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> Because most electric motors deliver enormous torque more aggressively and instantaneously than most combustion engines, they send a more significant shock to

> Because most electric motors deliver enormous torque more aggressively and instantaneously than most combustion engines, they send a more significant shock to the tire than nearly any ICE car with a similar design brief can The part I don’t get is that, couldn’t the manufacturer change the motor controller to hold back torque when accelerating? It would seem that life cycle costs could be reduced with a design change in software or firmware.

derekp7 4y ago
Some manufactures actually do that, their claim is that it makes the EV feel more familiar. But then people complain that the manufacturer is purposely downgrading the performance of the hardware in order to sell a "performance" version of the car for more money (but with the only change is just deleting that down-tuning software).
belltaco 4y ago
Instead of artificially limiting performance, why not make that a user configurable option, and let the drivers make the trade off with tire life. Kind of like how many newer phones and laptops have an option to save the life of the battery by only charging up to 80%, with the trade off being lower uptime on battery. And people can change the option to charge up to 100% when they think they may need it.
- matt-attack 4y ago
  Tesla offer a “chill” mode which is exactly this. Turn it on and the car is comparatively sluggish. My friend calls it “happy marriage mode”.
bryanlarsen 4y ago
If your EV has different driving profiles, this is one of the things that changes between profiles. If you want your tires to last longer, drive in "eco" or "range" mode and make sure you're not in "performance" or "sport" mode.
Tagbert 4y ago
I drive a Chevy Volt and GM reduces the torque at low speeds to help limit tire spin. Still happens if you really push it or if the pavement is a little wet, but it does reduce tire wear.

derekp7 4y ago

Some manufactures actually do that, their claim is that it makes the EV feel more familiar. But then people complain that the manufacturer is purposely downgrading the performance of the hardware in order to sell a "performance" version of the car for more money (but with the only change is just deleting that down-tuning software).

belltaco 4y ago

Instead of artificially limiting performance, why not make that a user configurable option, and let the drivers make the trade off with tire life. Kind of like how many newer phones and laptops have an option to save the life of the battery by only charging up to 80%, with the trade off being lower uptime on battery. And people can change the option to charge up to 100% when they think they may need it.

matt-attack 4y ago
Tesla offer a “chill” mode which is exactly this. Turn it on and the car is comparatively sluggish. My friend calls it “happy marriage mode”.

bryanlarsen 4y ago

If your EV has different driving profiles, this is one of the things that changes between profiles. If you want your tires to last longer, drive in "eco" or "range" mode and make sure you're not in "performance" or "sport" mode.

Tagbert 4y ago

I drive a Chevy Volt and GM reduces the torque at low speeds to help limit tire spin. Still happens if you really push it or if the pavement is a little wet, but it does reduce tire wear.