Max speed - 90mph?

[Visualvalhalla]

Is the Slate highest speed locked to 90mph due to the motor or the gear ratio? We have some highways in Texas with a 85mph speed limit, which means cars are whizzing past 90mph.

 

[ScooterAsheville]

With EVs, it's usually a combination of battery, BMS, motor, and of course reduction gearing. People are often surprised that the battery itself is often the limiting factor. A given battery can only deliver power at a given safe rate. Cells are chemical machines that generate heat.

 

[DinoLord]

Guess we won't be one of those whizzers.

 

[EV Trek]

The new Bolt is limited to 93mph

 

[DinoLord]

The new Bolt is limited to 93mph

Many, many vehicles are 98.

 

[The Weatherman]

This thing is really pretty small. I don’t see me running this up and down the highway, other than a few local miles getting to town.

 

[slate808]

Call me a wuss but 90 mph is fine.

 

[usbritinusa]

Agreed. 90 mph is fine for me but I do wish it was a little quicker on 0-60…but I guess 8 secs is ok.

 

[GrizzlysGhost]

Many, many vehicles are 98.

Yep, my H3 has a speed limiter around 98, though I did get it over 100 a few times. I had it in The Netherlands with me for a couple of years (Autobahn).

90 is more than enough for my Slate.

 

[RevCaptJack]

Call me a wuss but 90 mph is fine.

My smart is limited to 90. Plenty fast.

 

[EV Trek]

Agreed. 90 mph is fine for me but I do wish it was a little quicker on 0-60…but I guess 8 secs is ok.

My first car had a 0-60 of 18 second's… and 80 hp, top speed may have been 80 with a tail wind going down hill.

 

[Johnologue]

I feel like the main concern is whether acceleration will get a lot worse as you approach 90.

I imagine it's mostly drag, based on the Slate's profile and my (vague) memory that the Slate was previously given a top speed around 90 before motor output went from 200 -> 180 horsepower (or as presented by Slate, 150 -> 135 communist horsepower /j) with the lower voltage of LFP cells; meaning, it's probably not limited by the amount of energy (heat) being put into the motor.

Assuming acceleration doesn't drop off too harshly in the upper freeway ranges (60-85?) in general, it sounds fine. I think in the recent driving tests with journalists and Chris Barman chatting, she mentioned it's optimized for the 30-60 range...

Agreed. 90 mph is fine for me but I do wish it was a little quicker on 0-60…but I guess 8 secs is ok.

Faster than my car.

I think a lot of the noticeable "slowness" of a less-powerful ICEV isn't in the 0-60.
Internal combustion engines have to deal with overcoming vacuum (they're basically air pumps, in a lot of ways), reciporocating mass, and then their narrow power/efficiency bands mean you need a transmission.
The transmission adds a delay for shifting, and unless you're driving aggressively, automatics (or frugally-operated manuals) prefer upshifts away from power to improve fuel economy.

So, in a straight line, testing maximum acceleration, you get the 0-60. Coming off of a stoplight, there are a bunch of little delays and you're pulled away from your power by gearing.

Electric motors have their wide power and efficiency bands and don't need a transmission (or emissions optimizations; I hear that can add further delay in some cases), so you should be getting the "0-60" acceleration in real-world use.

 

[DT444T]

Agreed. 90 mph is fine for me but I do wish it was a little quicker on 0-60…but I guess 8 secs is ok.

I had a 2.0 TDi Jetta Sportwagen. It did 0-60 probably in that 8 seconds range, even with a tune and exhaust. Still PLENTY quick for getting out of the way.

Eight seconds seems fine, to me.

And I'll have the cruise set at 70-73mph. Go around me, the right lane is mine.

 

[sodamo]

About 99.99% certain my Slate will never see 90 mph. My Tundra hasn’t, wife’s Ascent hasn’t.

 

[LoneWolfo6]

Don’t think I would wish to go above 70 in a Slate, something might fall off.

Sounds like you need a real truck for Texas highways!