Nissan Leaf

[hoveringuy]

I want my electric car to sound like the Jettsons!

[KenC]

I'm fairly certain the ADA is requiring EVs to make noise in the future. The Fisker Karma produces a low, and varying frequency hum while it drives at low speeds. It sounds like an effing space ship. It was pretty awesome. The guy at the dealer said they did it for ADA standards.

I'm fairly certain the Fisker has a two speed rear diff too.

The technology in that car is amazing, but it lacked the interior luxury and "ooh ahh" factor that I'd expect in a $109,000 car.

[Conki]

I'm in for a nuclear apocalypse.

EDIT: Nuclear's not good. Or any other kind where death can spread through air. Zombie apocalypse! That's it

[imsotyerred]

So theoretically we should be changing our drivers, not our cars. How about proper efficient driving training and proper rules of the road training?

that and a massive population culling

[Conki]

So theoretically we should be changing our drivers, not our cars. How about proper efficient driving training and proper rules of the road training?

These "trainings", or driving schools, are mandatory in all countries (and challenging too -- it's close to impossible to get a license on your first try), except the US. I couldn't believe I just had to show I could drive an automatic car for 5 minutes to get my license in Indiana.

[Jafxod]

I have a customer with both the leaf and a tesla roadster. They are pretty cool cars and make sense for 90% of most driving most people do. I would drive one if it was given to me, but id would put it on some IE3's, IS lip and some BBS RS's.

[tjts1]

If it's that hard to imagine, the Tesla roadster is in the new Foraza 4 game.

The Leaf is in the game too. It can go 90 mph in reverse and switch directions without shifting. Makes for awesome J turns when you're playing cat and mouse.

[Holland]

not that I was seriously backing the whole 'think about the blind' thing but that is an asinine question...do you drive here in america? the majority of drivers have enough trouble staying in the lines and maintaining speed while browsing facebook on their phones. furthermore, a common driver's first thought at seeing the (blind) person mistakenly walking into traffic would likely be "What the hell, is that asshole blind?!" and buzz right pass him/her

So theoretically we should be changing our drivers, not our cars. How about proper efficient driving training and proper rules of the road training?

[hoveringuy]

the Tesla roadster is in the new Foraza 4 game. It's amazing to compare it to the other cars.

Oh.. cool! I'll have to try that.

Tesla actually opened a store at my local mall this weekend. It's supposed to be techy-cool.

[Wiglaf]

Yeah, in imagination land.


+1. It won't take long.

Antonov's 3-speed transmission for electric vehicles boosts efficiency by 15 percent

http://www.gizmag.com/antonov-3-speed-transmission-ev/19088/

I've been researching electric motors to do a conversion, and I can tell you that the efficiency does vary a bit from motor to motor, and it's not distributed the same way. There are several styles of rotor and stator combinations.
That 15% is a peak number, and even if most of the time it doesn't subtract from total eff% where the motor is hitting the 90+% efficiency range (which is usually a broad flat area in the middle of the rpm band), I'll maintain my opinion that it's 100lbs, parts, and $$ that I don't need added in there.

next time you drive your e30, get it in 4th. that's 1:1 ratio. now imagine if you had that same torque from a stop, it just kept pulling at a solid pace until 60.
If it's that hard to imagine, the Tesla roadster is in the new Foraza 4 game. It's amazing to compare it to the other cars.

[tjts1]

Hydrogen cells are the future. Just a matter of time.

Yeah, in imagination land.

keep buying them people, so my gas is cheaper

+1. It won't take long.

No concern for the blind

Question: why the hell don't the electric motors have transmissions? 2 or 3 more gears could really help extend the range on those suckers

Antonov's 3-speed transmission for electric vehicles boosts efficiency by 15 percent

http://www.gizmag.com/antonov-3-speed-transmission-ev/19088/

[10Toes]

Driving in absolute silence except for wind noise would bother me.

No REAL exhaust sound, no care.

Sound racer.

[imsotyerred]

yes and no.. when you have 10k rpms of useful torque it makes more sense to just have single speed diff. I sort of look at transmissions like a bag full of efficiency robbing moving parts that will eventually need attention. And autos are worse, robbing you of throttle response and even more power.

If it was a performance car then maybe a few gears would be justified, but even then it's hard to imagine needing more than a modernized powerglide.

That said, I beleive the cars built so far all have transmissions. More of the worst of both worlds afraid to jump in with both feet mentality as far as I can tell.

As for blind people, is it that hard to just not hit them? I've heard the crap about them wanting to add fake noise to the cars. It's crap. I think people will adjust to it when more cars are silent.

not that I was seriously backing the whole 'think about the blind' thing but that is an asinine question...do you drive here in america? the majority of drivers have enough trouble staying in the lines and maintaining speed while browsing facebook on their phones. furthermore, a common driver's first thought at seeing the (blind) person mistakenly walking into traffic would likely be "What the hell, is that asshole blind?!" and buzz right pass him/her

[Wiglaf]

yes and no.. when you have 10k rpms of useful torque it makes more sense to just have single speed diff. I sort of look at transmissions like a bag full of efficiency robbing moving parts that will eventually need attention. And autos are worse, robbing you of throttle response and even more power.

If it was a performance car then maybe a few gears would be justified, but even then it's hard to imagine needing more than a modernized powerglide.

That said, I beleive the cars built so far all have transmissions. More of the worst of both worlds afraid to jump in with both feet mentality as far as I can tell.

As for blind people, is it that hard to just not hit them? I've heard the crap about them wanting to add fake noise to the cars. It's crap. I think people will adjust to it when more cars are silent.

[Vince30]

Question: why the hell don't the electric motors have transmissions? 2 or 3 more gears could really help extend the range on those suckers

Because when you get max tq at 1rpm you can be running that single gear at the equivalent of your 5th gear and it would accelerate the same as if you were running through gears. Plus when they were making the tesla roadsters they were going to originally have a 2 speed transmission but the instant tq kept shedding them so they put in a stronger single speed.