[Sportstick]

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Over the years, some forum members with damaged vehicles shared that the "frame" of their might have been damaged, only to be surprised when explained the car has no frame. Our cars, as almost all modern non-truck vehicles, are of a unitized or unibody design, and no longer have frames as they did decades ago. This new graphic from Stellantis, published in Automotive News, helps show how this will apply ongoing with BEVs. The Unibody design will have the battery integrated into a floorpan stamping or help form the floorpan. The Body-On-Frame design has noticeable rails (the "frame") which will be of a channel or tubular shape running the length of the vehicle, from the "shotguns" at the front, around the battery, inward at the rear wheels, and around the spare tire.

[bavarianride]

Originally Posted by Sportstick

Over the years, some forum members with damaged vehicles shared that the "frame" of their might have been damaged, only to be surprised when explained the car has no frame. Our cars, as almost all modern non-truck vehicles, are of a unitized or unibody design, and no longer have frames as they did decades ago. This new graphic from Stellantis, published in Automotive News, helps show how this will apply ongoing with BEVs. The Unibody design will have the battery integrated into a floorpan stamping or help form the floorpan. The Body-On-Frame design has noticeable rails (the "frame") which will be of a channel or tubular shape running the length of the vehicle, from the "shotguns" at the front, around the battery, inward at the rear wheels, and around the spare tire.

So Stellantis's first 3 are still skateboard, while the last one, "body on frame", is like BMW's/Porsche's, with safety rails around the battery pack?

Is any of these similar to Tesla's planned bolt-on subframes(and seats?) to battery pack?

[Sportstick]

Originally Posted by bavarianride

So Stellantis's first 3 are still skateboard, while the last one, "body on frame", is like BMW's/Porsche's, with safety rails around the battery pack?

Is any of these similar to Tesla's planned bolt-on subframes(and seats?) to battery pack?

No, the BMW and Porsche are all unitized body construction. They are not separate bodies dropped onto a full frame that holds the powertrain and suspension. Adding a structural surround to the battery does not convert a unibody into a body on frame design. To better see a true body on frame, look under any pickup truck.