The problem with tesla is the active suspension dropping you to a couple inches off the road on the highway. Debris that you would normally pass over shoots into the under carraige..
This is a really helpful and pertinent insight IMO.
A few solutions:
Turn off dynamic highway suspension feature
Use RADAR to detect debris and cause suspension to lift to avoid as much damage (could cause vehicle instability)
>To avoid instability, slowly lift suspension, slow down lift towards apex, lift front suspension first and then rear suspension, and/or slow the vehicle slightly before raising suspension. (Could use rear-facing RADAR to inform decision process about slowing down.)
Of course, with more automation and sensors, the car could possibly change lanes autonomously to avoid road debris all together. (and message the highway patrol and other automated or semi-automated vehicles of the location of the debris as warning)
One last solution I can think of is to somehow either strengthen the undercarriage or add deflectors or crumple zones of some kind.
Personally, I'm thinking that better accident avoidance automation will be the most reliable...including raising the clearance. And making the batteries more puncture-resistant would be great.
On a tangent, would it reduce the likelihood of combustion of the batteries if each compartment could recognize a puncture event and quit drawing power from the batteries in that compartment?
I'm waiting for the day that fully autonomous vehicles are legal and affordable. In the meantime, semi-automous vehicles that "... message the highway patrol and other automated or semi-automated vehicles of the location of the debris as warning ..." is an awesome use of a sub-set of the autonomous technology, and a great way to demonstrate such vehicles' capabilities!
By apex I presume you're saying that as the suspension finishes lifting the car, the act of effectively "throwing" the car up into the air will momentarily lower the apparent sprung weight. Makes sense.
If the suspension can act very suddenly, it could execute only when collision is unavoidably imminent.
