Originally posted by bnoon:
As for the difference in wattage Kermit, look at the post above yours for the words "custom winding". Most likely they rewound it with a slightly thicker gauge to handle the 12V car battery and it's different amperage discharge rates when compared to the 7.2V or 8.4V batteries most model engines are designed for.
The stock FAI-15 is meant for 9.6 to 12.0 volts, so they probably used thicker gauge to draw more current.
Besides the custom winding, also keep in mind that the 375 watt rating is, I believe, for continuous duty. When used for short periods, typical electric motors can often handle twice the wattage they would be safe with for long runs.
That's one thing that's cool about electric cars... a motor rated for as little as 40 horsepower can give you adequate driving acceleration, because it's only applied briefly.
