Earlier quoted context omitted.
Rusting
That's why they call it "stainless" -- it doesn't rust.
The skin of the DMC-12 was stainless; the Colin Chapman-designed frame was regular old tubular steel. which can and does rust.
DeLorean considering all-electric reboot
31–40 of 343 posts
Re: DeLorean considering all-electric reboot
#32> 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…
> 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…
is there some type of clutch that allows the rear wheels to free-spin at higher speeds?
Re: DeLorean considering all-electric reboot
#33> 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…
> 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…
> On the other hand, different axles don’t have to use the same gearing ratio. That’s how dual motor Teslas work - the front wheels are geared for higher speeds, and more power is shifted towards those as you go faster. No gear-shifting required.
Yep. Alternatively, the Porsche Taycan has an 2-speed transmission gearbox (cf. https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a28903274/porsche-taycan-t...). I don't think gearboxes are going to become mainstream in EVs, with the exception of performance vehicles like this one.
Re: DeLorean considering all-electric reboot
#34From 2011: "So far, said [James] Espey, the company has retrofitted one car with an electric motor. If all goes well, he said, the company would start selling built-to-order electric DeLoreans around 2013."[0] Original article also mentions "...an EV DeLorean – as we displayed at the 2012 New York International Auto Show...".
[0] https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/back-future-delorean-plans...
Re: DeLorean considering all-electric reboot
#35Some useful backstory on the government regulation to allow low-volume cars like this on the road: https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a34673012/where-is-the... And some history on DeLorean overall: https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a15352382/back-to-the-futu... …and it’s a pretty wild history.
John DeLorean background - I don't much care for Alec Baldwin, and I can't speak to the historical accuracy of the film, but the 2019 "Framing John DeLorean"[1] was a fun watch. [1] https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6256978/
John Z's autobiography "On a Clear Day, You Can See General Motors" is an enormously fun read, both for what it says about GM in the 50s-70s, and what it doesn't say. My recollection is that most people writing an autobiography might use it as a way to acknowledge things they did wrong, or people they may have upset...not John Z.
Re: DeLorean considering all-electric reboot
#36There’s a huge opportunity for the manufacturer that could streamline an hypothetical chassis with integrated electronics and batteries.
We could be looking for a future resembling what we have today in some formula categories that are basically a power unit paired with a dallara or lolla chassis.
Re: DeLorean considering all-electric reboot
#37> 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…
Electric motors don't need a transmission. Adding a stick shift is just adding complexity for no benefit. It's more stuff to maintain and more parts to break and is going to make the car slower due to parasitic losses and inefficiencies.
If you're shooting for 200kph+ speeds there might be a time where a simple high/low transmission may be helpful, but that's supercar territory.
Interestingly, Formula E cars have a 5 speed gearbox, but mostly because the rules says they have to.
Re: DeLorean considering all-electric reboot
#38Probably via a SPAC and promoted by WSB memes. $10T TAM identified
Re: DeLorean considering all-electric reboot
#39> 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 do if you want a car that performs optimally at a wide enough speed range, like a supercar. But that is an edge case, and eventually even that might not require one.
Re: DeLorean considering all-electric reboot
#40They have been saying this for over a decade. I do think it is a good idea, if at least for a niche collector's market, but so far the leadership of the new delorean co seems to just be throwing promises every year to see if something sticks.
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I mean... I guess it lives up to its name.