EV production costs for RHD / LHD?
Discussion
Q for engineers!
My understanding that, for mass market production, manufacturing a RHD variant does not add a massive amount to the unit cost - and that configuring the endless options per territory are perhaps more challenging for a manufacturer.
I also assume that EVs would be even simpler to configure for RHD / LHD, given that there is only 2 pedals and they’re drive-by-wire. So presumably there wouldn’t be as much hardware to move?
Is that a fair assumption?
Ta
My understanding that, for mass market production, manufacturing a RHD variant does not add a massive amount to the unit cost - and that configuring the endless options per territory are perhaps more challenging for a manufacturer.
I also assume that EVs would be even simpler to configure for RHD / LHD, given that there is only 2 pedals and they’re drive-by-wire. So presumably there wouldn’t be as much hardware to move?
Is that a fair assumption?
Ta
Steering rack requires two variants, IP (instrument panel) requires two variants. And then the wiring to support that. Those are the BOM changes.
Then you have testing and homologation - particular importance is crash testing. Have to test "drivers side" in many cases. That gets expensive.
Then you have testing and homologation - particular importance is crash testing. Have to test "drivers side" in many cases. That gets expensive.
MF35 said:
Q for engineers!
My understanding that, for mass market production, manufacturing a RHD variant does not add a massive amount to the unit cost - and that configuring the endless options per territory are perhaps more challenging for a manufacturer.
I also assume that EVs would be even simpler to configure for RHD / LHD, given that there is only 2 pedals and they’re drive-by-wire. So presumably there wouldn’t be as much hardware to move?
Is that a fair assumption?
Ta
Any sensible manufacturer will engineer L and RHD in from the start and recover all of the costs over all of the production volume. The only exception might be some market specific items where those models get lumped with the full cost of unique bits.My understanding that, for mass market production, manufacturing a RHD variant does not add a massive amount to the unit cost - and that configuring the endless options per territory are perhaps more challenging for a manufacturer.
I also assume that EVs would be even simpler to configure for RHD / LHD, given that there is only 2 pedals and they’re drive-by-wire. So presumably there wouldn’t be as much hardware to move?
Is that a fair assumption?
Ta
If they try to recover RHD costs on only the RHD volume it gets more expensive per unit because RHD volume is lower than LHD.
EVs aren’t any cheaper than ICE as far as I can tell. You need to “hand” all the same stuff - the only difference is it is slightly easier because there isn’t an engine / gearbox in the way (although some EVs have various bits up front).
MF35 said:
I had overlooked all the type approval / crash testing stuff - ta.
But there's also a surprisingly amount in the interior. Long-gone are the days where the interior is fundamentally symmetrical except for the pedal box, steering column and instrument binnacle. These days the infotainment screen is generally slightly off-centre and angled towards the driver; the centre console has a different layout; sometimes the seats are in a slightly different place (it's not uncommon for the driver's seat to be slightly more central than the passenger one to straighten up the driving position); different door-cards to facilitate the extra window and mirror controls on the driver's side; different rear view mirror placement; different wiper layout;... and of course all of this requires big changes to the wiring looms which aren't cheap, and training the factory staff to install both layouts.
The additional upfront development costs to generate a RHD variant are huge, which is one of the reasons we generally pay more for cars (especially relatively high-end cars which aren't sold in huge numbers in India) than LHD markets.
PhyllisOphical said:
Steer by wire should make it marginally cheaper to have a RHD variant. Not that I'd be keen on having a car with it.
Steer by wire still requires some form of redundancy in case the “by wire” fails. Some systems have a column which is disconnected normally and only connects in the even of a system failure for example.Jader1973 said:
Steer by wire still requires some form of redundancy in case the “by wire” fails. Some systems have a column which is disconnected normally and only connects in the even of a system failure for example.
The hideous Tesla Cybertruck appears not to have such an emergency steering column from the information I have seen. PhyllisOphical said:
Jader1973 said:
Steer by wire still requires some form of redundancy in case the “by wire” fails. Some systems have a column which is disconnected normally and only connects in the even of a system failure for example.
The hideous Tesla Cybertruck appears not to have such an emergency steering column from the information I have seen. 
kambites said:
PhyllisOphical said:
Jader1973 said:
Steer by wire still requires some form of redundancy in case the “by wire” fails. Some systems have a column which is disconnected normally and only connects in the even of a system failure for example.
The hideous Tesla Cybertruck appears not to have such an emergency steering column from the information I have seen. As said, any such system requires redundancy but that redundancy doesn't have to be mechanical.
It's a cost saving thing when it comes to flipping the interior AND also opens up car design options. For anyone shaking their head thinking 'I don't like the sound of that', for those two reasons in the not too distant future you probably won't have much of a choice!
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