VW, BMW, JLR differ on best choice for EV architecture efficiency

Electric cars need to be constructed differently from combustion-engine cars. Ulf Sudowe, r&d director for chassis at Gestamp, gives the example of the time the Spanish auto supplier test-fitted an electric motor to the subframe of a standard Volkswagen Up minicar. "Everything was destroyed," he said. The ramp-up of torque for an electric motor happens so fast, Sudowe explained, that a standard subframe can't cope.