Speed Test Chart
1st Gear 2nd Gear 3rd Gear 4th Gear 5th Gear
24 Volts 5 mph 10 mph
48 Volts 10 mph 20 mph
72 Volts 15 mph 25 mph 35 mph 45 mph 54 mph

These are the real-world tests I've done at various voltages. These speeds are approximate as I didn't have a pen and paper to write them down. Also the speed is affected by hills. I'll continue to fill in more blanks as I complete more tests and possibly change some as I have time to more carefully document the results.

Some people have asked why I am able to go faster in 2nd gear when the motor would appear to have so little power in 1st. That is a good question, and it has to do with differences between a gas an electric motor. With an electric motor, speed is determined by voltage, and torque is determined by amperage. In my case, with these low-voltage tests, I have plenty of amps available. That means the motor has plenty of torque power. It simply maxes out on RPMs very quickly because it doesn't have enough voltage. Even if the motor were sitting on a table spinning freely, it would still max out at particular RPM depending on its voltage. That is why putting it in a higher gear will give more speed.

As a side note - 54 MPH seems to be the top-end speed, and this is being limited by the voltage. Also, just because the car can achieve 54 MPH, it is still not highway capable as it takes some time to get up to speed, and can't sustain that speed on any type of incline. So I consider 45 MPH to be the practical top speed.

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