The frunk!

[Rob24]

After seeing all the inventive designs I thought I would have a try myself.
I ordered a 45ltr box from Amazon but it was way too deep. Length and width were good so I cut the bottom off removed 100mm and welded the bottom back into place. I then moved all the cable ties that were in the mounting holes and made the area ready for fitting by tie wrapping the cables lower down.
I then prepared two aluminum supports and mounted them to the brackets.
This lifts the box clear and allows air to flow under the box.
Finished off by mounting the box to the aluminium supports.

 

[jr1]

Very good

 

[Archev]

I had a ZS until three years ago when I traded it for my current MG5 solely because I preferred the estate car.
I fitted a similar box as a frunk and found it very useful.
On the question of heat, try my chocolate test. Carry a choc bar (I used a Curly Wurly, my favourite) in the frunk for a while.

 

[MG steve]

3D parts printed to mount a box under the bonnet. Thanks to the OP who designed the parts!

 

[Whiskery]

Had a weird conversation with my local MG dealer yesterday. Picking up the car after it had the 45,000 mile service, the reception guy commented that "my tech's are flabbergasted that the car hasn't caught fire". I asked him what he meant and he said my frunk is a fire hazard due to the heat generated under the box.

Curiously, he said that the components are liquid cooled so the airflow should not be restricted.
I thought say what? If they were air cooled I could see a point but liquid cooled air flow is less of an issue surely?

I didn't stay to argue any points as I needed to pick up the wife from work. I also didn't comment that there are commercially available frunks for the ZS EV.

I must admit that I usually remove the frunk when I take it in for a service but I forgot on this occasion. It's been there for over 2 years. It is a simple arrangement - a plastic storage box from Home Bargains plus my own fixings. I think I put a few photos on this thread a while back.

His parting comment was "I must admit, it is ingenious".

Many EV's now have them as standard too.

 

[MG steve]

Had a weird conversation with my local MG dealer yesterday. Picking up the car after it had the 45,000 mile service, the reception guy commented that "my tech's are flabbergasted that the car hasn't caught fire". I asked him what he meant and he said my frunk is a fire hazard due to the heat generated under the box.

Curiously, he said that the components are liquid cooled so the airflow should not be restricted.
I thought say what? If they were air cooled I could see a point but liquid cooled air flow is less of an issue surely?

I didn't stay to argue any points as I needed to pick up the wife from work. I also didn't comment that there are commercially available frunks for the ZS EV.

I must admit that I usually remove the frunk when I take it in for a service but I forgot on this occasion. It's been there for over 2 years. It is a simple arrangement - a plastic storage box from Home Bargains plus my own fixings. I think I put a few photos on this thread a while back.

His parting comment was "I must admit, it is ingenious".

Many EV's now have them as standard too.

Did you say I must go now as it look like it’s going to rain and you can’t drive it in the rain!

I assume your frunk is mounted to the power distribution unit which has no air or liquid cooling.

 

[Archev]

Had a weird conversation with my local MG dealer yesterday. Picking up the car after it had the 45,000 mile service, the reception guy commented that "my tech's are flabbergasted that the car hasn't caught fire". I asked him what he meant and he said my frunk is a fire hazard due to the heat generated under the box.

Curiously, he said that the components are liquid cooled so the airflow should not be restricted.
I thought say what? If they were air cooled I could see a point but liquid cooled air flow is less of an issue surely?

I didn't stay to argue any points as I needed to pick up the wife from work. I also didn't comment that there are commercially available frunks for the ZS EV.

I must admit that I usually remove the frunk when I take it in for a service but I forgot on this occasion. It's been there for over 2 years. It is a simple arrangement - a plastic storage box from Home Bargains plus my own fixings. I think I put a few photos on this thread a while back.

His parting comment was "I must admit, it is ingenious".

Many EV's now have them as standard too.

Put a chocolate bar ( mines is a curly wurly please ) and check if it’s melted or deformed after a couple of weeks / a bunch of miles. I found it was perfect in my mk1 ZS as I’ve posted in the past.

 

[Whiskery]

Put a chocolate bar ( mines is a curly wurly please ) and check if it’s melted or deformed after a couple of weeks / a bunch of miles. I found it was perfect in my mk1 ZS as I’ve posted in the past.

Actually I did think about your curly wurly post whilst driving home and it would have been the perfect parting comment.

 

[DB Go Rex]

Put a chocolate bar ( mines is a curly wurly please ) and check if it’s melted or deformed after a couple of weeks / a bunch of miles. I found it was perfect in my mk1 ZS as I’ve posted in the past.

Although I appreciate the low budget nature of the test, I'd say better test would be to drive the car for a significant distance, rapid charge it to 80%, and then point an infrared thermometer directly at the printed brackets. Anything above the glass transition temp of PLA (or whatever you've printed it in) and Id start to doubt the reliability.

 

[Archev]

Although I appreciate the low budget nature of the test, I'd say better test would be to drive the car for a significant distance, rapid charge it to 80%, and then point an infrared thermometer directly at the printed brackets. Anything above the glass transition temp of PLA (or whatever you've printed it in) and Id start to doubt the reliability.

Boring and tasteless though

 

[MG steve]

Although I appreciate the low budget nature of the test, I'd say better test would be to drive the car for a significant distance, rapid charge it to 80%, and then point an infrared thermometer directly at the printed brackets. Anything above the glass transition temp of PLA (or whatever you've printed it in) and Id start to doubt the reliability.

Mine is printed from PETG and will start softening above 85 degrees.

 

[DB Go Rex]

Mine is printed from PETG and will start softening above 85 degrees.

Yes, I say - whatever you've printed it in. There's only about 15C difference

 

[Archev]

Yes, I say - whatever you've printed it in. There's only about 15C difference

Chocolate melts at 28 to 50 C

 

[Archev]

Yes, I say - whatever you've printed it in. There's only about 15C difference

Chocolate melts at 28 to 50 C and I left it in the base of the frunk in the ZS for two or three weeks. Also another of these highly accurate tell tale chocolate temperature monitors was left in the coils of my charging cables on the cover under the bonnet for days of travel and survived whole and intact until my sweet tooth took over and put payed to it

 

[fred12345]

Had a weird conversation with my local MG dealer yesterday. Picking up the car after it had the 45,000 mile service, the reception guy commented that "my tech's are flabbergasted that the car hasn't caught fire". I asked him what he meant and he said my frunk is a fire hazard due to the heat generated under the box.

Strictly speaking, it's modifying the car and it invalidates warranty. Of course, it works, as many here can confirm but that won't save the day if something happens and they refuse the work under warranty ... I would definitely take it out when servicing as they could take photos and keep it on record

 

[DB Go Rex]

Chocolate melts at 28 to 50 C and I left it in the base of the frunk in the ZS for two or three weeks. Also another of these highly accurate tell tale chocolate temperature monitors was left in the coils of my charging cables on the cover under the bonnet for days of travel and survived whole and intact until my sweet tooth took over and put payed to it

The base of your frunk is not the brackets directly connected to the EV system.

My concern would not so much be the contents of the frunk, but the possibility for issues when the brackets let go.

 

[MG steve]

The base of your frunk is not the brackets directly connected to the EV system.

My concern would not so much be the contents of the frunk, but the possibility for issues when the brackets let go.

People have had them fitted to their cars for some time now and take them out for service and I haven't seen someone saying my brackets have deformed or melted.

 

[DB Go Rex]

People have had them fitted to their cars for some time now and take them out for service and I haven't seen someone saying my brackets have deformed or melted.

Great...but that doesn't make the chocolate bar test a good one

 

[MG steve]

Great...but that doesn't make the chocolate bar test a good one

I couldn't spare a chocolate bar to go in the frunk!

 

[Archev]

Aye but none of my brackets even touched anything other than the bodywork they were bolted to. The brackets were about 75 x 5 mm aluminium so would have taken a bit of “letting go “. Now in the five I’ve not fitted a frunk. I just coil the cable and lay it on the shaped cover. It never moves and never gets even warm as the choc bar test proves.