Slot cars vs EV's (Teslas)

[JetFalcon]

So just exactly how does an electric motor work for EVs? When there is a Tesla motor on display, mainly looks like a big cylindrical drum and that's it. And when you see a slot car taken apart vs the Tesla battery / motor bottom, they look identical. Slot cars been around for a while, since like the 60s, so why if the EV motor looks identical, what was the challenge to just make it happen in the 70s-90s?

My engineering landlord told me that electric will always be better source of energy than gas. It's just challenging on how to make it work. I asked him like why we don't have gas power drills, and he said that because electric is more responsive and precise. So are EV vehicles and Teslas work similar to most electric appliances that have a spinning motor?

And is the metal floor / the bottom of the car just battery? I don't think that's not a functioning part of the motor, just its power supply. Just like a fuel tank w/ gas is the power supply for an ICE car.

And is the battery pack really just a ton of double A batteries from Panasonic? I assumed having circle shaped items would leave open space that could have been battery, like why can't they have been square shaped so they take up every bit of space?

 

[GregRF]

So just exactly how does an electric motor work for EVs? When there is a Tesla motor on display, mainly looks like a big cylindrical drum and that's it. And when you see a slot car taken apart vs the Tesla battery / motor bottom, they look identical. Slot cars been around for a while, since like the 60s, so why if the EV motor looks identical, what was the challenge to just make it happen in the 70s-90s?

On the motor side the big advancement was in the electronics in the inverters. The IGBTs and now MOSFETs have come a long way in their ability switch large amounts of power for the precise control of the AC motor.

The other large advancement was the lithium ion batteries, giving the power density as well a power per weight to make long range vehicles possible.

My engineering landlord told me that electric will always be better source of energy than gas. It's just challenging on how to make it work. I asked him like why we don't have gas power drills, and he said that because electric is more responsive and precise. So are EV vehicles and Teslas work similar to most electric appliances that have a spinning motor?

Most household motors will be DC powered with brushes that wear or AC motors that just run at power line frequency. The Tesla motor is similar to these but there is a lot of technology in the inverter.

And is the metal floor / the bottom of the car just battery? I don't think that's not a functioning part of the motor, just its power supply. Just like a fuel tank w/ gas is the power supply for an ICE car.

Yes, that is mostly the battery pack

And is the battery pack really just a ton of double A batteries from Panasonic? I assumed having circle shaped items would leave open space that could have been battery, like why can't they have been square shaped so they take up every bit of space?

Larger than double A batteries, but similar in shape. The inside of the battery is a "jelly roll" of materials. A few sheets of material that are wound around like a toilet paper roll. So logically the casing is in a round shape.

 

[mal_tsla]

the gaps between the circular cells allow for cooling/heating the cells for best performance/durability.

 

[Phil Seastrand]

Here's a good overview of a Tesla Model S: