• plantfanatic@sh.itjust.works
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    3 days ago

    Something that’s twice the weight with twice the horsepower only accelerates the same speed. Double the weight and keep the horsepower and you’ll go half as fast.

    The graphs aren’t entirely 100% related to each other. The twice as fast acceleration average isn’t because of the double horsepower, that only works if the weight also isn’t doubles.

    • SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca
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      3 days ago

      EVs have massive torque from zero speed. Horsepower is just a fake number derived from torque. A Model Y is both heavy and makes 500ftlbs torque immediately.

      • SomeoneSomewhere@lemmy.nz
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        2 days ago

        Both are very limited comparability especially between drive types.

        Torque was normally measured ahead of the gearbox and that introduces a whole pile of extra messiness.

        Power is relevant once you’re into higher-speed regimes e.g. merging onto a fast road, overtaking, and climbing hills (especially if towing).

        Force-speed or acceleration-speed curves would be nice.

      • drosophila@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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        2 days ago

        Horsepower is just a fake number derived from torque.

        I don’t really disagree with your earlier comment, and I agree that the shape of the torque curve matters a lot when it comes to the practicalities and experience of driving a vehicle, but, uhh, what you said here is just completely wrong.

        Force and speed (torque and RPM) are both components of power (horsepower is torque * RPM / 5253). Saying that the RPM, or time component, of that equation doesn’t matter is the same as saying it wouldn’t matter if it takes 10 seconds or 10 years for a crane to lift a load at a construction site, since its lifting the same weight either way.

        To put it another way, with a long enough lever I can exert enough force to start a passenger train rolling down the tracks with just my own arms (and in fact, people do something similar using compound levers). But what that doesn’t let me do is move a passenger train at 200 MPH like high speed rail lines do. There is no arrangement of gears or mechanical linkages that will let a single human being power a high speed rail line like that, the human body does not have enough power output.