Years ago I hotrodded one of those little plastic sidewalk jeeps for my son. Stage 1 was mountain bike tire treads screwed to the plastic wheels - 3 for 1 - quiet rolling, steering worked and engine braking didn't just slide the rear wheels. Stage 2 was adding 6v battery in series, now up to 18v, really picked up the speed. One snowy day on 18v he wheelied into a snow drift as the pedal switch welded "on". Also put two treads side by side on rear wheels. Stage 3 was fixing the footswitch to operate 1 or 2 relays, can't remember, to handle the current surge on takeoff and put an individual fuse to each wheel motor. It could go through 6" of snow and go start stop in a sand pit. Donuts on the ice. Then he outgrew it. I didn't feel bad hacking it up because I got it free used.
On the saws topic, you can bet they're pushing the edge right now, but with durability and safeties all over the place. Liability and product reputation, you know. Maybe some entrepreneur will design replacement trigger/drive electronics modules, but I doubt it. Huge, fraught thankless job and limited market. Not exactly DIY territory. Neither are the motors DIY. You generally can't hop up an electric motor, you can just squeeze it's weight down for the same power and then you're always limited by thermally frying it, bouncing off duty cycle limits. If you can complete the cut in three seconds you could really abuse the motor then let it cool a whole bunch, but that would be impractical for normal use. Would look impressive briefly.
Someone should make a non-speed controlled, simple on/off racing electric saw. Whole bunch of batteries and ridiculously hot winding motor maybe like 3 turns. Wear a fire suit. Probably kick back like a mule on startup. Ridiculosity Rules!!! operating yell required.
Tom - in a previous life, or played one on tv etc I was an EE working in robotics
