I've been a huge fan of drag racing, and the engineering behind it. I've seen the influx of electric cars making their way into the scene but they never seem to be competitive, and that comes down to their top end.
The extreme end of combustion engines, you really got top fuel dragsters. Not much faster land vehicles than those. The flaw with those, they got about 2 uses tops before it needs to be completely gutted and rebuilt, not great as a weekend track car. As well, it's somewhere around $1000/second to drive it.
You can sit more in the middle with people getting 1000hp daily drivers. With dynamic tuning, flex fuel, etc you can get the best of both worlds. As well, DCT AWD transmissions make grip/shifting issues a thing of the past.
However, these middle ground drag cars can still get eaten by a $130k bone stock tesla*. The extra weight, infinite torque, and zero shifting is a real advantage, even if their top end isn't as strong as their ICE counterpart.
I've always dreamed of building a hybrid car with tiny tiny battery packs. Maybe enough charge for 4-5 passes. Enough for a day at the track. But have a fully built high revving ICE. You get the launch in full electric, your ICE can be fully spooled, and ready to switch over automatically. Perhaps the smaller batteries couldn't put out enough power? Who knows.
Once you do this you are sunk due to weight. If you need another torque band, far better to add a second electric motor with a different gear ratio (Tesla already does this) or use something like a DSG with the single motor.
You literally describe the setup in a Prius CVT here. You could run your ICE at peak torque RPM in standstill (all torque would go to the small electric motor/generator). Then you accelerate with all three motors in tandem, all the while keeping your ICE at peak torque over the whole speed range.
The Prius of course is not a track car, so instead you accelerate with just the electric motor and continue to use it until your battery gets low or more power is required. The the ICE is automatically started while driving.
Yes, their top speed is much much faster. But put that same vehicle on a 1/4 mile race track, racing a top fuel dragster. The top fuel dragster produces around 5g's at launch, the top speed cars are very very slow to build up speed. So much so, they usually require a pilot vehicle just to start them, like you trying to start pedaling your bicycle in 5th gear. You'll want a push. It's a different type of racing.
> Not much faster land vehicles than those.
Its a poor choice of words, perhaps 'quick' is a better word?
Nope, your typical Tesla isn't the rocket you describe. Most are quick, but not that quick. I frequently get challenged by wannabes while commuting. I rarely take the bait, but I've yet to have one live up to the hype.
> You can sit more in the middle with people getting 1000hp daily drivers. With dynamic tuning, flex fuel, etc you can get the best of both worlds. As well, DCT AWD transmissions make grip/shifting issues a thing of the past.
> However, these middle ground drag cars can still get eaten by a $100k bone stock tesla
A 1000HP drag car with AWD and a DCT shouldn't "get eaten by" a $100K Tesla (unless you actually meant the $130K Tesla Model S Plaid). Not unless someone is lying about their power numbers or doesn't know how to set up a car.
The Tesla's drag mode is a neat party trick and perfect for singular drag races, but spending 15 minutes preconditioning your battery before you can launch is also kind of ridiculous by ICE car standards.
>unless you actually meant the $130K Tesla Model S Plaid
Rounding error to $100k. Yes I'm referring to the Plaid. People have taken those cars and gutted the interiors on them, and demolished drag races.
> spending 15 minutes preconditioning your battery before you can launch is also kind of ridiculous by ICE car standards.
It's far from rare to see people setting up an array of box fans, and bags of ice around their engines to cool it off between passes. Many high high powered cars won't even have full size radiators.
If a drag car is running on methanol with a solid block then you wouldn't have need for a full radiator since its only the engine head you might need to cool.
The extreme end of combustion engines, you really got top fuel dragsters. Not much faster land vehicles than those. The flaw with those, they got about 2 uses tops before it needs to be completely gutted and rebuilt, not great as a weekend track car. As well, it's somewhere around $1000/second to drive it.
You can sit more in the middle with people getting 1000hp daily drivers. With dynamic tuning, flex fuel, etc you can get the best of both worlds. As well, DCT AWD transmissions make grip/shifting issues a thing of the past.
However, these middle ground drag cars can still get eaten by a $130k bone stock tesla*. The extra weight, infinite torque, and zero shifting is a real advantage, even if their top end isn't as strong as their ICE counterpart.
I've always dreamed of building a hybrid car with tiny tiny battery packs. Maybe enough charge for 4-5 passes. Enough for a day at the track. But have a fully built high revving ICE. You get the launch in full electric, your ICE can be fully spooled, and ready to switch over automatically. Perhaps the smaller batteries couldn't put out enough power? Who knows.
*Plaid