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Application of superconductive motors to electric cars

 
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Sep14-12, 08:58 PM   #1
 

Application of superconductive motors to electric cars


At the moment, I believe the fastest electric car is made by Shelby Super Cars and it can go at a top speed of 208 mph.

Are there any estimates around predicting how fast electric cars will be once companies start using superconductive motors?
 
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Sep19-12, 08:31 AM   #2
 
The problem with superconducting motors is the cooling requirement, at best, liquid nitrogen, at worse, liquid helium. So even with LN2 cooling you have to have a supply of LN2 and a system to pump the fluid through the motor to maintain superconductivity. There are naval vessels using that technology and in a large craft like that, it can save a lot of mass over a diesel engine but in a small car, my guess is the added weight would wash out any gains in motor size or mass or efficiency.

Only the advent of room temperature superconductors would have any kind of bearing on auto's. Which is a dream at this point in time.
 
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