3 ms·
From what I've read, the AWD versions of the Model 3 (possibly others) actually do this (different ratios in the front and back). As the article says, Tesla had
by jameskilton 7y ago
From what I've read, the AWD versions of the Model 3 (possibly others) actually do this (different ratios in the front and back). As the article says, Tesla had a hard time building a transmission that wouldn't tear itself apart under the torque of the electric motors.
So, they put the front and back motors at different ratios. The back motor is used at lower speeds, and the front motor kicks in at higher speeds.
- rconti 7y agoI'm not sure about the higher speeds vs lower speeds thing. Anyway, Tesla knows the gear ratios in both units, they can apply power as necessary to get the exact torque split the computer wants.
- elihu 7y agoThat makes sense for fixed-gear setups; I guess they just have to make sure that the lower-geared motor can spin at high enough RPM that it's not limiting the overall maximum speed. (Or perhaps they can use a freewheel mechanism, but that defeats using that motor for electronic braking.) Having multiple motors each with their own switchable-gear transmission on the other hand might get hard to justify in terms of complexity.