QOTD: Ready for An EV Performance Revolution?
Recently, Dodge made news by saying its beloved V8 performance cars are going full EV in the not-too-distant future. BMW is talking about a similar transition.
Meanwhile, Ford makes a GT version of the Mustang Mach-E -- and once showed a current-gen Mustang with an electric motor and a six-speed manual transmission at SEMA. Even EVs that are meant for utility than performance can be quite quick, thanks to the fact that with most EVs, peak torque is available almost instantly off "idle".
We're enthusiasts around these parts, but we're also realists. There's a strong possibility that most, if not, all high-performance sports cars will be EV-powered relatively soon. It's not a given, but it's possible. So, too, is a future in which V8-powered muscle cars duke it out with EVs for track superiority. Hybrids, of course, will also be part of the mix -- they already are -- but I'm mostly curious here about how folks will respond to battery-only cars. After all, hybrids still use internal combustion and therefore offer a familiar experience.
The question is, are you ready? Will you miss the exhaust notes of a gas-guzzling V8? Or will you prefer near-silence and near-instant torque while lapping an EV around Gingerman or Mid-Ohio?
We ask, you answer.
[Image: Dodge]
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Tim Healey grew up around the auto-parts business and has always had a love for cars — his parents joke his first word was “‘Vette”. Despite this, he wanted to pursue a career in sports writing but he ended up falling semi-accidentally into the automotive-journalism industry, first at Consumer Guide Automotive and later at Web2Carz.com. He also worked as an industry analyst at Mintel Group and freelanced for About.com, CarFax, Vehix.com, High Gear Media, Torque News, FutureCar.com, Cars.com, among others, and of course Vertical Scope sites such as AutoGuide.com, Off-Road.com, and HybridCars.com. He’s an urbanite and as such, doesn’t need a daily driver, but if he had one, it would be compact, sporty, and have a manual transmission.
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EV performance is fantastic. Their range and battery replacement costs not so much. Killing off the V8-power models is a big mistake as they are still solid sellers.
When I had a rental V6 Mustang, I found the power more than adequate but missed the "correct" exhaust note for sure. I know I'd miss the roar of my 6.2 litre V8 but ultimately if the power was there, and range/recharge times fit my lifestyle (they do) I will have no problem giving up engine sounds as long as the performance makes up for it. I am assuming that the batteries will last the lifetime of the car though. That is one reason I skipped the electric mower - the battery will be useless in 8 years and my last mower lasted 15...
The idea of a silent smell free world of vehicles sounds wonderful from a quality of life standpoint. Start with diesel trucks. Especially big ones. They are the worst offenders for fumes and noise.
There is a strong strain of conformity in the "car / motorsports community", or whatever one wants to call it.
With Toyota's recent confirmation that they won't completely switch to EV, one can say that ICE is here to stay. Marques like Government Motors, the Agnelli family's Stellantis group and other slave-state EU companies are leading this EV "revolution" based on this old-tyme electric motor technology. I had an EV in 1989; a Tamiya Grasshopper. What a great application for an electric motor!
ICE cars will be coveted and supported and EV "performance cars" and also EV grocery getters will continue to wither on the vine; we will push back technocracy and see a new golden age of ICE motors. EV's will still be available for nerds, bores and people that spent 8 years getting degrees, as well as car people that like overweight, torquey and nerdy sounding cars.