June 8, 2022. Posted in Auto News

Why are electric cars so quick?

You’ve undoubtedly heard about electric vehicles breaking track records all over the place if you’re a racing fan. On top of that, new EV owners are usually bragging about how fast their vehicle is. You may be wondering why electric automobiles are so fast.

Electric automobiles are so fast because the electric motor can give full power instantly. Regenerative braking technologies allow cars to brake significantly more efficiently.

Furthermore, the weight balance can be improved by strategically positioning the battery packs.
This article will outline eight reasons why electric automobiles are so fast. We will also learn the distinctions between “rapid” and “fast.”

What is the difference between Fast and Quick?

First of all, let’s talk about rapidity in this post, not how quickly the car can drive. “being fast” refers to how fast a car can travel in a straight path. This would be your highest speed or perhaps a 1/4-mile speed in general.

When most people hear the word “quickness,” they immediately think of how long it takes to complete a lap. Quickness is a combination of:

• Acceleration
• Deceleration
• Speed
• Cornering
• A car’s weight balance

Fastness, on the other hand, is all about top speed. The world’s fastest car is simply the one with the largest motor and the most robust components to hold it together. If you strap up a jet engine to the back of your reinforced Mini Cooper, you’ll have the fastest car on the road. Even so, it will not be quick.

When Does Quickness Count?

In ordinary life, speed is less critical than quickness. Quickness is required to get to work, visit friends, and lay a hot lap on the track.

This article does not advocate for folks who speed through traffic to get home faster; It’s just citing some examples from real life. Let’s use the example of driving a lap around a racetrack for the sake of argument. So, which do you think is most important? Every day of the week, most people will choose rapidity in a car.

A Few Reasons why Electric Cars are Quick

In almost every scenario, the answer is yes. Electric vehicles are faster than their gasoline-powered counterparts.

Their transmissions have been Optimised

To begin with, an electric vehicle’s transmission is not the same as one connected to an internal combustion engine. There is no gearing, gear ratios, or shift periods in an electric car’s transmission. They’ve been meticulously tuned to give maximum power at all RPMs.

They’re barely distinguishable as a transmission. They have a single “gear” that varies the ratio based on how quickly you’re driving, how hard you’re pressing the pedal, and what transmission mode the car is in.

The engine projects power to the wheels through the transmission. The engine or motor will work hard if you disconnect your transmission, and you will remain stationary. The transmission is effectively disengaged when in parking or neutral.

Power Delivery is Instant

The primary distinction between a motor and an engine is the speed with which they can provide power. When looking at an ICE’s power over time chart, you’ll notice a long ramp-up period.

This is the period it takes for the engine to reach maximum power. The engine begins to optimise as the valves churn faster.

For an electric motor, the same graph gives a different tale. The motor may reach full power in a fraction of a second. Because there is very little ramp-up time, power delivery is practically instantaneous.

The ability to provide power without waiting for a ramp-up is a significant benefit because quickness entails speeding up and slowing down frequently.

Increased Torque at Lower RPMs

In a similar vein, you’ll notice more torque at lower RPMs. When cars provide numbers, they usually provide a rated horsepower at a specific RPM.

The published horsepower and torque values are at higher RPMs because ICEs max out at later RPMs. It means that if you rev it up to 3,000 RPM, you won’t get the same power as if you rev it up to 7,000 RPM.

More precise throttle control

When you depress the gas pedal, your motor or engine begins to produce power.
Throttle control refers to the concept of exerting control over this power by pushing it to a predetermined limit. The amount you push down on an EV is equal to the amount of power your automobile sees (unless there are electronic limiters). For example, if you depress the pedal 50%, the electric motor will produce 50% of its maximum output.

There’s no way of determining how much power you’ll get when you depress the pedal 50% when it comes to an ICE. You could have 100 per cent power delivery with a turbocharger. You might only obtain 30% power delivery with a less efficient engine.

With an electric car, this makes controlling your throttle nearly impossible. This will assist any driver in achieving a faster lap time.

Better Brakes

Most electric automobiles have “regenerative brakes” built in. This device automatically slows your automobile down when you take your foot off the throttle pedal. Your car will slow down even if you don’t use your brakes.
As a result, car brake components can be smaller, more efficient, and lighter. It also implies that slowing down and stopping your car uses less energy.
As you may know, a car can only accelerate as quickly as it can decelerate. You’ll have a significantly faster lap if you max out your brakes rather than maxing out the acceleration but leaving junky brakes in the car.

Perfect Weight Distribution Can Be Achieved Through Battery Placement

Electric automobiles are heavier than gas-powered cars, as I explained in the last piece, and the weight of the battery packs is a major problem.

A battery pack can be hundreds of pounds or even thousands of pounds in weight. This amount of weight can drastically alter the weight distribution of a car.
For context, weight distribution refers to how a car’s weight is distributed throughout its frame. Putting all of a vehicle’s weight in the front causes it to lean forward while driving, making it difficult to brake quickly.

The Center of Gravity Is Lower

For automobiles that aim to establish track records, having a lower centre of gravity is the name of the game. On the racetrack, the Porsche Taycan

This refers to the ability of the EV designer to place the battery pack wherever they desire. They can cram all heavy components as low as possible, substantially decreasing the car’s centre of gravity.

The elements of an internal combustion engine are always higher off the ground, raising the centre of gravity.

There are no gear shifts

You won’t have to worry or care about gear shifts with an EV because the gearbox is so much easier.

Shifting gears in an ICE might add seconds to your lap time. For starters, you must consider which gear is best for various turns.
Furthermore, physically shifting gears takes time, which adds up throughout a lap.

As you can see, a lot goes into making electric vehicles so quick. The technique is designed to develop extremely fast automobiles and can break lap records.