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Holiday Savings Guide and EV vs. Electric Blog
Okay, so we haven't posted a blog post in a long time, and that's my fault as an owner honestly. Our small business has continued to grow in all directions online and in store with the addition of our Tampa Location this past year. That's just part of the amazing news we have as we continue to grow online, through sales outlets like Amazon and social media channels like our constantly watched TikTok channel where you can find all kinds of updates from events to SEMA 2022 coverage, and much more. This year we have worked really hard to streamline and clean up our online catalog, which is currently the largest online Automotive After Market Product Shopify Catalog Anywhere, boasting over 850k SKU's which continue to grow and be more diverse. This month we added Hot Wheels to our catalog as we have in all of our retail locations, and we have much more in store in that same product category coming very soon, so stay tuned!
This month, I want to take the Blog post time to talk about something really important, ICE (Internal combustion engine) vs Electric cars! I myself own a Porsche Taycan Turbo S (fully electric) and I'll be honest I love where cars are going in general after driving this amazing machine for over a year now. This doesn't mean, I don't have a love for all thing gas powered and all the fun you can have in them, but lets be honest, something new is fun! If you haven't driven an electric go kart, then you haven't experienced the fun that is driving in an electric car, the lines that form at the side of your mouth as you smile on a hard take off; or the ultra fast reaction time when you need to pull in the next lane to overtake someone.
Enjoy this Article on Whats Different and New:
We are going to start from the one fundamental component that we only see in an electric vehicle - the high voltage battery. The high voltage battery is the equivalent of a fuel tank of an ICE car. It is responsible for providing the necessary electric energy to the electric motor.
The electric motor is another new part that we encounter in an electric car. The electric motor is responsible for converting the electric energy to mechanical energy in order to propel the car. It’s not all that simple though - the electric motor “speaks” a different language from the high voltage battery. The High Voltage battery uses DC (direct current) while the electric motor uses 3-phase AC (alternating current).
It is obvious that we need an “interpreter” between those two parts. This role is taken over by the power electronics device commonly known as the inverter.
The power electronics are responsible for converting the DC from the high voltage battery to 3-phase AC for the electric motor during propulsion. The opposite happens during regenerative braking - AC gets converted to DC in order to charge the high voltage battery.
The efficiency of the inverter plays a crucial role in the overall efficiency of the electric vehicle. The power electronics are not the only “interpreter” in an electric vehicle, though. The onboard charger is the second connecting device. It converts the AC 1 or 3 phase from the grid to DC in order to charge the battery. When we use high power DC charging, the onboard charger is bypassed.
Another area that's very different is heating the cabin of the EV - PTC heaters (Positive Temperature Coefficient) and heat pumps. Those devices do not exist in ICE vehicles, which have plenty of wasted thermal energy (because of the low thermal efficiency of their engines) and it is easy to use some of it to heat their cabins.
In electric vehicles though, this is not possible. The high efficiency of the drivetrain means that the thermal energy produced is minimal. That's why different devices are needed to produce the necessary heat for the cabin as well as the battery.
An ICE and an EV
The DC/DC converter is another completely new component. This device is responsible for converting the High Voltage DC from the battery to 12V for the low voltage consumers of the car (lights, infotainment, electric windows, mirrors).
Finally, the charging socket is also a unique component that we encounter in an electric car.
What’s different?
While both ICE and electric cars use the air conditioning compressor, the way they power this component is completely different. In an electric car, the air conditioning compressor is a high voltage device and is powered by the battery. In an ICE car though, this is a mechanical part that takes power from the crankshaft of the engine. That’s why, when we turn on the air conditioning in an ICE car, we may feel a slight power loss as the air conditioning compressor takes some power away from the engine.
Both types of cars use gearboxes, but it is a lot simpler in an electric car, were with a few notable exceptions) it usually comes with just one speed. In modern passenger ICE cars, 9-speed automatic transmissions are already spreading.
The philosophy of a braking system differs as well between ICE and electric cars. In most electric vehicles, when the driver pushes the brake pedal, the electric motor serves as a generator that does the initial braking and recharges the battery at the same time - that’s why we call it “regenerative braking”.
If the driver needs more stopping power, there is a threshold after which the conventional hydraulic system brakes the car. In most everyday situations, electric cars don’t use the conventional braking system at all, thus prolonging the service life of the brake pads and discs. In an ICE car though, the hydraulic brakes are used every time the driver pushes the brake pedal.
Another difference between fuel-powered and electric cars is the simplicity of the motor itself. The electric motor mostly needs no maintenance and has only two moving parts. In contrast, the internal combustion engine has many moving parts - an average 4-cylinder engine has at least 40. It needs oil and fuel filters changed regularly, timing chain or belt is vital and needs maintenance, poly-v belts run every auxiliary component - as you know from experience, this list goes on and on.
High voltage A/C compressor from Rheinmetall Automotive
What’s the same?
Everything that has to do with suspension, wheels, and tires, is pretty similar between ICE and electric cars. Starting with suspension, the same architectures are used in both types of cars.
Electric cars that are based on ICE platforms usually have the same suspension design as their ICE stablemates. Electric cars that are based on dedicated EV platforms, mostly use fully independent suspension designs such as multi-link, double wishbones and McPherson struts.
Of course, shock absorbers and springs are adapted in electric cars in order to cope with the extra weight.
The tires are also similar in design between ICE and electric. There are tires for both types of vehicles that deliver low rolling resistance characteristics. The wheels used to be different between ICE and electric cars because of the “aero” design that most electric cars use to reduce aerodynamic drag, but not anymore. Many recent ICE models are equipped with “aero” wheels that reduce turbulent flow around the wheels as well. That seemingly small difference in design affects 1/3 of the total drag in a car.
Finally, the steering system in both ICE and EVs is similar. They are both equipped with electromechanical systems with the relevant control units. Electromechanical systems are mandatory because they are able to support advanced driver assistance systems, such as lane assist and autonomous parking.
Tesla Model 3 and Skoda Fabia aero wheels design
Conclusions
To wrap things up, most differences between ICE and electric cars come from the fact that the two use totally different kinds of propulsion which require totally different components. If we look past these facts, then we start to see the similarities because after all, they are both cars and many parts remain common despite the different propulsion methods.
This is a good thing because if electric cars were different in every aspect compared to an ICE car, then they would be far more expensive and their wide adoption would be much slower.
Now that we are through all of the technical and a good explanation of ICE vs Electric, I'm happy to report that at Speedzone we are in full adoption mode, with the addition of EVO Charge as a brand that sells electric chargers, to aftermarket wheel makers like Halibrand who make wheels specifically for Tesla fitment currently. There are even some great carbon fiber parts for various applications, like Zyrus Carbon who we are one of the main distributors in North America for Porsche Taycan Applications. This year saw a huge expansion of SEMA electrified which showcased normal electric vehicles and tons of swaps done to cars, trucks, and hot-rods alike. You couldn't transverse even 100 feet of SEMA this year without seeing the effect that the electric craze has had on the market. Here are some Pics of our favorites:
Two months ago, we started changing how we share our coupon codes with users monthly. Unfortunately, not many customers take advantage of our deals, and we put a lot of time each month into making these discounts available. I decided it was time to collect that info, along with new brand announcements, and new product innovations all on one handy page. Then we went one step further and integrated a Linktree for all of our special links, so customers can find everything they could want or ask for about us in one page.
As we head into the Holiday season, and with Christmas right around the corner, we brought back Santa's Wish list again this year. We want to know what you are trying to add to your build and if you could get anything, what would you choose? Use the form to tell us, and then we will know what to send you a discount for when the time is right, and if we don't carry the product, we will work to carry it in the future! Also, one lucky person will win a $100 Speedzone online shopping gift card, just for submitting the info, so more fun for everyone.
Happy Holiday's from the Entire Speedzone Performance LLC Family
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