Why Do Electric Cars Feel Faster?

Electric cars have dominated the speed grid for the past ten years. While there were initially a number of challenges to be addressed, including concerns with mileage and charging times, electric cars are now common and have broken multiple speed records. So, what is the reason that makes electric cars so surprisingly fast?

The primary reason why electric cars feel so fast is because of their instantaneous torque curves. With no turbocharger or supercharger time delay, an electric car’s maximum torque is available from 0 RPM, enabling incredibly quick acceleration and more robust hill climbing performance.

While many people talk about the effectiveness and environmentally friendly aspects of electric cars, the speed and performance advantages are equally intriguing. Let’s dive right in and see why electric vehicles are so fast right from the start!

5 Reasons Electric Cars Accelerate Faster Than Gas Cars

To clarify why electric cars accelerate more quickly, it all comes down to the fundamental distinctions between combustion engines and electric motors. 

Gas engines may be somewhat sensitive when it comes to reaching their maximum output, and they typically have narrower horsepower and torque peaks in contrast to electric motors. 

Here are the five primary reasons for higher acceleration after instantaneous torque:

1. No Complex Transmissions

Electric automobiles accelerate more quickly than gas-powered vehicles because they lack complicated gearboxes.

The gearbox is substantially lighter due to employing just one gear instead of any problematic transmission.

Removing the excess weight reduces the difficulty of an Internal combustion engine’s transmission, which improves dependability. Since simple engines lack gears and a complex transmission, they may shift gears considerably more quickly. 

Engines without a gearbox save on shift time. Usually, manual transmissions are more enjoyable to drive, but dual-clutch gearboxes are becoming more and more common in supercars since they are speedier and need less time to change.

2. Throttle Control of an Electric Motor

The throttle control of an electric motor is the second factor that impacts the acceleration of an electric vehicle. 

One key feature that distinguishes an electric car from other vehicles is its throttle control system, which can be tuned to provide the same performance you desire.

Giving an electric car 50% of the throttle instantly produces 50% of the power in contrast to internal combustion engines, which are more sensitive when at partial oxygen throttle.

An electric vehicle’s throttle pedal allows you to control however much horsepower precisely it delivers at any given position. 

3. No Brake Fade & Regenerative Braking

Although it’s not impossible, brake fade is much less likely to happen in an electric car since you may recover energy whenever you push the brakes and transfer it back to the battery by utilizing your manual brakes to slow down.

Rather than overheating your mechanical brakes when you press them, you can use an electric engine to convert them into a power source and recharge your battery. This enables you to:

• Employ smaller brakes.
• Have less rotational mass.
• And have fewer unsprung masses.

Due to these reasons, you can enjoy the advantages of having lighter brakes.

4. More Horsepower Means More Efficiency

The electric automobile is also able to utilize much more of its horsepower when compared to a gas vehicle with the same horsepower level. This is because EVs can operate more effectively since they have minimal moving components. 

Department of Energy (DOE) says that in contrast to gas combustion cars, which only use around 17–21% of the energy from burning gasoline to move the car, electric vehicles (EVs) use roughly 59–62% of the electric energy to spin the wheels. 

This indicates that compared to a combustion car, an electric engine is nearly three times more efficient.

(Efficiency is not just based on fuel usage; the car’s speed and skill also play a role.) Over time, this lowers the cost of engine maintenance, making electric automobiles more affordable to operate.

5. More Battery, Greater Power

The performance of electric motors is frequently limited by the electric car’s battery rather than the motor itself. Since electric cars are lightweight, dependable, and have significantly fewer mechanical components than combustion engines, a good quality battery goes a long way. 

In order to maintain the health of the batteries, the drivetrain must only request an amount of power that is proportionate to its energy capacity.

8 Fastest Electric Cars

Here is a list of the fastest electric cars that are acclaimed globally and are either under production or about to begin commercial production. 

The manufacturers of these cars are either mainstream automobile producers, established electric vehicle producers, or entrepreneurial companies. 

Number	Model & Manufacturer	0-60 MPH	Speed
1	Rimac Nevera	1.85s	158 MPH
2	New Tesla Roadster	1.9s	250+MPH
3	Lotus Evija	3.0s	200+MPH
4	Tesla Model S Plaid	1.9s	200+MPH
5	Lucid Air Dream Edition Performance	2.5s	168MPH
6	Tesla Model X Plaid	2.5s	163MPH
7	Tesla Model 3 Performance	3.1s	162MPH
8	Porsche Taycan Turbo S	2.6s	161MPH

FAQs

Q. Can There Be A Faster Accelerating Combustion Car?

It’s questionable since there is very little probability that another internal combustion production automobile will accelerate faster than 2 seconds as the market as a whole advances towards adopting electric cars.

However, observing how quickly an electric vehicle can accelerate will be fascinating.

Q. What Does The Torque Curve In An Electric Car Engine Mean?

The total output power and crankshaft rotor velocity of an engine are related by a curve known as the torque curve. 

Low speeds with high exhaust gas flow generate the most increased torque (and consequently the optimum speed).

Final Thoughts 

The primary reason electric cars feel amazingly faster is the constant torque production. In contrast to gas automobiles, which have a torque curve, or a region in the engine’s power range where maximum velocity is created, electric vehicles generate the same amount of torque irrespective of their speed, making them more efficient and quicker!