Originally Posted by
Timbulb
An electric will destroy any nitro in a straight line.
Electric motors produce maximum torque at zero RPM where as IC motors produce maximum power at almost peak RPM and maximum torque at (depending on the engine 70% of peak power rpm)
What this means in real terms is that electric motors launch from a stand still faster and this makes them harder to control and feel very fast but they do not have the power of a IC 1/10 engines and do not produce the same straight line speed.
Electric motors can also produce about 6 times the constant power output for short bursts ie less than 30 seconds which is why over a short distance ie drag race electric will beat nitro but in race conditions over a long straight nitro leaves electric motors behind.
For comparison a single speed nitro kit box car and engine on rubber tyres which we used to run 5 years ago ie kyosho V one s would have the same straight line speed as a 19T brushed electric car (it was really compareable to running a 27T motor). On the same track the nitro cars would run a 17.3s and the electrics would run a high 16s lap but straight line speed was the same.
The two speed open nitro cars running foam tyres were significantly faster at the end of the straight compared to at the time 6T and 8T brushed motors and lap times were similar electric slightly quicker.
This was a low grip track that was quite flowing and only had one quick change of direction where electric cars better handling was most obvious.
On most tracks electric cars due to better handling and low speed accelleration do produce faster lap times but even running a 4T motor will not provide the same straight line speed as an equivilant class nitro car (well unless you gear it to thermal in one minute and top speed is your only goal).