the.com/powertrain
Everything that turns fuel or electrons into forward motion, minus the bragging rights of the engine alone.
means The complete system of engine, transmission, driveshaft, and axles that generates power and delivers it to the wheels.
from A 20th-century compound built plainly from 'power' and 'train' — 'train' here carrying its older sense of a connected series of parts, as in 'train of gears' or 'gear train,' dating back to mechanical and railway usage. Automotive engineers needed a single word for the whole chain from engine to wheels, so they just linked the two together — no myth, just mechanics.
- not just engine
- includes transmission, driveshaft, axles, differential too
- ev simplicity
- electric powertrains ditch transmissions, so fewer parts to fail
- warranty tell
- powertrain warranties outlast bumper warranties because makers trust these parts
- efficiency loss
- up to 20 percent of engine power dies before reaching wheels