Great! can we then start making classic VW beetle, and the original Austin/Morris Mini, and not the beefed-up-on-steroids grandkids?
DeLorean considering all-electric reboot
151–160 of 343 posts
Re: DeLorean considering all-electric reboot
#152Earlier quoted context omitted.
> They could even do a stickshift EV if they wanted to, though most car companies seem to not think it's worth the complexity/maintenance, and I get the impression that electric motors are hard on transmissions. Electric motors have a wider power band, so there’s less need for gear shifting. They could get more efficiency with multiple gears, but it’s be a smaller benefit than in an ICE vehicle. One of the big early…
I wouldn't be surprised if at some point some manufacturer made a car with optional "stick shift" - with a stick that's just some switches and the effect on driving behavior/torque/... entirely done in software. (Right now electric is hot and new, so nobody is doing much to make an electric car pretend to be something it's not, but that could switch around when electric is the standard)
> nobody is doing much to make an electric car pretend to be something it's not
This is actually one of the aspects of the Leaf that most impressed/surprised me - Nissan put a lot of thought in to making it behave like an ICE car with an automatic/CV transmission.
For example, when the car is in D mode, sitting on flat ground, if you take your foot off the brake, it'll roll forward at low power. Similarly, taking your foot off the accelerator while rolling faster will apply just a little bit of regeneration.
Re: DeLorean considering all-electric reboot
#153Earlier quoted context omitted.
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.
What about those new gear boxes that are gradual instead of stepped?
You mean continuously variable transmissions? Those could work in an EV I suppose. I don't know much about CVTs but I think the general complaints against them are that they tend to have a narrower highest-to-lowest gear ratio range than a traditional geared transmission, and it's hard to build them to handle large amounts of power.
Re: DeLorean considering all-electric reboot
#154You the man, DeLorean! (note to self: pitch story idea to Disney)
Re: DeLorean considering all-electric reboot
#155Speaking of, Is it ok to own a stainless steel vehicle near the ocean? Should I advise my friend to avoid the cybertruck? (Or Delorean)
Stainless steel can be clear coated to prevent rust. It looks good, too. I saw it pulled off on an episode of Car Masters: Rust to Riches on Netflix.
Re: DeLorean considering all-electric reboot
#156Why not? Stanford did that years ago. Stanford has an autonomous electric DeLorean capable of precision drifting.[1] [1] https://news.stanford.edu/2019/12/20/autonomous-delorean-dri...
Thanks for sharing! The project is certainly fun and the visuals complement that well
Re: DeLorean considering all-electric reboot
#157The premise of Back to the Future III was that the vehicle still had electrical power from the Mr. Fusion, but couldn't get up to 88 MPH due to problems with the gasoline engine.
So this solution has been staring us in the face. Really they should've just dropped in a motor as part of the hover conversion.
Re: DeLorean considering all-electric reboot
#158Earlier quoted context omitted.
I don't know. I have one and while its performance is awful its certainly the most comfortable car I've ever owned.
My father has one (restored) that I've driven a fair amount. I really like the car, but I just can't see it as a daily driver. (For a taste comparison, my '99 Nissan Maxima was probably my most comfortable car, both for passenger comfort, and for the driving experience.) The DMC-12 is a hotbox in the summer and the stock AC just can't keep up. That's my biggest memory. Rolling the window down would be fine, except th…
> It would be a neat conversation piece to have one, for sure. As an EV it could be made wickedly performant. I think it would still feel like riding in a low-slung box that you are just peeking out over the top of, though.
Hell yeah! That was one of the issues with the original DeLorean: the body screamed "super fast," but the engine couldn't really keep up with the expectation.
Re: DeLorean considering all-electric reboot
#159Earlier quoted context omitted.
> They could even do a stickshift EV if they wanted to, though most car companies seem to not think it's worth the complexity/maintenance, and I get the impression that electric motors are hard on transmissions. Electric motors have a wider power band, so there’s less need for gear shifting. They could get more efficiency with multiple gears, but it’s be a smaller benefit than in an ICE vehicle. One of the big early…
> instant torque that an electric vehicle puts out just shreds a gearbox Doesn't the Porsche Taycan have 2 gears? and it actually beats Tesla Model S in 0-60 times
Plaid S is due this year to take back the crown. Curious if it adds a gear or just bigger motors.
Re: DeLorean considering all-electric reboot
#160Earlier quoted context omitted.
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?
You have analog control over the regen braking with the accelerator pedal. Push down to accelerate, lift up a little to maintain current speed, lift up a little more to start slowing down, lift off all the way for maximum regen. It takes a week or two to unlearn the habit of "popping" your foot off the accelerator anytime you want to coast without necessarily slowing down, but after that it basically feels like your…
If you judge distances well you can still pop your foot. The deceleration curve is optimized to be smooth (minimize jerk?).