Repair-It

Regardless of how you feel about the eSmart, I think this was well done. It reminds me of a lot of situations in my commute actually.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1iJJZfB7i0

I am reminded of the C&D comparison.

http://forums.kevinallenmoore.com/viewt ... f=37&t=184

That particular Smart was middle pack for 0-30, amongst its EV peers. Which is to say, not bad.

But torque converter automatic cars with healthy N/A engines will always launch well, too.

Interestingly enough, the 0-30 times from this article came up recently in another article:

http://www.greencarreports.com/news/109 ... -deceptive

It is interesting that they mention the electronic torque limiting. I am pretty sure that I can feel this in both the Volt and Leaf.

Yeah I covered all of that in my own "article." Numbers at the motor shaft are meaningless. Once you take into account gearing and tire diameter, wheel torque tells you everything you need to know.

The Fiat 500e has 147 lb-ft but a 9.59 axle ratio. The Chevy Spark has 400 lb-ft but a 3.17 axle ratio. Multiply them out and the Fiat has an 11% wheel torque advantage to the Spark (and similar tire height). No surprise, it's a bit faster to 30. It was actually the fastest to 30 in the C&D test.

However, horsepower is still a thing (as it always was) and the Fiat traps 80mph while the Spark traps 86. It already fell behind the Spark at the 60mph mark, nevermind the 1/4 mile. Just like with gas engine cars, we need a blend of low speed torque and horsepower characteristics for the best driving experience.