Photo: bmw
It was only a matter of time until EVs received multi-speed transmissions. Some of them even have such drivetrains today, alas only with 2 speeds such as the i8 for example. We should also mention that the i8 is not a pure EV but its electric motor does hook up to a multi-speed box.
The electric cars we have today are mostly using a one-speed gearbox. There are a number of reasons for which this is happening and the most important one invoked is that there’s plenty of torque from down low to allow the cars to be perfectly fine with this old-school setup.
However, the downsides show up once you go outside the city. Sure, everything is nifty, agile and quirky inside the urban jungle but once you get on the highway, the MPGe starts going down and there shortcomings start to show.
“For passenger cars, I would say we will probably eventually rise up to 3- or 4-speeds,” James Potter, controls manager for ZF Powertrain Technology, said. “Two-speeds are coming out, and that will be the next generation,” he added.
That might also be the upper limit for these boxes as introducing more ratios at the moment wouldn’t really make sense. Using 4 gears would allow manufacturers to make their cars even more efficient, especially outside of town, while in the city, things would be best managed by a 1-2 speed option.
Another option would be to choose your gearbox, due to those shortcomings you have to deal with outside of town. That said, Potter is convinced that customers could and would decided which choice would be better for them.
If the EV is your only car, you should go for one that has a 3-4 speed gearbox. If you have a dedicated EV for city cruising alone, a 1-speed solution could prove enough for you.
However, the downsides show up once you go outside the city. Sure, everything is nifty, agile and quirky inside the urban jungle but once you get on the highway, the MPGe starts going down and there shortcomings start to show.
What can be done?
Well, according to a recent report from Wards Auto, ZF is currently working on a multi-speed gearbox for electric vehicles. After creating the much acclaimed 8HP box used by most manufacturers out there, the engineers are now trying to create an equally brilliant part for electric cars.“For passenger cars, I would say we will probably eventually rise up to 3- or 4-speeds,” James Potter, controls manager for ZF Powertrain Technology, said. “Two-speeds are coming out, and that will be the next generation,” he added.
That might also be the upper limit for these boxes as introducing more ratios at the moment wouldn’t really make sense. Using 4 gears would allow manufacturers to make their cars even more efficient, especially outside of town, while in the city, things would be best managed by a 1-2 speed option.
Another option would be to choose your gearbox, due to those shortcomings you have to deal with outside of town. That said, Potter is convinced that customers could and would decided which choice would be better for them.
If the EV is your only car, you should go for one that has a 3-4 speed gearbox. If you have a dedicated EV for city cruising alone, a 1-speed solution could prove enough for you.
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