Source: Drop dead, resolver! A key technical part of any motor is the angle resolver. Knowing the exact angle of the rotor relative to the stator gives the motor controller exceptional ability to time the stator current to control EV operation. Looking at the Tesla resolver, a 10 lobe, magnetic sensor. This is at least a factor of five higher resolution than the Toyota, two magnet resolver. Bob Wilson
Thanks for the info, Bob! I have to roll my eyes every time I see someone claim that any legacy auto maker could make BEVs as good as Tesla's BEVs. They simply don't know what they're talking about.
It takes a different mindset to design a successful BEV. You can't just press some traditional steel shell that is over weight and an aerodynamic blunt ended, drag queen. Every joule counts and that means the old, familiar has to be tossed. Toyota has come close but this isn't horseshoes and hand grenades. The Prius Prime is a clever design. Adding a one-way clutch means MG1 and MG2 work as a single motor . . . brilliant. But they keep trying to make air-cooled traction batteries. This summer I've parked the Prime because our BMW i3-REx has a liquid cooled (and heated) battery. Air cooling, you'd have thought Nissan had learned lessons with the Leaf. Bob Wilson
Great info Bob! On the cooling... I wouldn’t even call Nissan’s packs air cooled, because that implies there is some sort of active cooling system. They are passively cooled, sealed cells. And that is about to change with the 60 kWh LG powered pack next year. Does they Toyota design have an active system or just passive?
Just cabin fans that dump the exhaust air overboard. They don't even have ducting from the AC to the battery packs. They even have a lame "Would you like AC when charging?" that defaults to "No" and disappears within 5 seconds. I am disappointed with: Weak cooling in hot weather - it really needs automatic AC when charging over 85F with dedicated ducting to pack. Poor cold weather EV - we found several, undocumented triggers that fire up the engine under 50F. We have a BMW i3-REx and it has superior thermal management. Cools in hot weather and warms in cold. This is the way to go. Bob Wilson
