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DeLorean considering all-electric reboot

newdelorean.com

71–80 of 343 posts

Re: DeLorean considering all-electric reboot

#71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The year Tesla started manufacturing Model 3s got Elon back to the ground from dreaming about special cars, like the new Roadster: to get to a huge company and deliver on sustainability, they have to focus on cheap cars in huge volume, and can't afford many fun projects (except things like Tesla Tequila, that they can mostly outsource :) )

Are you sure about that? Why would Tesla want to compete with Toyota and VW to produce the bottom tier of cars? When at that point they are competing with the best of the best at making the most affordable cars at the largest volumes? They could also maintain their brand image and sell their mid range luxury models achieving less volume at a higher profitability margin.

Well, lookup how many brands that make only top tier cars exist independently. Companies that make low volume high price models are almost always one generation of a model away from bankruptcy.

Companies that make high volume low price models...well they shower in money.

Re: DeLorean considering all-electric reboot

#72
post #7

> National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has completed a regulation permitting low volume motor vehicle manufacturers to begin selling replica cars that resemble vehicles produced at least 25 years ago. Congress enacted a DeLorean Motor Company-backed bill backed by the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) DeLorean Motor Company, and others into law in 2015, which streamlined requirements for…

> I get the impression that electric motors are hard on transmissions. Rather, electric motors don't need transmissions. Transmissions are a workaround for the failings of the internal combustion engine.

they don't need a clutch because they can't stall. but, like ICEs, they cannot make peak power at 0 RPM. unless the vehicle is already traction limited (quite possible), it could accelerate faster with a shorter first gear. my guess is in reality it's usually cheaper to just overbuild the motors than to add lower gears to hit your desired 0-60 time, but this isn't a law of nature.

Re: DeLorean considering all-electric reboot

#73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

is there some type of clutch that allows the rear wheels to free-spin at higher speeds?

On Tesla cars both motors are physically connected to the gearbox/axles with no clutch. They are doing careful tuning of the motor inverter controls to minimize energy use from motors that aren't under active load. Tesla refers to this as "Torque Sleep" I imagine the process is basically tuning for the inverter output that minimizes power consumed as well as drag on the axle when the motor is not supplying active tor…

Offtopic but you seem to know a lot. I’ve been wondering do Tesla’s just have one regenerative braking force when you let off the gas?

Doesn’t this leave a lot on the table?

Wouldn’t you get more energy by having say gentle braking regen and harder braking regen?

Re: DeLorean considering all-electric reboot

#74
post #42

TBH I’m surprised Musk hasn’t bought them out yet and “released” a limited edition Model 3 with a DeLorian body kit for like $500,000... if Cyan can release a Volvo P1800 for 500K and you usually need to provide the 50 year old P1800 for them to convert and tune there clearly is a market for these things.

For a big car maker volume and the efficiencies you get from that is a big deal right? That would seem at odds with a one off limited edition.

One of the advantages of using bent stainless rather than pressed & painted steel is that it can be done efficiently and cheaply in low volumes. A modern paint shop costs about a half billion; the forms & presses for pressing steel are also quite expensive.

750,000 preorders means that these low-volume production advantages are mostly moot, but perhaps Tesla will still take advantage of this to create some low volume variants.

Which is the only way you're going to see variants -- the unibody design of the Cybertruck means that coach-builders can't use a cutaway base.

Re: DeLorean considering all-electric reboot

#75
post #6

Why would I want an electric version of a fat, slow, heavy car? Oh, right, because Back to the Future . And gull-wing doors, let's be honest.

Yes, let's be honest. The leather seats are cool, the gullwing doors are cool and the stainless steel body is even more cool. It's just an iconic car with some history. So what if it doesn't have crazy horsepower? It's a plaything like any other sports car but more emphasis on style. What are you gonna do in bumper to bumper traffic anyway other than look good?

I like this attitude. Teslas are boring, in my opinion it is a waste of an expensive car. If you are going to buy a car that is out of the price range of normal people it better be something like the DeLorean.

Re: DeLorean considering all-electric reboot

#76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I get the impression that electric motors are hard on transmissions. Rather, electric motors don't need transmissions. Transmissions are a workaround for the failings of the internal combustion engine.

they don't need a clutch because they can't stall. but, like ICEs, they cannot make peak power at 0 RPM. unless the vehicle is already traction limited (quite possible), it could accelerate faster with a shorter first gear. my guess is in reality it's usually cheaper to just overbuild the motors than to add lower gears to hit your desired 0-60 time, but this isn't a law of nature.

I wonder what torque looks like at 0 rpm. I thought that was peak?

But If it’s bad maybe a torque converter would be useful?

Re: DeLorean considering all-electric reboot

#78
> The DeLorean was memorably featured in the Back to the Future movie trilogy (1985, 1989, and 1990) as the model of car made into a time machine by eccentric scientist Doc Brown, although the company had closed down before the first movie was made.

Woah! Can you imagine what the cars today would look like if they hadn't and became a huge hit following the movie's status!?

Truly iconic.

Re: DeLorean considering all-electric reboot

#79

> The DeLorean was memorably featured in the Back to the Future movie trilogy (1985, 1989, and 1990) as the model of car made into a time machine by eccentric scientist Doc Brown, although the company had closed down before the first movie was made. Woah! Can you imagine what the cars today would look like if they hadn't and became a huge hit following the movie's status!? Truly iconic.

> Can you imagine what the cars today would look like if they hadn't and became a huge hit following the movie's status!?

What cars today are you talking about?

Re: DeLorean considering all-electric reboot

#80

> The DeLorean was memorably featured in the Back to the Future movie trilogy (1985, 1989, and 1990) as the model of car made into a time machine by eccentric scientist Doc Brown, although the company had closed down before the first movie was made. Woah! Can you imagine what the cars today would look like if they hadn't and became a huge hit following the movie's status!? Truly iconic.

The DeLorean story is insane. Mr. DeLorean tried to finance the company with literal briefcases of cocaine in hotel rooms.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_DeLorean#Arrest_and_trial

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCwKEnu5xSk

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