http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2015/07/12/the-pros-and-cons-of-electric-vehicles.aspx The Pros and Cons of Electric Vehicles John Rosevear Jul 12, 2015
[image https://g.foolcdn.com/editorial/images/171710/2015_models_bb_blue_02_large.jpg The latest versions of Tesla's Model S sedan have raised the bar for battery-powered high-performance cars. Image source: Tesla Motors. ] ... Travis Hoium: One big advantage electric vehicles have over conventional gasoline-powered vehicles is the ability to mold the shape of the powertrain to the vehicle's design, improving performance. Electric vehicles don't have to be designed around a large engine, which is the first thing you see when you open the hood of your car. Instead, batteries can be mounted on the floor of the vehicle, which leads to a few performance advantages inherent to all EVs. The lower batteries are mounted, the lower the center of gravity of the EV. That's a big reason Tesla Motors' Model S has built its batteries into the chassis. The Model S has a center of gravity just 17.5 inches off the ground, similar to the Ford GT, which is built for high performance, not as a sedan. Dual Motor Model S As this photo of a P85D's frame shows, much of the Tesla's mass is located in the car's floor, which gives it a low center of gravity. Image source: Tesla Motors. Modifying batteries for performance can also give EVs the ability to distribute weight evenly, which increases performance. A lot of engineering goes into designing a car with 50/50 weight distribution, but typically only high-performance vehicles go to the lengths needed to have that distribution. Traditional sedans are heavily weighted to the front, where the engine is mounted, which is why most cars are front-wheel drive, not the optimal rear-wheel drive needed for high performance. The third major advantage EVs have when it comes to performance is acceleration. Electric motors naturally have higher torque than traditional vehicles, which gives quick zero-to-60-mph times. Tesla's Model S, for example, can go from zero to 60 in as little as 3.1 seconds, beating BMW's 2015 M3 time of 3.8 seconds. EVs aren't going to beat any top speed records with torque alone, but unless you're on a race track, it's probably not legal to go over 75 mph anyway, so reaching 150 mph faster than the next car probably doesn't matter. These design advantages are fundamental to EVs and will be built into vehicles in the future, like they are in the Model S. In the world of EVs, everyone is driving a sports car, and that's an exciting advantage over conventional vehicles ... [© 2015 The Motley Fool] For EVLN posts use: http://evdl.org/evln/ http://reneweconomy.com.au/2015/australias-first-tesla-taxilimousine-service-established-in-sydney-45715 Australia’s first Tesla taxi/limousine service established in Sydney http://www.motoring.com.au/news/2015/car-makers-and-big-oil-lobby-euro-regulators-52393 Car makers and Big Oil lobby Euro regulators http://www.kcrg.com/subject/news/electric-vehicle-owners-have-another-option-with-first-tesla-charging-station-in-eastern-iowa-20150709 Tesla-L3 EVSE @bassfarms.org US30&Palisades-Kepler St.Pk Mt.Vernon-IA + EVLN: BMW electric semi-truck transporting SCHERM components {brucedp.150m.com} -- View this message in context: http://electric-vehicle-discussion-list.413529.n4.nabble.com/EVLN-Hoium-s-Pros-of-EVs-tp4676743.html Sent from the Electric Vehicle Discussion List mailing list archive at Nabble.com. _______________________________________________ UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.evdl.org/help/index.html#usub http://lists.evdl.org/listinfo.cgi/ev-evdl.org For EV drag racing discussion, please use NEDRA (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NEDRA)
