So trying to figure out why electrical engine only needs a single gear while a combustion engines needs multiple gears. Cant wrap my head around it for some reason
EDIT: Thanks for all the explanation, but now another question popped up in my head. Would there ever be a point of having a manual electric car? I’ve heard rumors of Toyota registering a patent for a system which would mimic a manual transmission, but through all this conversation I assume there’s really no point?
In: 1567
Electric motors generally have good torque and excellent efficiency over a wide range of rotational speeds. Having a single set of gears or none at all generally doesn’t effect performance. In addition transmission gearboxes are heavy. Typically the added weight of having a transmission with several gears has been considered extra weight which carries a major penalty on electric cars, while not providing much benefit. By removing such weight one could add extra batteries for example, at a similar cost which boosts range.
Internal combustion engines like Diesels or Petrol engines have poor power and low torque at low speed, and they have very poor efficiency and reduced reliability at high speed. They are generally most efficient and produce the most torque at a relatively narrow range of speeds. Therefore it’s proven to give better performance by having an adjustable transmission with several different gear ratios between the engine and the wheels.
Latest Answers