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And the metals absorb a lot more energy in a crash.
It isn't the absorbing that is different it is the dissipation!
Think an Olympic pole vaulter. The tube absorbs the energy but then it returns it during spring back. Worst case a Locost chassis of fiberglass would hit a wall and then launch you backwards at the same speed…
I'd like to see an option for doing the car from Aluminum. Corrosion resistance would be a nice to thing to have in at least some parts of the country. The sums clearly say aluminum wins hands down over steel from a mechanical perspective. It's a hard problem though when considering labor. You see aluminum in planes because weight is much more important for planes than cars. In a Locost the frame and body are also a smaller percentage of the total weight so it becomes evan less important.
Steel is a good material for us because it is very well understood with 50 years of Seven type construction and is forgiving of average builder skills. It also lets you think you are 50% done after building your frame when in fact you haven't even learned how to figure out "done" yet.