How Many KW of Power Needed For an EV?

by Bill
(nevada)

Kilowatt Hours going into your electric car

How much power (watts per pound? KW?) do you need to run an electric car?


Hi, Bill -

According to Electro Automotive:

A small car (2500lbs. factory curb weight) uses an AC motor that pulls 43KW peak, 14KW continuous from your electric car's batteries at 156 volts.

A large car (3500lbs. factory curb weight) uses a larger AC motor which pulls 78KW peak, 34KW continuous at 312 volts.

Regards,
Lynne

P.S. Here's an article about AC vs. DC electric car motors.