Karma with 4 drive modes (2 additional)

[asulil]

Just want to say thanks. Sincerely.

Just one quick question: under the sport mode - where both battery and engine is being used - will the car be faster?

[PowerSource]

To me Quick=Acceleration Fast=Speed

Stealth will produce more power >200kw vs 180kw and we are working on a solution for Sport. We run the vehicle completely relaxed (all power parameters unlocked) but there are some hardware limitations with the vehicle that we are attempting to overcome (at peak power/wot). Still too early to tell how much quicker it will be but it will be quicker. With regards to faster I believe that is limited to 125mph and that is mainly due to the gearing? Nothing much we can do there other than change the gear to a higher ratio or over rev the TM's but this will only be useful maybe on the autobahn or a track?

[Fabulist]

Originally Posted by PowerSource

To me Quick=Acceleration Fast=Speed

Stealth will produce more power >200kw vs 180kw and we are working on a solution for Sport. We run the vehicle completely relaxed (all power parameters unlocked) but there are some hardware limitations with the vehicle that we are attempting to overcome (at peak power/wot). Still too early to tell how much quicker it will be but it will be quicker. With regards to faster I believe that is limited to 125mph and that is mainly due to the gearing? Nothing much we can do there other than change the gear to a higher ratio or over rev the TM's but this will only be useful maybe on the autobahn or a track?

Don't the inverters have built-in thermal protection that kicks in independently? So even without the limits, the components protect themselves, right?

[PowerSource]

Originally Posted by Fabulist

Don't the inverters have built-in thermal protection that kicks in independently? So even without the limits, the components protect themselves, right?

Not a thermal issue with the inverters.

[Nikon]

Why wouldn't Fisker just hire you to do this for them? Like a Brabus, John Cooper Works or AC Schnitzer, right?

[Fabulist]

Originally Posted by Nikon

Why wouldn't Fisker just hire you to do this for them? Like a Brabus, John Cooper Works or AC Schnitzer, right?

This may be one reason. (Post # 19 in this thread).

[asulil]

Originally Posted by PowerSource

To me Quick=Acceleration Fast=Speed

Stealth will produce more power >200kw vs 180kw and we are working on a solution for Sport. We run the vehicle completely relaxed (all power parameters unlocked) but there are some hardware limitations with the vehicle that we are attempting to overcome (at peak power/wot). Still too early to tell how much quicker it will be but it will be quicker. With regards to faster I believe that is limited to 125mph and that is mainly due to the gearing? Nothing much we can do there other than change the gear to a higher ratio or over rev the TM's but this will only be useful maybe on the autobahn or a track?

Just out of curiosity, what are the hardware limitations ?

[Mcguiver]

Thats a awesome mod, so i can get two to three charges while driving in ER mode.
Now im excited once again about my karma getting more regen braking and better range...

[JCMorrill]

So, PowerSource ... I hope you're still willing to share your expertise with me (or anybody else who can answer this) ... Obviously, your mod would answer my issue completely. But, until then ... I want to understand better exactly what is happening when we put a stock Karma into Sport mode while cruising on the highway when you're well above 26 Stealth miles. The ICE is running, yet the battery is being drained. Is it draining more slowly than it would otherwise? Is the engine just mostly idling and not doing much to generate charge unless you step on it and the computer detects you are wanting "extra" power?

In short, is Sport mode doing any good to extend your future electric only range at all if you're just cruising along above 26 Stealth miles? Is there ever any point to Sport Mode in normal driving (above 60% SOC) on a stock Karma if you're not needing rapid acceleration? What is the engine doing?

This is an experiment I've never tried myself, but I have a 60-70 mile trip that I'd really like to try to preserve my Stealth miles for the latter part of as much as possible because where I'm going is to an EV Car Event. Seems unconscionable to show up burning gas. (Feel free to gloat, PowerSource!! I fully understand the irony. ). Does anybody know?

[Fabulist]

Originally Posted by JCMorrill

So, PowerSource ... I hope you're still willing to share your expertise with me (or anybody else who can answer this) ... Obviously, your mod would answer my issue completely. But, until then ... I want to understand better exactly what is happening when we put a stock Karma into Sport mode while cruising on the highway when you're well above 26 Stealth miles. The ICE is running, yet the battery is being drained. Is it draining more slowly than it would otherwise? Is the engine just mostly idling and not doing much to generate charge unless you step on it and the computer detects you are wanting "extra" power?

In short, is Sport mode doing any good to extend your future electric only range at all if you're just cruising along above 26 Stealth miles? Is there ever any point to Sport Mode in normal driving (above 60% SOC) on a stock Karma if you're not needing rapid acceleration? What is the engine doing?

This is an experiment I've never tried myself, but I have a 60-70 mile trip that I'd really like to try to preserve my Stealth miles for the latter part of as much as possible because where I'm going is to an EV Car Event. Seems unconscionable to show up burning gas. (Feel free to gloat, PowerSource!! I fully understand the irony. ). Does anybody know?

As I understand it, the only difference in current sport mode between having more than 50% SOC (26+ indicated miles) and 49% or less SOC is how much power you have available. In the former mode, you have 360KW (180 KW from the Battery + 180KW from ICE), and in the latter mode, you only get 180KW from the battery with ICE replacing electrons as you use them. To put it another way, 26+ Miles indicated range is like having a V12, while less than 26 Miles is like having a V6. The actual amount of power you use in either mode is determined by your driving and power demand.

@PowerSource's modifications would provide a lot more flexibility in power management, so you can have full power available at a greater range of SOC, as well as filling the HV battery back up on the move to make the full power available during a larger part of the operating envelope. It will be very exciting to see the Karma achieve its full potential with these modifications.