Yeah I've seen that Pure Freedom video, and I am slightly suspicious of it.
Here's why:
1: Did you see how much the van flew into the air? That can't be good, all of the energy is obviously being sent straight to the van itself, making a much worse collision. Compare that to the ionics crash test video or the grippa one, where the van does not fly up into the air at all.
2: Why no crash-test dummy? Seems insane to go to all the expense of setting up a test like this, but then not put a crash test dummy in the drivers seat.
3: at 1:14, the van crashes into the wall with a side-on view. Now this to me would have been the most interesting part, because it would show how much damage there was in the passenger cab. But for some unknown reason, the video cuts to a different view right at the moment of impact. SUSPICIOUS! Makes me wonder what happened in there that they didn't want us to see?
4: They then at 1:21 only show 2 stills of the impact from the side, WHY NO VIDEO?
And neither of the stills show what is happening as the van flies up in the air.
4: The wording at the end is slightly suspicious:
"The van is clearly a write off, however the system remains safely restrained within the cargo area with minimal deformation of the securing frame.
Although the vehicle is badly damaged the test is considered a success as the system held up to the impact forces and did not enter the cab."
"considered a success"? Is that really the measure of a success? That the machine stayed put? I don't think so.
In my view, the test should only be considered a "success" if the passengers weren't hurt as a result of the tank being in there. I think that although yes the tank did stay put, the fact that the tank was in there meant the damage to the front cab was MUCH more severe that it otherwise would have been. I'd even go so far as to say that as a result of that system being in there, the passengers would probably have been seriously injured or killed.
The extra weight the tank added has meant more forces to the chassis of the van, and a MUCH more sever collision. I reckon that the inside of that cab was a carnage zone at the end, and that's why they didn't show it.
Just my opinion of course. If pure freedom ever release the full, UNEDITED video, shoing the side-on crash all the way through, then we would know for sure.
