From Petrol Performance to Tesla Model Y Performance

Support CleanTechnica’s work through a Substack subscription or on Stripe.

Here is the story of the transition of a performance engine mechanic to a lover of the new dual-motor Tesla Model Y. Picking up the grandkids from school, we have noticed the growth in the Tesla population. We now have three Teslas picking up kids, along with a few other electric vehicles. I thought that teachers, since they could do the math, would begin to adopt electric vehicles. Not so. The current growing demographic is grandads.

Roy was sitting in his new dual-motor Tesla Model Y and waved as we parked our aging Model 3. We struck up a conversation as he walked with us towards the classrooms, full of eager grandkids waiting for release. Roy is a car guy and we discussed the cars of our youth, from the Ford GTHOs to the GM Torana GTR XU-1. He told me that his career involved working on high-performance vehicles.

He is enjoying his Model Y, his only concern was not having a spare wheel in the event of a puncture. He is an 81-year-old who has enjoyed and had performance cars all his life. His only concern was tyre wear, from doing launches from the lights. I confided that Majella and I are the same (“let’s go out and humiliate a few V8s”) and that we are getting the same wear out of our tyres as we did when we drove a V6.

I asked Roy for an interview and the next day we spent an informative time on the phone. I hope you enjoy reading Roy’s story as much as I did hearing it.

We started in 1966, when he worked for Standard Engineering in Mary Street, Brisbane. Roy describes himself as having an “affinity with machines.” Here is his story on what he did in the industry, how a fossil-fueled car works, and how an electric car is a huge next step forward:

The company reconditioned worn out or damaged internal combustion engines (ICE). These can easily get damaged and would require major repairs. For example, a damaged radiator not providing cooling water can cause an engine to overheat, pressurise and blow the head gasket. This causes the water to mix with the lubrication oil, and if not attended to, can cause the engine to seize and lead to total failure.

As a fitter and turner, my job involved dismantling and identifying components that needed replacement or reconditioning. Some components like crank-shaft bearings and piston compression rings are consumables, and need replacing. Others, like the crankshaft, cylinder block, and cylinder head, will need reconditioning, as replacement would be too expensive.

The crankshaft bearing shell is a white metal bearing. When engine seizure occurs due to severe overheating, the white metal melts and scratches and scores the crankshaft journal. The only way to repair it is to set it up concentrically in a cylindrical grinder and grind that damaged journal to an “undersize” to take a replacement undersized bearing, which has the effect of returning the crankshaft and bearings back to ‘as new’.

The piston and its compression rings operate in the cylinder block. When engine seizure occurs due to severe overheating, the deteriorated lubricating oil fails to lubricate the piston and compression rings, causing them to scratch and score the bores of the cast iron cylinder block, and the only way to repair is on a vertical boring machine with the cutting head set up concentrically to re-machine an oversize bore to accept an oversize piston and compression rings.

The cylinder head is bolted onto the cylinder block. When engine seizure occurs due to severe overheating, the cylinder head gasket can fail, allowing coolant water to mix with lubricating oil in the engine. It can also cause the cylinder head to distort and areas around the inlet and exhaust valve seats to crack.

The distorted head can be repaired by putting it on a surface grinder and grinding flat its mating face with the block. Cracks in the head can be identified and the crack repaired with Irontite cast iron plugs, new valves, and valve inserts fitted.

Volumetric efficiency is what is done in the internal combustion engine’s cylinder head. The ICE can be looked upon as an air pump. Air is drawn in through the carburetor, is compressed, detonated, and exits through the exhaust.

Contained in the cylinder head is a camshaft that determines the duration/time the inlet and exhaust valves are open. The valves are in and part of the combustion chamber, and while it’s desirable to get as much air in there as possible, it has to overlap to allow the piston to come up and compress the fuel air mixture, detonate, and then open the exhaust valve to get rid of that air.

Surface grinding the head serves to make the combustion chamber smaller, which increases the compression, making the engine’s detonation more powerful. Porting and polishing all these chambers helps the air flow through the engine, making it more efficient and suitable for racing. When all the damaged components are repaired, the engine is assembled with new gaskets and seals.

The internal combustion engine (ICE) has lots of moving parts that demand servicing and maintaining — with fuel, it adds up to a considerable cost.

The electrical vehicle (EV) virtually needs no servicing or maintaining, and with solar panels installed at home, its battery can be recharged on a sunny day for almost no cost, so it’s no surprise which is cheaper to own and run.

In regards to performance, there is such a thing referred to as “power to weight ratio” — i.e., output of power from the engine or motor against the resistance or drag of the vehicle.

The internal combustion engine vehicle has lots of moving parts and every part encounters resistance or drag, especially imbalance in the engine and drivetrain — even tyres with low air pressure create greater resistance and drag.

Let us consider the electrical vehicle (EV) “power to weight ratio.” The power is an electric motor energised by a battery. When the motor is not energised — for example, standing at traffic lights, or at an intersection waiting for a break in the traffic — the battery suffers no discharge. However, it does provide air conditioning and music, etc.

To get an idea of the performance potential, you need to cast your mind back to your slot car racing set — a little plastic car powered by a small electric motor drawing low voltage power from the track it runs on. One had to be careful how much power was applied, because the car accelerated so quickly it was hard to control. The weight of the car together with little resistance from the wheels and drivetrain made keeping the car on track a challenge.

The electric vehicle (EV) we drive has exactly the same type of electric motor, only its size and power output is greater. The greatest resistance or drag of an EV is the weight of the battery. This has been offset by making the battery as flat as possible and positioning it as low in the vehicle as possible. This has the purpose of lowering the vehicle’s centre of gravity, providing advanced handling when cornering. Coupled with the EV’s modern technology, its control system is like driving an iPhone that can be updated remotely.

I believe that the introduction of the electric vehicle is by far the greatest advance the automotive industry has made since its inception, and it can only get better.

What about Roy’s Model Y Juniper?

It was purchased 3 months ago. I asked for a comparison with his petrol performance vehicles, and he said: “The GTR XU-1 would be a like a ride on a lawnmower compared to the Tesla.” He enthused about the capabilities of an electric motor. “An electric motor can change direction in a fraction of a second. The acceleration is linked directly to the motor. It’s like turning on a light switch — zero to maximum in a blink of an eye lid. ICE has to take time to build up. EV power is instantaneous. Like an electric drill, it doesn’t take time to build up revs.” This from a man used to performance vehicles.

If you have read this far, you may be wondering why I am wittering on about ICE engines. The answer is: we of the EV community sometimes forget how complicated and prone to breakdown combustion engines are. Hopefully, sharing Roy’s knowledge and experience will remind us. Car guys appreciate EVs, and especially Teslas. This story gives the stamp of approval from someone who really knows his motors. Thanks for sharing, Roy.