Could the Model 3 have a FWD configuration?

[Red Sage]

To much torque? Is that even possible? I don't understand what "too much torque" means. That term is blasphemous. Simply Ludicrous.

There are some that are convinced that any perceptible torque steer in a front wheel drive configuration is ALWAYS 'too much'. They tend to be in the same camp that don't want all wheel drive either. It is an attitude that seems to be in the same vein as people expecting a Corvette to drive like a 911, or a Camaro to handle like a 3-Series.

 

[stopcrazypp]

You would not enjoy the suit especially on a hot day, trust me. It only looks nifty, SFI-20 gear is a serious PITA, and now you need HANS too. You need help to get in the car now.

Anywho...

FWD torque steer is dead. Electronics killed it and buried it in an unmarked shallow grave in the Mojave. There was no funeral. It was a side effect of that damned Stability Control. When will they ever learn? Now that all cars have SC, you must turn it off to experience torque steer, but on some cars without LSD in the nose, you cannot turn off that part of the logic. Sadly, the Bolt will most likely be in that class.

Yes, with electronics it's a lot better (some better than others). But most solutions are used are essentially limiting power other than the rare exceptions using some special suspension setup and LSD like the previous gen Focus RS. Given Tesla's car designs necessarily support RWD, it makes zero sense to go to that complexity (even Ford ditched FWD and went with AWD now).

 

[McRat]

So much info from the past in this thread. Where did all the drivers go? Very little experience with either rear or front drive cars of the 21st century.

 

[ApauloThirteen]

A FWD electric car would be disastrous. Too much torque.... It would be very hard to steer under acceleration.

I understand the argument but the FWD Nissan Leaf and VW eGolf are doing fine.

 

[Saghost]

Wow. Uhmmm... NO.

Which part, and why not?

 

[Garlan Garner]

I'll say this again....

A FWD electric car would be disastrous. Too much torque.... It would be very hard to steer under acceleration.

I don't know if many have actually driven a FWD car with a decent amount of power, but when you apply a lot of torque to the front wheels from a stop and try to steer, it's a whole different game...

I had a '12 Honda Accord with 270HP and 250lb/ft torque. It had bad FWD torque steer with stability control. There might be some cars that can limit your throttle input more accurately when steering, but it still sucks.

The Tesla M3 will have a 2.5 0-60 time. I believe I will be safe not steering for 2.5 seconds.

These people had no problems with their steering. I don't have formulas, however I have proof.

<--------Especially Cool

 

[Garlan Garner]

I understand the argument but the FWD Nissan Leaf and VW eGolf are doing fine.

Teslas are doing fine also. See my videos above.

 

[Garlan Garner]

There are some that are convinced that any perceptible torque steer in a front wheel drive configuration is ALWAYS 'too much'. They tend to be in the same camp that don't want all wheel drive either. It is an attitude that seems to be in the same vein as people expecting a Corvette to drive like a 911, or a Camaro to handle like a 3-Series.

As long as my Tesla is able to perform like the videos I posted above.....I could care less about what they are calling torque steer.

 

[Red Sage]

Which part, and why not?

Pretty much everything I quoted, for reasons that have been discussed in depth, plenty of times, likely both here and at the Tesla Motors forums. I'd rather not go over it now. I may come back to it later, though.

 

[xmetal]

It's nice to trust the computers, but physics is unavoidable and things like traction limits, torque steer, understeer, lift-off oversteer, weight transfers, etc actually do matter when you need to rapidly avoid obstacles. It's a shame that so few drivers these days (maybe we shouldn't even use that term, and just label people 'operators' instead) have taken the time and effort to understand and practice vehicle dynamics and know what to do with their massively powerful cars. The science can only save you so much.

And a FWD Tesla would still suck. The Model 3 isn't designed to be a Corolla for your grandma...

 

[xmetal]

I understand the argument but the FWD Nissan Leaf and VW eGolf are doing fine.

They are "doing fine" because they are designed to be relatively low-power, relatively slow, city runabouts. And even then, if you enter a corner at low speed in a Leaf and mash the throttle it will spin the tires, understeer you into the bushes or yank the steering wheel. Tesla is building a performance sedan, with much more power.

 

[Carl]

Used to have a Lexus RX400h (which called itself AWD, but actually only the electric motor powered the rear wheels). If you tried to use the 270-or-so hp to accelerate, it was no fun at all with the steering wheel going in all directions. The Tesla MS AWD does not have that problem, but compared to my first Tesla MS which was RWD, you still "feel" the motor (a bit) in the steering wheel. Tesla MS AWD is for sure safer (and quicker) than RWD but actually a bit less fun. In any event, for sure no +300 hp-car should be FWD only imho.