I would quite like to own an EV, but are still too expensive for me! I also read that the batteries do not like repeated full-throttle accelerations as it causes excessive heat build-up and accelerated degradation on the cells. To reduce this the car will often enter limp-mode before then, so it might not even be appropriate for sports/track use.
> I would quite like to own an EV, but are still too expensive for me!
Without providing a specific use case or criteria then it's impossible to say.
> I also read that the batteries do not like repeated full-throttle accelerations as it causes excessive heat build-up and accelerated degradation on the cells
That's true and so is the statement "internal combustion engines used in automobiles produce heat during operation that will cause them to fail after a short period of time". But we know that ICEs don't fail because they have cooling systems, so to do EV's batteries and motors.
> To reduce this the car will often enter limp-mode before then
If someone said "my ICE vehicle won't allow me to red-line it and reduces my max RPMs when it's close to overheating to avoid damaging the engine" would you see that as a bad thing? Would you assume red-lining and engine overheating issues were common when driving an ICE vehicle?
If not, then why do you assume such behavior is bad in an EV?
While it is true that rapidly discharging batteries produces heat, it is also true that most EVs have thermal management in place and most have active temperature control systems for their battery packs. The Nissan Leaf is one of the few EVs that does not have active temperature control systems, their packs are air cooled. Also note that I said "temperature control" and not cooling, Tesla's and other EVs can actively warm their batteries to increase performance.
> Without providing a specific use case or criteria then it's impossible to say.
The use case for me is for a fun weekend car with occasional track use. It must be fun to drive both at sensible, safe road speeds but also come alive when pushed on track. It shouldn't cost too much (I paid £10,000 for the car I just purchased that has both these characteristics), be affordable to insurance, run and fix when required. It should also be possible to upgrade and have a well supported aftermarket.
> Their motor torque for rotation has been done before, most recently in the Focus RS.
However unlike a traditional ICE, an EV has 100% torque with almost zero latency.
> Brakes are, in 99% of cases, inferior to mechanical limited slip differentials for the sole reason that it's much easier to overheat the brakes on track
And the overheating problem is negated by virtue of the fact that it's an EV and can take advantage of regenerative braking. While brake regen varies in EV, Tesla's is among the highest. Taking your foot off the accelerator in Tesla feels like you're stepping on the brake in most other cars. In track mode a Model 3's regenerative braking force is further increased.
Another interesting aspect of regenerative braking is that it's instantaneously applied unlike traditional brakes which suffer from pedal and hydraulic lag.
> However unlike a traditional ICE, an EV has 100% torque with almost zero latency.
Insignificant I'm afraid. A good track driver never has the engine outside the power band, even on the slowest corners. In race mode almost all automatic gearboxes do this for you. However, some auto gearboxes shift down on full throttle, even in manual mode, which is frustrating if not infuriating, so direct-drive is a welcome change.
> And the overheating problem is negated by virtue of the fact that it's an EV and can take advantage of regenerative braking.
If you're using regenerative braking on track then you're most probably losing time, unless it can capture the kinetic-to-heat transfer from the pads and discs. You should be maximum throttle right up until the braking zone, by which point you're mostly using full pedal travel to get the car down to the ideal entry speed and maybe even trail braking into the corner to improve rotation.
However, now that I think about it, regenerative braking makes a lot more sense on tracks such as the Nordschleife where for some corners you don't have braking zones as such, but minor taps of the pedal to set up the weight distribution of the car for the corner to improve turn in. This could be a valid use case of regenerative braking.
I'm just curious what the math looks like for you with all monthly total costs accounted for? How much is the monthly loan payment on an EV plus charging costs vs the monthly loan payment on an ICE plus gas costs? How many miles do you drive per month?
There are some used EVs that are available pretty affordably, and the monthly savings on gas could be substantial depending on your typical monthly mileage.
