Summary / Reader Response Draft #3
The article
“A Critical Review of Emerging Technologies for Electric and Hybrid Vehicles” introduces
the latest Tri Motor All-Wheel Drive electric motor system that is utilized on
the Tesla Model S Plaid electric vehicle (Lee, Hua, Long, Jiang, &
Iyer, 2021). The function of an electric motor system is to propel an electric
vehicle forward by using electricity. The Tesla “All-Wheel Drive” system uses
independent front and rear motors (Tesla, n.d.). The same article stated
that the system allows improvements in both capability and traction, thus
enabling quick responses from the accelerator pedal. The Tesla “Tri Motor”
configuration utilizes all four wheels with a total of three AC induction
motors that are generated by a 407-volt lithium-ion battery pack (Owen, 2023).
The motors are uniquely carbon-wrapped (Crider, 2021), and feature an improved
heat pump and thermal system (Dent, 2021). With the several enhanced features
of the Tri Motor All-Wheel Drive, it is an improvement compared to the Dual
Motor All-Wheel Drive system, which is utilized on the Tesla Model S.
The Tri Motor All-Wheel Drive has three motors that
are carbon-wrapped, which is an enhanced feature. The carbon-wrapping allows
the rotor to achieve a higher RPM as the carbon sleeves largely prevent the
copper rotor from enlarging due to radial acceleration (Crider, 2021). The
carbon-wrapped motors weigh significantly lighter (Addcomposites, n.d.). The
same article stated there were four key benefits to having carbon-wrapped
motors. Firstly, it allows an increase in efficiency due to generating less
energy to spin because of its lighter weight. The motor still attains the same
level of mechanical energy. Secondly, the carbon-wrapping improves the electric
vehicle’s acceleration and top speed due to its lighter weight. Thirdly, with a
lighter rotor, the electric vehicle requires less energy to propel which
results in longer battery life. Lastly, a lighter weight leads to lesser
material production which results in the decrement of the carbon footprint of
electric vehicles.
Another enhanced feature of the Tri Motor All-Wheel
Drive is its improved heat pump and thermal system (Dent, 2021). The heat pump
has a 30 percent improvement in cold weather ranges. The same article also
mentioned the heat pump requires 50 percent less energy for heating the cabin
in freezing conditions. This enhanced feature benefits the electric vehicle
entirely as it will experience minimal degradation in cold weather
circumstances which is a critical factor for its overall service lifespan.
(Ewing, 2021). Hence, the enhancement of the heat pump and thermal system shows
why the “Tri Motor” is an improvement over the “Dual Motor”.
When the statistics are compared, the Tri Motor All-Wheel Drive that is
utilized in the Tesla Model S Plaid shows why it is an improvement over the
Dual Motor All-Wheel Drive that is equipped in the Tesla Model S (Tesla,
n.d.). According to the same website, the Tesla Model S Plaid can go from 0 to
60 miles per hour in about 1.99 seconds, with the first foot of rollout
subtracted. In addition, its top speed is up to 200 mph with added hardware
upgrades (Dean, 2023). Its maximum output is 1020 horsepower. For its range, it
can cover between 348 to 396 miles depending on the wheel selection (Tesla,
n.d.). The Tesla Model S on the other hand, can go from 0 to 60 miles per hour
in about 3.1 seconds. Its top speed is 149 mph, and its maximum output is 670 horsepower.
When we compare the statistics above, we can clearly see how enhanced the Tesla
Model S Plaid is as compared to the Tesla Model S. The only statistic that
beats the Tesla Model S Plaid is that the Tesla Model S range is between
375-405 miles, which is slightly higher in comparison. Nonetheless, the Tri
Motor All-Wheel Drive utilized in the “Plaid” still outshines the Dual Motor
All-Wheel Drive equipped in the "Model S" in other aspects of the
statistics which thus shows why it is an improvement.
One problem with the Tri Motor All-Wheel Drive is that having a top
speed of up to 200 mph in a vehicle, could be dangerous and could cause
potential accidents if reckless driving is involved. There was an article that
reported a man drove the Tesla Model S Plaid at 116 miles an hour in a 30 miles
an hour zone area and crashed the car. The crash killed 2 people and a dog
sadly (Walser, 2021). With the enhanced upgrades that are available to take the
top speed up to 200mph (Dean, 2023), it could be a huge safety concern as the
potential for recklessness is there.
Regarding the issue of recklessness, we can only
pray that the buyers of the Tesla Model S Plaid exercise caution and follow the
speed limits responsibly. In conclusion, with the enhanced features and
statistics shown above, we can evidently see how the Tri Motor All-Wheel Drive
is ultimately an improvement over the Dual Motor All-Wheel Drive.
References
Addcomposites. (n.d.) https://www.addcomposites.com/post/how-tesla-s-carbon-wrapped-motor-with-afp-could-revolutionize-electrification-in-automotive
Crider, J. (2021). More Details On Tesla’s Innovative
Carbon-Wrapped Motor. CleanTechnica. More Details On Tesla's
Innovative Carbon-Wrapped Motor - CleanTechnica
Dent, S. (2021). Tesla shows off the $130,000 Model S Plaid’s
performance. Engadget. https://www.engadget.com/tesla-model-s-plaid-first-deliveries-075110301.html
Dean, G. (2023). Tesla Model S Plaid is so fast it breaks
records. Learn about cost, horsepower, and comparisons to other EVS. Business
Insider. https://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-model-s-plaid
Ewing, S. (2021). Tesla Model S Plaid offers repeatable 0-to-60
times, better cold weather range, Musk says. CNET. https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/tesla-model-s-plaid-performance-cold-weather-ev/
Lee, C., Hua, W., Long, T., Jiang, C., & Iyer, L. (2021). A
Critical Review of Emerging Technologies for Electric and Hybrid Vehicles.
IEEE. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/9664303
Owen, J. (2023). The 12 Best Features Of The Tesla Plaid.
Slashgear. https://www.slashgear.com/848196/the-12-best-features-of-the-tesla-plaid/
TESLA. (n.d.) https://www.tesla.com/models/design#overview
Walser, A. (2021). Tesla driver arrested after 116 mph crash
kills two people and a dog. ABC Action News. https://www.abcactionnews.com/news/local-news/i-team-investigates/tesla-driver-arrested-after-116-mph-crash-kills-two-people-and-a-dog
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