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> yes electric motors need oil changes too "Oil change" for an electric motor is fundamentally nothing like the oil change you do for an internal combustion en

> yes electric motors need oil changes too "Oil change" for an electric motor is fundamentally nothing like the oil change you do for an internal combustion engine. A piston engine operates at much higher temperatures, and cannot fully isolate leakage from oil compartment, causing a tiny amount of oil to get burned with fuel as it operates. "Oil change" in an electric motor is much more like lubricating other moving parts of the car or other machinery, not the engine of a gasoline car. In addition to that, an electric car (at least the Model S), is much much simpler in design. The motor is basically connected directly to the wheels, removing a ton of parts in the process. It's simpler to start and simpler to cool. Yes, it can still break, but it's much more similar to your hard drive failing than your traditional car.

chrisBob 13y ago
I agree, people should think of an electric motor oil change more like changing transmission fluid or gear oil than a 3k mile oil change.
jesusmichael 13y ago
The roadster has a single speed transmission that connects the axels to the wheels. It would be unwise to connect a motor directly to the wheel. The axles are basically the same as with the Prius or any other car for that matter with wheel bearings and CV joints. For all the parts that are removed there are a couple added, in the recombinant braking system, power control systems and programmable suspension. The grease in the sealed bearings will break down at some point. A spinning motor especially one in a magnetic field has a very low tolerance for vibration and balance. There is also a great deal of heat generated at high torque. I hear the S is going to have liquid cooling. So there is another system that will need to be addressed. I would hardly call a Tesla a simple design. Its in fact very complex.

chrisBob 13y ago

I agree, people should think of an electric motor oil change more like changing transmission fluid or gear oil than a 3k mile oil change.

jesusmichael 13y ago

The roadster has a single speed transmission that connects the axels to the wheels. It would be unwise to connect a motor directly to the wheel. The axles are basically the same as with the Prius or any other car for that matter with wheel bearings and CV joints. For all the parts that are removed there are a couple added, in the recombinant braking system, power control systems and programmable suspension. The grease in the sealed bearings will break down at some point. A spinning motor especially one in a magnetic field has a very low tolerance for vibration and balance. There is also a great deal of heat generated at high torque. I hear the S is going to have liquid cooling. So there is another system that will need to be addressed. I would hardly call a Tesla a simple design. Its in fact very complex.