Iterating on designs for a more "aero" replacement battery cover and the rear bumper
A new rear bumper design¶
The new design allows for a little more airflow between the top surface (air coming from the motor) and the bottom surface (air coming from under the car). Ideally, the extra flow will help keep the flow from the motor attached and pulling hot air from inside the car.
Battery Cover¶
Unfortunately, the side clips weren't a good fit
Ducting¶
Also, the first iteration for the side ducting didn't print well because the design came to a fine point
The ducting also didn't sit flush to the body because I was too conservative when measuring the space between the edge of the cover and the body
A Small 4mm Clearance Issue¶
There was also an internal clearance issue that prevented the case from clipping on properly
It's a little hard to see in this image, but the thinner underside of the part is warped because of the fit issue when I forced it to clip on
The problem comes down to the small tabs at the front and back of the battery compartment.
On the original battery cover, the extrusion between the batteries stopped short of the end of the case, but the ones in my original design were too long.
Taking a Step Back¶
The overall design did look good when paired with the front and rear bumpers in the same color
It ended up being a quick fit to get a battery cover that works, although it took a couple iterations to get the side skirt design to where it visually fit the rest of the car.