, AIC Ezi-Methods gives an insight into just a small sample of the futuristic technology on our roads today in their latest technical bulletin on www.autoindustryinsider.com.
Ezi Methods Product Director Andrew Marsh commented, “The i3 is a good example of some data providers potentially not keeping up with their customers needs. The i3 has been on sale around the world for more than one year, and represents a strategic step change in automotive engineering, especially from a collision repair point of view”.
Tricky i3
Many will be aware the headline is of course the carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) body shell. But little known to most people; all of the exterior skin panels are made from a wide variety of specialists thermoplastics, with the exception of the lower tailgate skin which is glass and the roof skin which is painted CFRP.
Unique and unusual features which have the potential to catch out the unwary without Ezi-Methods access, Marsh says, include the front seat belt integrated into the rear door. And if that wasn’t enough, the removal of the front door to remove the fixed or moving glass.
“There are sacrificial bolts on various elements to the core of the vehicle covering the front upper and lower aluminium bumper beams, the front subframe, the rear frame aluminium braces and the rear bumper beam. We do not have total visibility of the number of data providers who will keep up with this information and feed it to their customers,” he said.
With safety being high on the agenda, Ezi-Methods highlight the location of the high voltage battery pack which sits between the central members, on the underside of the passenger compartment floor. There are a large number of detailed and complex CRPP structural repair methods available, which include precise instructions. But without data, repairers will be blind.
“We are passionate about delivering up to date, relevant information to our customers. As vehicle development continues at an exponential pace, we are at the cutting edge of that information curve,” Marsh said.
Looking forward to Prius 4
Toyota has not released much data, however a huge amount of information is available if you know where to look.
“The fourth generation of Prius owes very little to the previous vehicle and uses a brand new platform, Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA). This is big, big news," Marsh said. "This platform will appear under most of the Toyota range over the coming years so now is the time to start understanding.
" Prius 4 challenges what we know in a big way. Laser Screw Welding is just one example. This gives a good insight into how Auris, Avensis, RAV-4 and more will look in the short term.”
Prius 4 is still a hybrid drive vehicle, but now has the option of four wheel drive. Critically the body has a challenging range of materials. Knowledge and understanding are vital. Along with a complex mix of 1500 MPa alloy steel as well as 980 MPa alloy steel and also aluminium alloy, AIC Ezi-Methods predicts repair challenges for anybody without up to date information. The electrical equipment is comprehensive, ranging from electric seat heating, electric steering wheel heating, bi-LED headlights, forward facing RADAR, CMOS camera in the windscreen and light clusters that extend deep into both the front as well as rear bumpers. The breakdown of information in these areas is imperative.
“The high voltage system appears at face value to be very similar to previous models. Big mistake," Marsh said. "Crucially the low voltage as well as the high voltage batteries have moved. That means repairing the Prius 4 for all sorts of reasons should not be approached the same way as Prius 2 or Prius 3.”
"In a fast moving technological world, it has never been more important to get a summary on new vehicle arrivals before they arrive and to be ready for repair, something that AIC Ezi-Methods clients value and are well placed to do," he said.