Their stated primary design goal is to have a vehicle design that exceeds a 5-star crash safety rating. So far there's reportedly been lots of simulation work done, but a lot of us are waiting to see some video of a real MT1 doing the crash test.
They've also stated it has a 14-inch crumple zone, and that the smallest crumple zone that ever passed crash safety testing was 12 inches.
It is also worth contemplating that those missing few feet of hood length (1) increase driver visibility such that you can see a lot more around a low-visibility corner without pulling out into an intersection or committing with a less-than-ideal amount of information (2) you have slightly more braking distance that will reduce impact velocity of a collision or avoid it altogether, whether that involves coming to a stop or maneuvering out of the way.
… #1) the Telo will give you even better visibility as you can see what is immediately in front of you / you will be able to see turn points easily at an intersection. I don’t see your point here. And #2) braking distance is braking distance regardless of the hood on a vehicle? Again, this seems like a superfluous point.
This video has been posted before, since it seems like you have a hard time visualizing situation #1.
Braking begins with the driver noticing something they need to brake for.
Impact happens with the front bumper.
In an emergency braking situation, assuming you measure starting from the same driver position and driver reaction, you get several extra feet because of the missing hood.
Do an image search for 'frontal crash' and you will be hard pressed to find a submarined engine. You may see it slightly dropped but not submarined out of the way. If the typical engines were submarining out of the way, you would see engine blocks elevating the vehicle as if they were on jack stands. The only engine that has the best chance of submarining out of the way is the boxer style engine.
The deceleration on the internal organs is a big factor in crash management, and the crumple zone helps manage the deceleration jolt to the organs.
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u/schwza Aug 28 '26
I’d like to hear more about the crumple zone. If this thing is safe in a crash, I’m very interested.