It seems like dual motor EVs have significantly less range. Can’t dual motor EVs run in single motor mode to save range and only use the 2nd motor when absolutely necessary? The motor can’t weigh that much that it contributes to often 50mi difference in range.
In: Technology
The main difference between a dual-motor EV and a single-motor EV is weight. Each motor weighs 100lbs+, plus all the necessary related components like extra wiring and controls can easily add up, so having fewer motors saves a pretty significant amount of weight.
In terms of pure power efficiency, there isn’t that much of a difference. Running 1 motor at 20kW or running 2 motors at 10kW each will use roughly the same amount of battery power because the power loss converting battery energy into mechanical energy will be roughly the same regardless of how many motors.
So if you have a fixed capacity battery, the amount of electrical power and thus the amount of mechanical power (and range) you can get out of it mainly depends on the weight and of the car. And since single-motor EVs weigh less, they get slightly more range.
Latest Answers