What would happen driving around Mars in a normal electric car?

What changes would be needed?

Tau.Neutrino said:

What would happen driving around Mars in a normal electric car?

What changes would be needed?

Unless you had paved roads it would get bogged on Earth. Martian soil in general is even drier and made of finer particles, so it would get bogged more quickly.

It would need to be 4WD or tracked. And you’d have to adjust the tyre pressure for Martian conditions.

Usually, the surface temperature of Mars is below the recommended operating temperature range for commercially available electric cars. You’d need to put resources into heating and insulating the vehicle.

Also, the vehicles are not airtight, so you’d asphyxiate.

party_pants said:

Tau.Neutrino said:

What would happen driving around Mars in a normal electric car?

What changes would be needed?

Unless you had paved roads it would get bogged on Earth. Martian soil in general is even drier and made of finer particles, so it would get bogged more quickly.

Fine particle soil is less likely to get you bogged than coarse particle soil. Beach driving teaches you very quickly regarding that point.

party_pants said:

Tau.Neutrino said:

What would happen driving around Mars in a normal electric car?

What changes would be needed?

Unless you had paved roads it would get bogged on Earth. Martian soil in general is even drier and made of finer particles, so it would get bogged more quickly.

Not really, of all the places in the solar system to drive, Mars is probably the easiest. It’s not easy to off-road drive on Earth. There are more places where a car can get bogged on Earth than on Mars, and Earth is chemically less friendly to a motor vehicle. I think the use of cleats or tracks would be unnecessary for a human driver. You’re basically driving on basalt rock which causes wear on the wheels.

Low temperature makes things brittle. Tyre rubber has a glass transition temperature near -70°C, which is lower than nearly every other plastic. That’s the temperature on Mars midwinter at the equator.

My main concern would be power source – batteries tend to die at those temperatures. Even ultra-low temperature batteries fail below -60°C. Perhaps some way could be found to keep them warm. Lubrication is another problem, perhaps graphite lubricant. Solar electric is OK but the sunlight is much feebler out there. Internal combustion is ruled out by the lack of oxygen, wind power is weak, and the radiation from nuclear power would require a lot of heavy shielding.

The cosmic radiation from space would be fiercer than on Earth as well, so the driver would have to be protected against that, the cold, and the lack of oxygen.

Oh, this is funny. I did a web search for vehicles driven in Antarctica, to see what can be driven in really cold weather off-road over rough terrain. Good web site is: https://jalopnik.com/5379341/the-land-vehicles-of-antarctica/

Among many others is this one.

Vehicle: “Antarctica 1” Volkswagen Beetle

Where used: Australia’s Mawson Station

Distance: Very short distances, like a taxi

Special Features: The first regular production vehicle ever on Antarctica was a freaking VW Beetle. Seriously. Mods are minor and include the European “winterization” package, insulated battery, an aluminum cover for the air intake, and strengthening bars to the front and rear.

Two other Antarctic vehicles of note. But I really love the VW beetle above.

Vehicle: Ford E-Series Vans

Where used: McMurdo station and other permanent stations

Distance: Short-to-Long Distances depending on use.

Special Feature: The E-series van, heavily modified, is a popular choice for Antarctica. These range from the rather tame 4×4 version to this, the six-wheel Ice Challenger Science Support Vehicle. It set a world record for crossing from the coast to the south pole in 69 hours. The old record? 24 days.

Vehicle: Mars-1 Humvee

Where used: This military-spec HMMWV is used as a cross-country vehicle.

Distance: Long distances

Special Features: Designed to provide arctic research and attempt to mimic economical design for exploration in martian or lunar environments, the small cabin includes research facilities and two bunks for sleeping.