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Old 01-26-2010, 09:51 PM   #107
twotoner
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Join Date: Jan 2009
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SeeGeeWhy View Post
Electric motors are great at generating torque. The 2009 prius is rated at having 153 ft-lb of torque. As a comparison, am si civic coupe only generates 139 ft-lb of torque at its peak. I don't think a Prius would have trouble passing on the road to Kelowna unless its battery was dying.
So true. I have torque arms on my bike above to prevent the motor ripping the dropouts apart. Tesla has a good page on torque:

" Acceleration & Torque

Instant Freedom

The first time you drive the Tesla Roadster, prepare to be surprised. You're at freeway speed in seconds without even thinking about it. There is no clutch pedal to contend with and no race-car driving techniques to perform. Just the touch of your foot and you're off, without any of the sluggishness of an automatic.
How powerful is the acceleration? A quick story to illustrate. A favorite trick here at Tesla Motors is to invite a passenger along and ask him to turn on the radio. At the precise moment we ask, we accelerate. Our passenger simply can't sit forward enough to reach the dials. But who needs music when you're experiencing such a symphony of motion.
Rest assured that this responsiveness works at all speeds, as noticeable when you're inching your way through parking lots as when flying along freeways.
100% Torque, 100% of the Time

The Tesla Roadster delivers full availability of performance every moment you are in the car, even while at a stoplight. Its peak torque begins at 0 rpm and stays powerful at 14,000 rpm.
This is the precise opposite of what you experience with a gasoline engine, which has very little torque at a low rpm and only reaches peak torque in a narrow rpm range. This forces you to make frequent gear changes to maintain optimal torque. With the Tesla Roadster, you get great acceleration and the highest energy efficiency at the same time. All while requiring no special driving skills to enjoy it. This makes the Tesla Roadster six times as efficient as the best sports cars while producing one-tenth of the pollution.

"
http://www.teslamotors.com/performan...and_torque.php
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