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Power and Weight
Build light as possible. The idea that adding more batteries will make the car go farther can backfire. The problem is that if weight is doulbled the energy to accelerate that mass is 4 times as much. The same is true of the distance to stop, it is also 4 times. Choose the lightest motor that will do the job and then the lightest battery pack that will supply the motor to its peak rpm and torque.
Everything must pull its own weight. Add up the weight of everything and divide that total weight by the horsepower or torque. If you are pulling 20 lbs per horse verses 80 lbs per horse, the first model will take 1/16 the energy to accelerate to highway speed as compared with the second.
Weight also increases drag which is a separate issue from accelerating a mass up to a constant speed.
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