Quote:
Originally Posted by freebeard
Which is better for aerodynamics? One one inch diameter driveshaft or three fat orange cables?
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The cables can be routed through an aero enclosed suspension component. A spinning round drive shaft must be located at the center of the wheel, and it will be much harder to enclose in an aero enclosure.
The earlier Aptera had a motor inboard in the nose, and drive shafts, and it took a significant aero "hit". It also lost a lot of space inside the main body of the vehicle.
Everything in a design is a compromise. Moving the motors to inside the wheels saves weight and space - no gearbox or differential, no driveshafts with their CV and u-joints. It makes all wheel drive possible/much easier.
It shifts the Cg downward, and it makes the drivetrain more efficient, all else being equal. It makes torque vectoring possible.
On the downside, it increases the unsprung weight, and it requires that the software function as the differential. It requires that the motor and suspension engineering be able to handle the new/different stresses.