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Formula E cars have gears. I guess they are still needed. Would love to learn why. L
by beebeepka 4y ago
Formula E cars have gears. I guess they are still needed. Would love to learn why. L
- grzm 4y agohttps://www.hewland.com/formula-e-transmission-evolution/ https://www.hewland.com/formula-e-transmission-evolution/ > You may ask why an electric race car needs a transmission in the first place? Using a gearbox helps you to extract the maximum efficiency possible from the electric motor. High Performance electric motor efficiency varies greatly depending on its architecture and design philosophy. Some motors are high revving – perhaps as high as 25,000rpm, while others only reach 9,000rpm. They will be delivering very different torque bands; using a transmission helps you keep the motor in the most efficient operating range possible. > There’s another fundamental reason why Formula E cars use a transmission: because the rules say so. The regulations stipulate that the motor must deliver drive to both wheels through a single mechanical transmission, so you need at least one gear set to accomplish this final drive. The electric motors used in Formula E have some of the highest power-to-weight ratio of any automotive motor in the world so that transmission has its work cut out for it.
- hedora 4y agoThis article has power vs torque curves for an ICE and electric motor: http://thecartech.com/subjects/auto_eng/Auto_Eng23.htm http://thecartech.com/subjects/auto_eng/Auto_Eng23.htm The EV curve is not exactly flat, so it's worth it for Formula E to bother with a transmission. For consumer cars the extra tiny efficiency boost doesn't matter. No idea what the text of the article says, but based on the figures, it goes into more detail than me.