Electric sports car packs a punch, but will it sell?

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why gasoline engines need gears

A gasoline engine needs gears because it has to have some minimum rpm below which it has no torque output and would stall. Remember, a clutch allows slip of the drivetrain to allow the car to come up to speed before locking in the clutch. When the gas engine rpm hits a point where the torque starts going down, the car has a gear that changes the ratio. Basically, you have gears due to the limitations of the gasoline engine.

An electric motor, on the other hand, can put out full torque at any speed, up to the limit of it's rpm capability. That rpm limit is based on the physical characteristcs of the rotating parts. If you read the article the electric car has two gear ranges, basically low and high. This is so, when the rpm limit of the motor is approached, the gear is changed so the car can go faster while the motor rpm is lowered by whatever the ratio of the gearbox is. The bottom line is the gearing is arranged for the characteristics of an electric motor. See how much simpler it is? You don't need a clutch since the motor has torque at a crawling speed.

To answer about cooling the motor. I don't know for fact, but I saw cooling fins on the motor. An electric, thermally-controlled fan can blow on that motor based on it's temperature, no matter what speed the motor is turning at. It doesn't have to be a blower that runs off the motor shaft. So even in a very hot environment with the car running slowly, the blower motor can be blowing at max speed if maximum cooling is needed.

I am currently an owner of a Honda Insight so I know how a hybrid car works. I have nearly 200 thousand miles on my car so far. I also got to drive a GM EV1 rental in Los Angeles a few years ago. I was really impressed with the silence and the acceleration.

Posted by: Insight Driver   Posted on: 07/22/06 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

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