7 ms·

Actually I think it has less to do with appearance and more to do with efficiency as every mm counts in an electric car drag coefficient.

loeg 8y ago
Priuses don't have this problem.
- reissbaker 8y ago
  Prius handles only affect MPG, which is a number people care less about than miles of range.
  - loeg 8y ago
    I don't follow — MPG and range have a direct, linear relation. They're also one of the most aerodynamic, low drag coefficient vehicles on the market. This table on wikipedia[0] puts the Model S and Prius at the same coefficient: 0.24. The Model 3 is a rounding error better, at 0.23. The Model X is a rounding error worse, at 0.25. Another list with helpful pictures[1] shows that literally every other low-drag mass market vehicle has conventional handles[1]. [0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automobile_drag_coefficient https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automobile_drag_coefficient [1]: https://www.motoringresearch.com/car-news-list/most-aerodynamic-new-cars-2018/ https://www.motoringresearch.com/car-news-list/most-aerodyna...
    - reissbaker 8y ago
      You make good points about the drag coefficients, but I don't know if they're comparable in terms of handles — just because they have similar overall coefficients doesn't mean the handles don't affect drag. It may be the case that the Prius body is slightly more efficient, but the handles bring it back down. Re: range vs MPG — range anxiety isn't an issue for hybrids, because filling up at a gas station is extremely fast. So having better MPG — which is more a cost metric (and to some extent a badge of feeling good about being eco-friendly) — is less important than having longer range on an EV, because when you exceed an EV's range it's quite a bit more painful than when you exceed a hybrid's range. Technically better MPG means better range assuming tank size is equivalent, but range isn't a number many people care about for hybrids; it usually doesn't appear in marketing, whereas MPG does (and typically without tank size, so range isn't even deducible). For EVs range is one of the headline numbers, whereas MPGe typically doesn't appear in marketing.
jeffwass 8y ago
Why wouldn’t ICE cars be equally affected by car drag coefficients?
- londons_explore 8y ago
  Fuel is cheap. Nobody cares about that extra 0.2 mpg. For electric it's an amplified effect, because a slightly lower drag coefficient means less energy use per mile, which means you can have a smaller battery, which in turn means lighter, which is again less energy per mile.
- audunw 8y ago
  They are, but range is not as big of an issue with ICE, so less pressure to optimize drag coefficient
perl4ever 8y ago
If electric cars are more efficient, doesn't that mean every mm counts less than on a gasoline powered car?

loeg 8y ago

Priuses don't have this problem.

reissbaker 8y ago
Prius handles only affect MPG, which is a number people care less about than miles of range.
- loeg 8y ago
  I don't follow — MPG and range have a direct, linear relation. They're also one of the most aerodynamic, low drag coefficient vehicles on the market. This table on wikipedia[0] puts the Model S and Prius at the same coefficient: 0.24. The Model 3 is a rounding error better, at 0.23. The Model X is a rounding error worse, at 0.25. Another list with helpful pictures[1] shows that literally every other low-drag mass market vehicle has conventional handles[1]. [0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automobile_drag_coefficient https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automobile_drag_coefficient [1]: https://www.motoringresearch.com/car-news-list/most-aerodynamic-new-cars-2018/ https://www.motoringresearch.com/car-news-list/most-aerodyna...
  - reissbaker 8y ago
    You make good points about the drag coefficients, but I don't know if they're comparable in terms of handles — just because they have similar overall coefficients doesn't mean the handles don't affect drag. It may be the case that the Prius body is slightly more efficient, but the handles bring it back down. Re: range vs MPG — range anxiety isn't an issue for hybrids, because filling up at a gas station is extremely fast. So having better MPG — which is more a cost metric (and to some extent a badge of feeling good about being eco-friendly) — is less important than having longer range on an EV, because when you exceed an EV's range it's quite a bit more painful than when you exceed a hybrid's range. Technically better MPG means better range assuming tank size is equivalent, but range isn't a number many people care about for hybrids; it usually doesn't appear in marketing, whereas MPG does (and typically without tank size, so range isn't even deducible). For EVs range is one of the headline numbers, whereas MPGe typically doesn't appear in marketing.

jeffwass 8y ago

Why wouldn’t ICE cars be equally affected by car drag coefficients?

londons_explore 8y ago
Fuel is cheap. Nobody cares about that extra 0.2 mpg. For electric it's an amplified effect, because a slightly lower drag coefficient means less energy use per mile, which means you can have a smaller battery, which in turn means lighter, which is again less energy per mile.
audunw 8y ago
They are, but range is not as big of an issue with ICE, so less pressure to optimize drag coefficient

perl4ever 8y ago

If electric cars are more efficient, doesn't that mean every mm counts less than on a gasoline powered car?