TORQUE Talking is not only the name of fine industry man Duncan Forrester’s blog, it’s also what I like talking, when I’m not discussing ride.
Oh, believe me, it’s a night to remember, if you get me in the pub.
I’ve munched on the shape of torque curves before, and how they’re slowly changing from Peak Practice to Table Mountain. And, in the future, they will continue to do so.
Indeed, they’ll do it completely. Become big, flat boxes. Why? Because the car of the future WILL be driven by an electric motor. Whose key characteristic is maximum torque delivery from 0 rpm.
As soon as you press the accelerator of an electric car, all your Nms are there at your disposal. No delay, no build-up and no waiting for your little torque mountain-climbing men to summit the side of the low-rev cliff-face until the stick the conquering flag of their home nation atop the 3500rpm sweet spot. Or similar.
This means torque will become an absolute. You’ll see a number and instantly be able to judge the strength of an engine. Just as we look at 0-60mph to rate speediness, so we’ll view torque to rate strength. All the mystique will be removed.
Indeed, this is why all the fledgling electric cars right now are not even bothering to discuss hp. Because it’s even less important than it already arguably isn’t. Torque is what will talk. (Quite right, too. After all, hp is but a function of torque in the first place…)
Incidentally, note I earlier said accelerator. It is, of course, not a throttle. That’s why Vauxhall Ampera chief mused to me recently, that perhaps it should be renamed ‘speed variation device’…
Why Ford Econetics break the rules
RenaultSport past to inspire turbo future
Or even throttle potentiomter? Already seeing geek posts about updated motor windings instead of high lift cams…
I always knew capacitors were cool… yet more reason why the geeks shall inherit, etc.