i actually have zero clue how an electric motor on a gear would be cheaper than a hand crank on a gear but possibly? maybe to manufacture the actual handle crank would cost money but still that would be the only thing that would possibly be original. motors are inexpensive and so is a switch but i genuinely cannot see how a hand crank could possibly cost more.
Hand cranks have to be quite durable seeing as they must not rip if children pull on them with full force, suitcases fall on them from the backseat or whatever.
The electric motor needs to deliver the exact same fixed force every time. Electric motors bought in large quantities by a car manufacturer are basically a few cents each (might be exaggerated but the cost is literally nothing on the car scale)
True but I mean still just a mechanical arm and gear set sounds way simpler than designing a whole motor bracket and where the switch goes. I do believe it’s probably so cheep it doesn’t matter but I’m struggling to see how it would be cheaper than a hand crank unless the crank itself is just that much more expensive.
It wouldn't be cheaper strictly in manufacturing costs of the final parts. But the upfront costs of potentially having to retool a line to make manual crank components, R&D to design or integrate/update a manual window system, as well as potentially design and manufacture a separate door trim, as well as crash impact testing for door panels and interior components would mean that they would have to sell a lot of manual crank windows to offset the initial upfront costs and the demand for manual windows isn't high enough to reliably recoup those costs, so manufactures have stopped offering it.
In terms of numbers it is likely in the neighborhood of $10 cheaper per window system in final manufacturing costs, and they would potentially be trying to recuperate hundreds of thousands or even millions in upfront costs.
836
u/AdSquare3489 10h ago
Look at Dacia in Europe, they are exactly that. Maybe not crank windows, not sure.