AEM EV control VCU200: http://bit.ly/D4A-vcu200
AEM EV control VCU300: http://bit.ly/D4A-vcu300
AEM EV power distribution PDU-8: http://bit.ly/D4A-pdu8
CD Carbon Dashes EV: http://bit.ly/D4A-evdashes

In this video we're doing something we haven't done on the d4a channel before, and that is to talk about battery electric vehicles, and we're starting this topic BIG, with a giant 30+ minute video that goes deep into the differences between ICE (internal combustion engine) cars and EV (Electric Vehicles) aka BEV (Battery electric vehicles). We're going to talk about performance, torque, weight, transmissions, maintenance, running costs as well as the future aspects for car enthusiasts. We're even saying a few words about the prejudice that seems to exist in the two opposed camps behind EVs and ICE cars.

But before we can get EVs and ICE vehicles clashing head to head we first must get a bit more familiar with EVs. Interestingly enough, to do that we can rely on the familiar concepts behind components in ICE vehicles, namely the battery and the starter motor, which is an electric motor we'll be using to better understand the electric motor driving EVs. If we contrast the starter motor to the EV motor we can see that the EV motor is a three phase induction motor (or permanent magnet or IPM synRM motor in newer Tesla cars, or the Porsche Taycan, or even some entry-level EVs) which needs three phase alternating current AC to run. In contrast to this the starter motor is a DC motor with brushes and commutators that must make direct physical contact to operate. The AC motor in EVs doesn't need any direct physical contact. It relies on a rotating magnetic field generated by three phase AC in the motor's stator to drive the rotor. This means no brushes or commutators and it also means the AC motor is a lot more rugged, reliable, maintenance free and has a longer life expectancy compared to DC motors. But most importantly for the sake of our comparison AC motors have rotation in their core.

The engine on the other hand needs to convert reciprocation into rotation. This is the arduous task of the connecting rods and crankshaft and where a lot of the weight, complexity, vibration and losses of the ICE come from. That being said, modern engine really do vibrate very little and configurations like the inline 6 or the v12 are essentially vibration free. A common misconception that occurs here is that ICE is heavier when compared to EVs. Yes, an ICE electric motor by itself weighs less than a fully assembled engine, but to run the engine only needs fuel, fuel tank and transmission (100-250kg), compared to this an electric motor need batteries (500kg on the Tesla model S for example). On top of this batteries make DC power which isn't suitable of an AC motor, so EVs also need an inverter to convert DC into AC and to vary the speed of motor. This is why on average EVs are as a whole heavier than ICE vehicles. For example, the 2018 and newer BMW M5 weighs 1990 kg compared to the 2200 kg of the Tesla model S.

Another interesting aspect that must be explored are the torque curves. The reason why electric cars can operate with just 1 gear in their transmission. The Tesla model S P100D for example has a max motor RPM of 18.000 rpm and makes usable torque for most of that rpm range. The BMW M5 does make 750 Nm of torque starting from only 1800 rpm, but it redlines at 7000 rpm which is why it needs multiple gears. With just 1 gear it would be redlining at 60mph. But the 1 gear thing is a compromise, you must choose between acceleration and top speed. This explains why Tesla cars are so fast from 0 - 100mph, but are outrun by equivalent ICE cars from 100 to 150 mph. Tesla chose to favor acceleration with their gear ratio. This is also why the Porsche Taycan is currently the only EV with a two speed transmission. To avoid the compromise between top speed and acceleration it has a second gear into which it automatically shifts at 60mph. The reason why it outruns the Tesla even if it has less power and is a bit heavier.

What about running costs? Surely owning EVs is cheaper as there is less maintenance? Well EVs still have brakes, coolant pumps, transmission oil pumps, radiators and much more. They are definitely not maintenance free. The running costs vary across the globe and depend on electricity prices as well as the local taxation, registration and EV incentive policies in the country.

So are battery electric vehicles the future? Your guess is as good as mine. Are they amazing? Definitely. Do they have ways to go? Yes, but that's a good thing.

A special thank you to my patrons:
Daniel
Peter Della Flora
Daniel Morgan
William
Richard Caldwell
Pepe
Brian Durning
Andrew Ruud
Brian Alvarez
Holset90

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#d4a #enginebootcamp

00:00 A Bet
02:43 AC vs DC
09:01 Engine vs Motor
14:40 Gears and Torque
22:53 Costs
26:24 Future and enthusiasm