DeLorean considering all-electric reboot

Post by goodcanadian » Fri, Jan 22, 2021, 9:49 AM UTC

rconti wrote: post #140

elihu wrote: 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…

100%. They hit the nail on the head when they said an electric Morgan or Cobra might be a bridge too far, but for the DeLorean, it's a good approach. The DeLorean was never about the relatively anemic, not particularly inspiring-sounding motor, whereas the combustion engine in the former two vehicles is a big part of the appeal.

Post by naruhodo » Fri, Jan 22, 2021, 9:52 AM UTC

Post by d3ckard » Fri, Jan 22, 2021, 10:22 AM UTC

gambiting wrote: post #209

alasdair_ wrote: post #199

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Part of me wants to create a fake gearbox and clutch kit for an automatic car that does absolutely nothing, but looks convincing to driving examiners. You can just change "gears" when you feel like it without any actual effect and the clutch is just a dumb pedal.

At least here in Poland you can only take the exam in the car provided by the testing centre, you can't have the exam in your own car(with some exceptions like when you need to have a car adjusted to your disabilities)

Post by rlpb » Fri, Jan 22, 2021, 10:30 AM UTC

elihu wrote: post #168

sokoloff wrote: post #162

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Electric motors have maximum torque from 0 RPM, which removes most of the need for a transmission. Think of it as a transmission being a patch for a limitation in a combustion engine. If you were switching from electric to ICE, you’d need to invent this patch.

And yet... for whatever torque the motor supplies at 0 RPM, you could have 4 times as much torque with a 4:1 1st gear. As I see it, a manual stick EV would be pretty good in combination with a modestly-powerful drive system like what's in the Nissan Leaf, as opposed to something like a high-end Tesla (where you have enough power that shifting gears doesn't matter as much).

Post by bildung » Fri, Jan 22, 2021, 11:01 AM UTC

zaroth wrote: post #65

orange_tee wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

I think your definition of “best of the best” needs updating. Show me where Toyota has casting machines anywhere near the scale of what Tesla is using in Model Y, or board design, or AI chips, or even things like buying experience. Fundamentally “best” can be reduced to margins because everything else shakes out in a competitive market. Tesla has the best margins, and they will bring that margin advantage down to the…