Tesla-Powered Honda S2000 Makes 500 Non-VTEC Horsepower

[kobayashiGT]

This EV build is definitely not for everyone.

For its 10-year run, the Honda S2000 has garnered a following all over the world. With more than 100,000 units sold within a decade, you can easily find fans of the Honda roadster even at your local car meet. You can thank the S2000's pop culture involvement for that.

Much of the S2000's fame came from the exciting, open-top driving experience and VTEC power. But can you imagine a Honda S2000 that's built for the electric era? Ryan of Rywire Motorsport Electronics did so, and he had to summon the help of Tesla to complete the package. If you're a purist, you might want to look away.

Ryan specializes in making neat builds of Japanese cars that Hoonigan has featured before, but he hasn't really dipped his toes in building EVs. That's the goal with this Honda S2000 EV build.

To begin so, Ryan had to customize the front end to make it look different even at just first glance. Upon consulting with his peers, he was able to make a bumper that's somehow reminiscent of the Volkswagen ID range.

Next, the wheels. Ryan had to fabricate a set of aero wheels to complete the EV look. For what it's worth, we think they look fantastic, especially considering the non-symmetrical design that's somehow made balanced by Ryan and his team.

And then, of course, the powertrain. Motivated by a Tesla drive unit, this electric S2000 makes around 500 horsepower. The rear-mounted electric motor draws juice from a rather small battery pack. Specifically, two Chevy Volt battery packs for a total capacity of 38 kWh. The result is a range of up to 120 miles, which isn't too shabby if only for daily use.

There are other impressive modifications for this electric S2000 to work, including complicated electronics dealt with by Ryan himself. He aims to daily this car to gather data for his next EV build so if you're interested, Rywire Motorsport Electronics should be able to build one for you – even better than this clean-looking S2000 EV revival.

 

[DOBIEMKZ]

I wonder if those EV motors' power outputs can be tuned down so as to extract longer driving ranges from their batteries.

[Jamesc]

One day people will know

the best sports cars are electric.

100% torque available from the first second.

No need to rev to 6,500 and drop the clutch and release the handbrake.

[Beregond]

its a creative ideal. but i dun like calling it s2000.

other then the bodyshape, nothing of it is a  S2000😅

[Stratovarius]

one unit of classic ruin. 😑

[kobayashiGT]

1 hour ago, Beregond said:

its a creative ideal. but i dun like calling it s2000.

other then the bodyshape, nothing of it is a  S2000😅

S2000E lor.

[Windwaver]

2 hours ago, kobayashiGT said:

Much of the S2000's fame came from the exciting, open-top driving experience and VTEC power. But can you imagine a Honda S2000 that's built for the electric era? Ryan of Rywire Motorsport Electronics did so, and he had to summon the help of Tesla to complete the package. If you're a purist, you might want to look away.

[shutterbox]

Why don't call it eS2000? 

Edited February 21, 2022 by shutterbox

[fanwater]

@Beregond 

On 2/21/2022 at 10:02 AM, Beregond said:

its a creative ideal. but i dun like calling it s2000.

other then the bodyshape, nothing of it is a  S2000😅

Honda produce the best engine in the world. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen overtook race leader Hamilton to become the F1 world champion in 2021. And do you know what is Red Bull F1 car made of? Its a Honda.

[fanwater]

@Jamesc 

On 2/21/2022 at 9:53 AM, Jamesc said:

One day people will know

the best sports cars are electric.

100% torque available from the first second.

No need to rev to 6,500 and drop the clutch and release the handbrake.

Ya. But torque is nothing without power. 

[Ishiwgao]

On 2/21/2022 at 10:49 AM, DOBIEMKZ said:

I wonder if those EV motors' power outputs can be tuned down so as to extract longer driving ranges from their batteries.

EV motors are able to reach ~95% efficiency regardless of their size or power.

So lowering an EV motor's power won't necessarily increase range; gearing the motor to run at it's efficient torque/rpm will be the way to get more range

 

[Watwheels]

So many stickers on the windscreen, no wonder it has "500"hp. The short guy can see where he is going or not? I get it why he is not showing the car on the road.

[DOBIEMKZ]

1 hour ago, Ishiwgao said:

EV motors are able to reach ~95% efficiency regardless of their size or power.

So lowering an EV motor's power won't necessarily increase range; gearing the motor to run at it's efficient torque/rpm will be the way to get more range

 

Wow! Interesting and intriguing.  And I read up more on this tech and it is really mind-opening.

Increasing the range of EV with the same battery size
– Part I – The efficiency

https://www.silicon-mobility.com/increasing-the-range-of-ev-with-the-same-battery-part-i-the-efficiency/#:~:text=As we discuss in this,with the same battery size.&text=The efficiency of the electric,energy output of the motor.

Electric Vehicles (EV) are the future of mobility, but the biggest roadblocks to mass adoption among consumers is the range anxiety and price. While using larger batteries would be an obvious solution to increase the range, it would drastically increase the cost of the vehicle. As we discuss in this blog, it is indeed possible to increase the range of an EV with the same battery size.

Just like a gasoline car has a gas consumption measured in MPG or l/100km, an EV has an energy consumption rate measured in kWh/km or miles per KWh. The more efficient the electric powertrain is, the less energy an EV consumes to run and the further it will go until the battery is depleted. Increasing the range of an EV while keeping the same battery size is all about improving its efficiency.

An electric powertrain (Figure 1) includes usually four main components: a battery, an inverter which converts the direct current (DC) into multi-phase currents (AC) to control the electric motor, the electric motor which uses the electric energy to generate magnetic fields to make it turn and, in most of the case, a DC-DC converter which adapts the voltage of the battery to match the voltage of the electric motor and the power demand.

Figure 1 – Electric Powertrain Efficiency

The efficiency of the electric powertrain is the ratio between the energy output of the battery and the energy output of the motor. A ratio of 100% would mean a perfect conversion of the electric energy into mechanical energy… but it is never the case. Many losses happen at different stages in the energy conversion process. The efficiency is not even a constant value. For example, the combined efficiency of eMotor and Inverter is ranging from 60% to 96%, depending on the drive profile, the speed and the torque of the motor and its position on the drivetrain.

The efficiency is usually represented in a graph (efficiency map) on which the y-axis and x-axis are respectively the torque and the speed, providing for any speed/torque combination a given efficiency. As shown in Figure 2, the optimal operating points where the efficiency is at its peak are located in a restricted area in the Speed / Torque space. The usage of the electric motor in this area guarantees an energy efficient system. But in real driving conditions (as we discussed in our previous blog note), the Inverter/eMotor are  used in wider operating points and keeping the system in its optimal range is not possible. New techniques need to be employed to expand the optimal operating range, without any compromises on the overall performance while keeping the costs low.

Figure 2 – Combined Efficiency Map of an Electric Motor and Inverter [1]

Possible solutions to increase the efficiency – A difficult compromise

There are 2 solutions which are currently being utilized, alone or combined, to increase the efficiency. Some car makers have decided to widen the electric motor optimal operating range by increasing the size of the motor, or adding a second motor. A recent example is Tesla’s usage of dual motors, one in the front and one in the rear– one motor is optimized for power and another motor optimized for range. Another approach is the usage of multi-speed gear box in the drive train, which has the effect to reduce and center speed and torque in the optimal area of the efficiency map. Recently ZF introduced a 2-speed drive for the electric cars of their customers.

Figure 3 – Dual motor configuration for Model 3 (©Telsa)

Figure 4 – 2-speed e-drive (©ZF)

But in both cases, the efficiency gain provided by these approaches generates an ineluctable and significant increase of cost and weight. More cost is not helping to drag the price of EV down and more weight is not helping to push the range up. . Moreover, these solutions are sub-optimal: they do not fix the root causes of efficiency drops but patch the consequences of low efficiency by adding mechanics and material.

A 3rd way is possible, which will not request a bigger eMotor or the add-on of a gear box, which will cost nothing and add no weight, and which will surpass in range improvements mechanics and material: A better software!

A better software is a software where the electric motor, inverter and DC-DC converter are controlled in such a way that it increases the amount of optimal operating points, reduces the losses in every component, and improves the overall efficiency.

An algorithmic approach to achieving high efficiency

This is the path followed by Silicon Mobility with OLEA technology. A novel approach to achieving high efficiency without adding complexity and increasing the costs. A unique hardware platform and advanced software where the control uses the motor electrical angle position to permute between several control strategies so it can adapt the requested power (Torque x Speed) to the best possible efficiency. On the electric motor and inverter components, the efficiency is increased by 20% in comparison to conventional control when measured on a real driving cycle.

The table below shows a comparison of the various approaches discussed above.

In our next blog note, we will discuss the challenges of getting wider operating range and higher power from an electric motor and learn which appropriate control algorithm can mitigate or compensate the undesirable collateral effects.

Check out www.silicon-mobility.com for more details.

[kobayashiGT]

21 minutes ago, DOBIEMKZ said:

Wow! Interesting and intriguing.  And I read up more on this tech and it is really mind-opening.

Increasing the range of EV with the same battery size
– Part I – The efficiency

https://www.silicon-mobility.com/increasing-the-range-of-ev-with-the-same-battery-part-i-the-efficiency/#:~:text=As we discuss in this,with the same battery size.&text=The efficiency of the electric,energy output of the motor.

Electric Vehicles (EV) are the future of mobility, but the biggest roadblocks to mass adoption among consumers is the range anxiety and price. While using larger batteries would be an obvious solution to increase the range, it would drastically increase the cost of the vehicle. As we discuss in this blog, it is indeed possible to increase the range of an EV with the same battery size.

Just like a gasoline car has a gas consumption measured in MPG or l/100km, an EV has an energy consumption rate measured in kWh/km or miles per KWh. The more efficient the electric powertrain is, the less energy an EV consumes to run and the further it will go until the battery is depleted. Increasing the range of an EV while keeping the same battery size is all about improving its efficiency.

An electric powertrain (Figure 1) includes usually four main components: a battery, an inverter which converts the direct current (DC) into multi-phase currents (AC) to control the electric motor, the electric motor which uses the electric energy to generate magnetic fields to make it turn and, in most of the case, a DC-DC converter which adapts the voltage of the battery to match the voltage of the electric motor and the power demand.

Figure 1 – Electric Powertrain Efficiency

The efficiency of the electric powertrain is the ratio between the energy output of the battery and the energy output of the motor. A ratio of 100% would mean a perfect conversion of the electric energy into mechanical energy… but it is never the case. Many losses happen at different stages in the energy conversion process. The efficiency is not even a constant value. For example, the combined efficiency of eMotor and Inverter is ranging from 60% to 96%, depending on the drive profile, the speed and the torque of the motor and its position on the drivetrain.

The efficiency is usually represented in a graph (efficiency map) on which the y-axis and x-axis are respectively the torque and the speed, providing for any speed/torque combination a given efficiency. As shown in Figure 2, the optimal operating points where the efficiency is at its peak are located in a restricted area in the Speed / Torque space. The usage of the electric motor in this area guarantees an energy efficient system. But in real driving conditions (as we discussed in our previous blog note), the Inverter/eMotor are  used in wider operating points and keeping the system in its optimal range is not possible. New techniques need to be employed to expand the optimal operating range, without any compromises on the overall performance while keeping the costs low.

Figure 2 – Combined Efficiency Map of an Electric Motor and Inverter [1]

Possible solutions to increase the efficiency – A difficult compromise

There are 2 solutions which are currently being utilized, alone or combined, to increase the efficiency. Some car makers have decided to widen the electric motor optimal operating range by increasing the size of the motor, or adding a second motor. A recent example is Tesla’s usage of dual motors, one in the front and one in the rear– one motor is optimized for power and another motor optimized for range. Another approach is the usage of multi-speed gear box in the drive train, which has the effect to reduce and center speed and torque in the optimal area of the efficiency map. Recently ZF introduced a 2-speed drive for the electric cars of their customers.

Figure 3 – Dual motor configuration for Model 3 (©Telsa)

Figure 4 – 2-speed e-drive (©ZF)

But in both cases, the efficiency gain provided by these approaches generates an ineluctable and significant increase of cost and weight. More cost is not helping to drag the price of EV down and more weight is not helping to push the range up. . Moreover, these solutions are sub-optimal: they do not fix the root causes of efficiency drops but patch the consequences of low efficiency by adding mechanics and material.

A 3rd way is possible, which will not request a bigger eMotor or the add-on of a gear box, which will cost nothing and add no weight, and which will surpass in range improvements mechanics and material: A better software!

A better software is a software where the electric motor, inverter and DC-DC converter are controlled in such a way that it increases the amount of optimal operating points, reduces the losses in every component, and improves the overall efficiency.

An algorithmic approach to achieving high efficiency

This is the path followed by Silicon Mobility with OLEA technology. A novel approach to achieving high efficiency without adding complexity and increasing the costs. A unique hardware platform and advanced software where the control uses the motor electrical angle position to permute between several control strategies so it can adapt the requested power (Torque x Speed) to the best possible efficiency. On the electric motor and inverter components, the efficiency is increased by 20% in comparison to conventional control when measured on a real driving cycle.

The table below shows a comparison of the various approaches discussed above.

In our next blog note, we will discuss the challenges of getting wider operating range and higher power from an electric motor and learn which appropriate control algorithm can mitigate or compensate the undesirable collateral effects.

Check out www.silicon-mobility.com for more details.

Erm. do you have a TL;DR for me?

[DOBIEMKZ]

13 minutes ago, kobayashiGT said:

Erm. do you have a TL;DR for me?

The abbreviation is too profound leh! What is the meaning of "TL;DR" ?

[kobayashiGT]

11 minutes ago, DOBIEMKZ said:

The abbreviation is too profound leh! What is the meaning of "TL;DR" ?

Hahhaha. I am teaching you to teach me what you have wrttten!!! So funny!

Like this can? haahahaha

[DOBIEMKZ]

31 minutes ago, kobayashiGT said:

Hahhaha. I am teaching you to teach me what you have wrttten!!! So funny!

Like this can? haahahaha

Oh!  Initially I thought you mean you felt Tu-Lang and don't know what else behind.

[DOBIEMKZ]

36 minutes ago, kobayashiGT said:

Hahhaha. I am teaching you to teach me what you have wrttten!!! So funny!

Like this can? haahahaha

By the way, the article said that we can use software to "gear" an electric motor to operate more efficiently so that an EV can have longer range, instead of adding more hardware or mechanical items to extract more range. 

Edited February 23, 2022 by DOBIEMKZ