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To: CarrotAndStick
What I find interesting about electric cars is once they lick the battery storage problem, an electric car could literally blow the doors off a gasoline-powered car for these reasons:

1. Electric motors have HUGE torque in a standing start, which means very strong acceleration.
2. Because electric motors don't vary in output when altitude changes, that means performance loss is minimal at high altitude for an electric car. In fact, it's likely that within 15-20 years an electric sports car will hold the record for the fastest Pike's Peak hill climb.
3. Improving technology will soon have electric cars with each wheel individually driven by its own electric motor. That could make it possible for extreme driving control, since by controlling the motor driving each wheel with special computers we could have the mechanical equivalent of four-wheel drive with limited slip/locking differentials, traction control, stability control and anti-locking braking.

8 posted on 03/14/2008 9:59:05 PM PDT by RayChuang88
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To: RayChuang88

Not to mention the increased reliability from the lesser number of mechanical parts used, lower maintenance, more legroom and floor flatness... the list goes on.

It’s the battery and / or chemistry and part that needs to see massive improvement.


10 posted on 03/14/2008 10:03:38 PM PDT by CarrotAndStick (The articles posted by me needn't necessarily reflect my opinion.)
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To: RayChuang88; CarrotAndStick

But electric motors have a problem that mechanical 4WD don’t have. They don’t like to be immersed in water. Sealing the motors against water will be a big problem over long periods of time..........


12 posted on 03/17/2008 5:25:42 AM PDT by Red Badger ( We don't have science, but we do have consensus.......)
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To: RayChuang88
Regarding your no.3...

"The car has eight wheels enabling it to be closer to the ground for better traction. Each of the wheels has a 60 kW (80 hp) electric motor, giving a 480 kW (640 hp) eight wheel drive which can tackle all kinds of road surfaces.

13 posted on 03/17/2008 5:28:49 AM PDT by Vigilantcitizen (Gone fishin.)
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