If you’re into racing or cars, chances are high that you’ve noticed EVs boast an uncanny ability to accelerate faster. They seem to be able to zoom right up to speed off the starting line – but how?
Before we look at why electric cars accelerate faster, it is essential to understand how an electric car’s powertrain works. In a gasoline or diesel car, combustion generates power within an engine. The process drives a piston which, in turn, rotates the crankshaft. The crankshaft is connected to the wheels via a gearbox and driveshaft.
In contrast, electric cars have an electric motor instead of an engine. This motor gets its power from one or more batteries. The motor is connected directly to the wheels – there is no need for a gearbox as electric motors can operate at a wide range of speeds.
So, now that we know how an electric car’s powertrain works, let’s look at why it can accelerate so quickly.
What makes electric cars accelerate faster than diesel-powered or gasoline-powered cars? What do they have that others lack?
Why Do Electric Cars Accelerate Faster?
Electric cars accelerate faster because their electric motors are more efficient than internal combustion engines. Consequently, EVs can offer full torque, the force that powers the vehicles forward – from 0 miles, resulting in almost instant acceleration. Their one gear delivers full torque at all speeds.
Electric cars feature greater torque and higher horsepower compared to conventional vehicles. Both attributes contribute to their ability to accelerate faster.
Higher torque allows the car to move faster from a dead stop. At the same time, increased horsepower enables the vehicle to maintain high speeds.
It’s not just that electric cars have more torque than gasoline cars; it’s that they have all their torque available from a standstill. Gasoline cars’ peak torque is usually achieved at high engine speeds. Electric cars deliver full torque at low speeds (main reason electric cars feel much quicker off the line than gas cars)
Another reason electric cars accelerate faster is that they tend to have fewer gears than gasoline cars. Gasoline cars typically have four or more gears, which helps them conserve energy by running at higher speeds when possible.
On the other hand, electric cars often have just one gear, making them much simpler and more efficient, but it also means they can’t take advantage of higher top speeds like gasoline cars.
Electric cars are also often lighter than gasoline cars, which helps them accelerate faster. And because they don’t have to deal with the complexities of an internal combustion engine, they tend to be more reliable and require less maintenance.
Overall, electric cars offer several advantages over gasoline cars regarding acceleration. They’re more straightforward, efficient, and often lighter, which all help them get up to speed quickly. An electric car is worth considering if you’re looking for a fast car.
Relationship Between Acceleration and Torque (Instant Torque)
An emerging theme with EVs is that they are swift, particularly in drag races, because they utilize instant torque for quick acceleration. In most cases, their conventional counterparts look sluggish since most lack instant torque.
If you’re unacquainted with torque, it is a twisting force.
When you turn a screwdriver, for example, to loosen or tighten a bolt, you’re using torque. Another way of thinking about it is that torque allows us to do work, whether opening a jar or driving a nail into wood.
In an electric car, an electric motor instantly produces torque upon receiving a signal from the controller. A gasoline engine needs time to spool up and have power.
The amount of torque an electric motor can produce is affected by two main factors: the strength of the magnets used in the engine and the speed at which the armature (coil of wire) spins.
The stronger the magnets and the faster the armature spins, the more torque the motor can produce. Other factors will also affect an electric car’s acceleration.
These include the gearing of the car, its weight, and even the weather conditions. In this article, we’ll take a more in-depth look at how torque affects acceleration in electric vehicles.
As we mentioned earlier, EVs have an advantage over ICE (internal combustion engine) vehicles because they produce torque instantly as their electric motors generate torque as soon as they receive a signal from the controller.
By comparison, gasoline engines need time to spool up and produce power. The amount of torque an electric motor can have is affected by two main factors: the strength of the magnets used in the motor and the speed at which the armature (coil of wire) spins.
Generally, the stronger the magnets and the faster the armature spins, the more torque the motor can produce. Therefore, most EVs have a 0-60 mph time quicker than their ICE counterparts.
Why Gas-Powered Cars Lack Instant Torque
Electric cars boast a superior torque compared to conventional vehicles because they transform their stored energy into speed quicker. EVs instantly put full force into action, while classic cars change fuel into power through a slower mechanical process.
The main reason that gas-powered cars lack instant torque has to do with the way they create power. Internal combustion engines (ICEs) use a spark plug to ignite a mixture of fuel and air, which then pushes pistons down. These pistons connect to crankshafts, which in turn rotate the wheels.
This process is inherently slower than an electric motor, which uses magnets to generate a rotational force that turns the wheels directly. In other words, ICEs have more moving parts that need to work in unison to create power, while EVs have fewer steps in their power-generation process.
Another factor contributing to gas cars’ lack of instant torque is their transmissions. Most ICE vehicles have gears that need to be shifted for the car to move. In contrast, EVs typically have a single-gear ratio, meaning there’s less energy lost in the power-generation process for EVs, making them more efficient overall.
In summary, gas cars lack instant torque because they have a more complex power-generation process, making their transmissions less efficient. However, this doesn’t mean they’re inherently slower than electric vehicles—it just takes them a bit longer to get up to speed.
Is Every Electric Car Fast at Accelerating?
Just like a Sedan is not created equal to Porsche 918 Spyder, the same is true with electric cars; each is different.
Generally, Tesla, thanks to its specific engineering and design, boasts faster accelerating cars compared to the rest. Almost all Tesla cars are within the range of 0 – 60 in less than 3 seconds.
For instance, the Tesla S performance model (built for range and speed) can click 0 – 60 in jaw-dropping 2.28 seconds.
On the other hand, on average, Nissan Leaf and Chevrolet Bolt can go from 0 to 60 in 7.4 seconds and 6.5 seconds, respectively.
Most common gas-fueled sedans, such as Honda Accord and Toyota Camry, boast an acceleration time of roughly 8 seconds, give or take.
Such a margin is vast, thanks to each car’s different battery power and electric motor setup. The good news is that as technology advances, so does the speed at which electric vehicles can accelerate. We are bound to see even faster cars in the future.
Bottom line: not all electric cars are made equal regarding acceleration. Depending on the design, engineering, and battery power, some will be faster than others.
Transmission, Efficiency, and Horsepower?
When comparing an EV with a gas car with a similar horsepower rating, an EV utilizes its horsepower more efficiently because it has fewer moving parts. Efficiency, in this case, is strictly fuel consumption but also the car’s agility and speed.
Over time, EVs are cheaper to run due to their lower engine maintenance costs.
In terms of 0 – 60 times, EVs boast a more considerable advantage. Nonetheless, the EV industry generally appreciates that there’s a need for their cars to sustain that performance in the long term, which gets us back to the transmission.
Thanks to the lack of a conventional transmission, which means better efficiency and performance in an EV, some engineers are developing new transmission designs explicitly tailored for EVs.
These new types of transmissions are not only smaller but also lighter and more efficient. EVs have the potential to be much faster than gas cars. In the future, as battery technology continues to improve, we can expect EVs to become even more powerful and efficient.