Quote:
Originally Posted by MaysEffect
Not really a logical comparison. The leaf is a $20k ecobox, Tesla makes $60k+ luxury sports cars. The motors are bigger the battery capacity is significantly larger and the power conversion is greater. The fastest top of the line tesla is over 120k$. Its like comparing a Versa to a Gt-r. Just because they share similar technology doesn't mean much. Ultimately large corporations can't/won't take the risk like Tesla is doing investing unnecessary amounts of money into a different business model.
This is a pretty daft argument for the average joe, but Tesla's are not the fastest cars overall. They are fastest where it counts (0-60mph). Outside of this, supercars of similar price have no problem running it down to 80-140+mph. Again, something that is relatively unimportant in the real world on regulated streets considering anything over 80mph should be jail time in America. Luckily it's just a expensive fine at the least.
|
What I am saying is that:
Electric cars are fast. The torque is instant, and that makes a fun driving experience.
Electric cars, outside of Teslas, and other stuff like the Rimac One and other mega expensive cars, are ugly. So no one is buying them for looks.
Electric cars, outside of Teslas etc, are slow. And they aren't slow because the tech is outrageously expensive and unattainable. They are slow because they are made to be econoboxes.
But we all know that the miata is not powerful. yet it is heralded as one of the best drivers cars of all time. The ND 2.0L Miata has 158bhp and 148lbs/ft. But the leaf, with the largest battery pack that Nissan sells is 110 hp and 210lbs/ft.
So the leaf is technically torquier than a miata. Currently the way that it is sold. Weight then, is the next major issue, because batteries weight more. So the battery system, according to wikipedia, is 480lbs. Whereas the Miata's engine weighs.. well I can't find an easy number, so the I4 that I found statistics for weighs 300lbs so lets say that, to be on the safe side?
So the Leaf's power pack and motor combination that is currently for sale is pretty close to inline with that of the current generation MX5.
And remember, torque in an electric motor is how much current you put through the motor, and horsepower is effectively how many volts the motor has. This has limitations as does anything else (comparable to forged internals except basically just windings of the motor and cooling). So the cost to make a faster Leaf, to Nissan, is simply to make a better battery pack. And that would benefit all of their cars that were are electric.
No one is going to jump out of their skin to buy and ugly and boring car, just to save the planet. People, as a whole, are not motivated by that. But I'm saying car manufacturers could make a fun electric car. They are choosing not to.