http://www.switched.com/2007/06/14/lightnings-new-electric-gt-roadster/ Switched Comments for http://www.switched.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.switched.com en-us Copyright 2008 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.switched.com/2007/06/14/lightnings-new-electric-gt-roadster/http://www.switched.com/2007/06/14/lightnings-new-electric-gt-roadster/Jul 29th 2007 6:50PMhttp://www.switched.com/2007/06/14/lightnings-new-electric-gt-roadster/http://www.switched.com/2007/06/14/lightnings-new-electric-gt-roadster/
Another point of relevance is that electric motors have two power levels raings of major importance, the PEAK power level and the CONTINUOUS power level. The UQM motor that powers the Phoenix cars is 150Kw peak and 100Kw continuous. The Tesla motor is 150 (180?) Kw peak and only 50 Kw continuous. The Hi-Pa drives powering the Lighting is 120Kw peak and I'm guessing only about 30Kw continuous, when considering the mass (25Kg) of the motors. Strangely the continuous power ratings of the motors are not widely advertised.

The final and I believe killer point (that no-one seems to mention or even know about) is that the electric motors can be run at their peak power levels for a very short time, I'm talking 1 to 2 minutes, depending on the cooling system. UQM motors are water-cooled and the Tesla motor isn't. Not sure about the Hi-Pa, probably not. The point is that you can only use the electric motor so that the average power usage over time does not exceed the continuous rating.

So comparing a 700Hp (680Hp) Lightning to say a 650Hp Aston Martin is like comparing apples with lemons. The Aston can run it's engine (theoretically anyway) continuously at 650Hp whereas the Lightning can run it's engine at 700Hp for maybe 2 minutes (probably less). It comes down to the duty cycle. The ICE vehicle can use it's power at a 100% duty cycle of it's maximum power, wheras the electric motor vehicle can only use it's power at something like 30% of the peak power rating.

Well this short time that you can run the electric motor at peak rating is long enough to run a short drag race and beat Astons, Ferraris and Porches, and impress ignorant people tremendously. But put them on a road track for a race of say 10 laps and in a very short time (after the first or so lap) the electric cars will start to look utterly ridiculous. If you should put the electrics on a high speed oval, they would only be able to run at their claimed top speed for a minute or two, whereafter they would have to slow down to something probably in the order of 80 mph.

In fact the Lightning is really a 120Kw car that has the capability to put out 480Kw for a very limited time. Same for the Tesla, it is a 50Kw car that can output 150Kw for short periods of time.

I drive a very slow car (BMW Z4M @ 250Kw) but around a road track or a high speed oval for a few laps the BMW will beat both the Tesla and the Lightning quite easily - well probably after the first or second lap.

I have never in my life seen such marketing hype and spin as is now happening with the electric cars, that portray the performance of these vehicles to be much higher by a factor of 2 to 3 times, than they really can deliver. It is really a shame because the truth will come out eventually, and this could be a big negative for electric cars.

]]>Oct 16th 2007 5:27PMhttp://www.switched.com/2007/06/14/lightnings-new-electric-gt-roadster/http://www.switched.com/2007/06/14/lightnings-new-electric-gt-roadster/
How can you be so sure of those comments? Have you at leastr seen videos of the Tesla Roadster running at 130 mph during long periods? (much longer than 2 minutes)

It doesn't slow down to 80 mph.


And even if electric cars don't get 200 mph, what about the pollution? You don't care about the global warming? Don't you see that gas is destroying the world?

That's more important that stupid races at 200 mph in oval circuits.]]>Nov 10th 2007 9:07PMhttp://www.switched.com/2007/06/14/lightnings-new-electric-gt-roadster/http://www.switched.com/2007/06/14/lightnings-new-electric-gt-roadster/Dec 10th 2007 12:38PMhttp://www.switched.com/2007/06/14/lightnings-new-electric-gt-roadster/http://www.switched.com/2007/06/14/lightnings-new-electric-gt-roadster/http://www.pmlflightlink.com/motors/hipa_drive.html
it is water cooled, 50KW per wheel continuous...
http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid377000833/bclid452310430/bctid1312350978
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=be1Nnj_Zrag

]]>Jan 2nd 2008 6:14PMhttp://www.switched.com/2007/06/14/lightnings-new-electric-gt-roadster/http://www.switched.com/2007/06/14/lightnings-new-electric-gt-roadster/Jan 2nd 2008 8:15PM