Originally Posted by
Ending Credits
Actually it varies from motor to motor; the thing about electric motors is that they can generate torque from a standstill so you don't need a clutch to start moving. They also tend to have a very flat torque curve so you don't need different gears.
Also, remeber that while torque is what creates accelleration, the drivetrain can be geared up or down to improve torque (but at the expense of a shortened gear ratio) hence why horsepower (which is just torque x rpms) is really a better indicator of power. The reason high torque figures are 'good' s that they mean peak horsepower occurs lower down the rpm range which makes the car more drivable. It also generally implies a better 'torque-curve' (i.e a wider 'powerband') which means you get maximum torque for longer.
You're right though that electric motors are great off the line, although part of that is down to traction control. Also with regards to getting kit from the fortwo, I always thought the Nissan Leaf looked like a good starting point but I don't know if you can get hold of a battery pack without owning one.
Alos, Bruce, I'm on the formula student team at uni and we're building an EV (what I was talking about earlier).
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