The difference between gas and electric motors
Everything you need to know about EV motors!
There are some obvious differences between the engines that power gas cars and the motors in electric vehicles (EVs). Gas-powered vehicles have an internal-combustion engine (ICE) that gets energy from a fuel tank, whereas EVs have a motor which gets its energy from a traction battery pack located at the front or the rear of the vehicle.
But how do the two differ in terms of maintenance costs and energy efficiency? Let’s dig into it:
Maintenance costs
ICE engines contain over 2000 moving parts, contributing to high maintenance costs over total ownership. All that moving means more repairs and replacements for those parts. The motor in EVs have fewer than 40 moving parts, greatly alleviating maintenance costs.
Energy efficiency
Electric motors are much more efficient than internal combustion engines. Their engines use roughly 12-30 per cent of the energy to move vehicle, while the rest is lost as heat. In comparison, electric motors use upwards of 90 per cent of the energy in the battery.
Additionally, regenerative braking technology helps maximize the efficiency of an EV. Often described as one-pedal driving, when the driver eases off the accelerator, the brakes convert the kinetic energy (motion of the vehicle) into electricity and store it in the batteries.
Interested in learning more? Book an EV test drive with one of our experts at Next Ride – they’ll tell you all about it!
Feel the thrill of driving electric
Electrify Rebate program
Up to $8000 in Provincial and Federal rebates exist for qualifying electric vehicles.
