Novice Question - Why the Battery Location in VF SS Commodore

[Skylarking]

...
https://www.optimabatteries.com/en-us/experience/2018/12/2018-camaro-battery-location

... article also says this was done for front/rear weight distribution...deliberately placed on opposite side to driver...

Judging by the weight of most Americans, you’d need quite a few bags of cement in the right side of the trunk to offset the drivers heft So I see that reason as just marketing spin of sorts...

The bit about the battery being in a cooler environment which help battery life, I subscribe too

 

[Skylarking]

Just manufacturers copying street machiners.

Jokes about incompetent engineers forgetting the battery are funny (to me) but haven’t heard the one where they copied street machinery

 

[VS 5.0]

Jokes about incompetent engineers forgetting the battery are funny (to me) but haven’t heard the one where they copied street machinery

Same as how they got on the black rim bandwagon.

 

[Heron White KOM]

Just manufacturers copying street machiners.

Overall love the VF Commodore. Best car Holden has ever made but if I could put a negative Nancy hat on, sometimes innovations suck if it’s at the expense of practicality.

-For the battery, yes better weight distribution but if it’s difficult to remove and replace what’s the point.
-Staggered tyres is another one, it sucks that tyres can’t be rotated front to back. It leads to wastage and not eeking out every kilometre from the tyres and is the additional performance gain worth it?
-Projector headlamps are great but why on earth are the headlamps so difficult to remove that one has to either remove engine bay plastics or wheels and wheel arch lining to get to the bulbs.
-Same for the rear led brake lamp in the headlining needing a contortionist.
-Cabin filter replacement is another one.

Haven’t yet changed spark plugs and fuel filter hoping those tasks won’t be hard.

 

[Forg]

All new cars seem to suck when it comes to maintenance items that are less frequently changed than the oil.

I suspect it's the fact that new price & styling win more new-car buyers than reduced future maintenance costs.

 

[HarryHoudini]

All new cars seem to suck when it comes to maintenance items that are less frequently changed than the oil.

I suspect it's the fact that new price & styling win more new-car buyers than reduced future maintenance costs.

Exactly,they are too complex for day to day motoring,EV's later this Decade will wipe them out.

 

[Forg]

Exactly,they are too complex for day to day motoring,EV's later this Decade will wipe them out.

One isn't entirely related to the other (eg. needing to remove a bumper to replace a light-globe isn't due to complexity that's just a build-cost-vs-styling thing), but your conculsion I agree with. Although this current little worldwide disaster could stall battery technology advances longer than expected.

 

[426Cuda]

I haven't had to change a globe in nearly 7 years. But, from what I've read, neither the bumber nor the wheel need to come off to change the headlight globe. As far as day to day motoring goes, maintenance is a whole lot less than older cars. So any trade off for having more stuff jammed into the available space is more than worth it in my opinion. Were old cars easier to work on? Yes, generally speaking. But then I always spent more time doing so. Because they needed a lot more R&M.

 

[HarryHoudini]

I haven't had to change a globe in nearly 7 years. But, from what I've read, neither the bumper nor the wheel need to come off to change the headlight globe. As far as day to day motoring goes, maintenance is a whole lot less than older cars. So any trade off for having more stuff jammed into the available space is more than worth it in my opinion. Were old cars easier to work on? Yes, generally speaking. But then I always spent more time doing so. Because they needed a lot more R&M.

GM philosophy for decades was to produce simple,reliable, affordable cars that didn't require a lot of maintenance.
Since they moved away from that in the 1990's due to Govt. regulations and increased competition it has been all downhill worldwide to where they are now a shadow of their former selves struggling to survive.
Great quote from the GM Chief Engineer in the 1960's,his favorite sound was lifters going up and down and his favorite color was Chrome.

 

[Milo 6.0]

My factory fitted battery from 2013 in my wags is still going strong(fingers crossed) cant imagine holden got awesome quality batteries so it must be because its not getting smoking hot in the engine bay helping keep it alive.Great idea.