Discussion
The internal combustion engine tuning market is massive. From air filters, to exhausts and remaps to fully built forged motors with all sorts of upgrades
Obviously EV’s lack this essential engine for tuning. But the radio controlled car world is well versed in tuning electric power trains. Adjustable electric motor timing, programmable throttle curves and punch settings through the Electronic Speed Controls and higher voltage battery packs.
Full size EV vehicles work to similar principles. So has there been any inroads yet to tuning them and making them go faster than stock yet?
Obviously EV’s lack this essential engine for tuning. But the radio controlled car world is well versed in tuning electric power trains. Adjustable electric motor timing, programmable throttle curves and punch settings through the Electronic Speed Controls and higher voltage battery packs.
Full size EV vehicles work to similar principles. So has there been any inroads yet to tuning them and making them go faster than stock yet?
The twizy has some plug in tuning options, just wished the price would come down!
http://forum.evowners.com/t/new-intelligent-power-...
http://forum.evowners.com/t/new-intelligent-power-...
The problem is the "Interlinked" nature of modern EVs! The battery system measures its own performance, the inverter does the same, the hybrid controller needs to know the true current and voltages in the system, otherwise the system SoC can't be calculated, and your battery may not charge fully (or worse, be over charged)
Ultimately, for an electric motor, volts = power, so the best way to get more power is to re-jig the system to a higher system voltage, but as that needs a new battery, a new inverter, and then all those parts re-calibrating to make the rest of the car work, then it's expensive and tedious to do.
On an ICE, when the aftermarket tuners fiddle with the fuel pulse width and the economy meter on the dash reads the wrong figure, then no one cares. But on an EV the entire system revolves around accurate determination of the system SoC, and therefore it's much harder to fake that data.......
Ultimately, for an electric motor, volts = power, so the best way to get more power is to re-jig the system to a higher system voltage, but as that needs a new battery, a new inverter, and then all those parts re-calibrating to make the rest of the car work, then it's expensive and tedious to do.
On an ICE, when the aftermarket tuners fiddle with the fuel pulse width and the economy meter on the dash reads the wrong figure, then no one cares. But on an EV the entire system revolves around accurate determination of the system SoC, and therefore it's much harder to fake that data.......
There's also the fact that i'm struggling to think of any current EV that really needs to go any faster? Even my dinky i3 has more than enough accel so i can't really see why you'd want to ruin the whole car to get to 60 some tenths of a second faster?
IMO, it's more likely that people will just fit the entire powertrain from a modern EV into something else, a classic, or whatever, but leave that powertrain pretty much standard.
IMO, it's more likely that people will just fit the entire powertrain from a modern EV into something else, a classic, or whatever, but leave that powertrain pretty much standard.
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