EV owners of today and tomorrow

[Grumpycat]

Excellent post, Don. In addition to this, I suspect an ICE configured and tuned to run a narrow range of RPM for the sole purpose of charging batteries, can probably run at a much higher average efficiency, than one which needs to spool a wide range of RPM's thru the gears during acceleration.

BMW tried that with the i3 REx. Used a 647cc 2 cylinder engine. 30 MPG in a small lightweight automobile with exotic low rolling loss tires.

 

[Grumpycat]

Where is yours?? All I've heard from you are claims and statements, no facts because they are not out there at this time.

You think you are the first person to ever think of building a series hybrid automobile? GM's Volt was to be a series hybrid until tests reveled awful MPG. Then delayed a year or so in a rush to design a transmission.

An ICE running at optimized rpm when needed or even two different optimized rpm such as a cruise and high power. Using the cruise to just maintain a battery or even shutting off when the battery is charged and the vehicle is cruising butt kicking back in as the battery is depleted or pulling a steep grade which requires much more hp (energy) then cruising.

So, build one and prove your theory.

All the while wonder why no one else has tried?

 

[Grumpycat]

View attachment 2260697

What am I pretending?

I get electricity for 12¢/kWh so my Y costs 4¢/mile to drive. No pretending there.

I don't give a damn about "green", never have, never will. Only EV hating ICE-heads bring it up.

 

[5030]

BMW tried that with the i3 REx. Used a 647cc 2 cylinder engine. 30 MPG in a small lightweight automobile with exotic low rolling loss tires.

Interesting in as much as my Ford Focus RS turbo returns between 39 and 40 average MPG combined city and highway so long as I stay out of the turbo charger. winter or summer, don't matter. I don't even know what low rolling loss tires are and neither does the guy I buy my tires from. If I could actually get a set, maybe my average mpg would increase some more.

What I find somewhat arcane is, late model vehicles, including hybrid's seem to get poorer and poorer mileage the newer they are and I think that really flies in the face of advancing the technology among other stuff.

Heck, my wife, at one time owned a Renault Alliance that got 40 as well and that was decades ago. I will admit the Alliance was a shitte box car but far as efficiency was concerned, it was very efficient for it's time.

It appears to me that today, the cost of vehicles is always going up, but the overall efficiency is going down, why is that???

 

[shooterdon]

Interesting in as much as my Ford Focus RS turbo returns between 39 and 40 average MPG combined city and highway so long as I stay out of the turbo charger. winter or summer, don't matter. I don't even know what low rolling loss tires are and neither does the guy I buy my tires from. If I could actually get a set, maybe my average mpg would increase some more.

What I find somewhat arcane is, late model vehicles, including hybrid's seem to get poorer and poorer mileage the newer they are and I think that really flies in the face of advancing the technology among other stuff.

Heck, my wife, at one time owned a Renault Alliance that got 40 as well and that was decades ago. I will admit the Alliance was a shitte box car but far as efficiency was concerned, it was very efficient for it's time.

It appears to me that today, the cost of vehicles is always going up, but the overall efficiency is going down, why is that???

Likely weight.

 

[5030]

Likely weight.

Could be but I would think the Beemer would not weigh as much as my RS. One thing for certain and that is, it's light years more expensive.

Of course the Beemer has a slush-o-matic and my RS is a 6 speed. I multi speed manual, will always perform better than a power loss slush box so long as the operator drives it frugally.

 

[LouNY]

You think you are the first person to ever think of building a series hybrid automobile? GM's Volt was to be a series hybrid until tests reveled awful MPG. Then delayed a year or so in a rush to design a transmission.


So, build one and prove your theory.

All the while wonder why no one else has tried?

Edison motors is doing such, unfortunately because of the bureaucratic idiots that control so much of our transportation. The EPA and the NTSB with many of their completely idiotic and nanny state rules will not allow any out of the box thinking an innovation that does not follow with their desires.
In many states you can not repower a vehicle with any type of alternative engine because to pass and emission/safety inspection the OBD computer has to show the drivetrain is stock and so called working.

 

[Dftodd]

I see that not much has changed on this thread. People post valid concerns and real world first hand experience and those folks get cut to shreds from the tesla fan boys

 

[Grumpycat]

Interesting in as much as my Ford Focus RS turbo returns between 39 and 40 average MPG combined city and highway so long as I stay out of the turbo charger. winter or summer, don't matter.

That is my point, the series hybrid MPG is poorer than a pure ICE. So to maintain MPG automakers build parallel hybrids giving the ICE a direct path to the wheels.

I don't even know what low rolling loss tires are and neither does the guy I buy my tires from.

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/TireSearchResults.jsp?tireIndex=0&autoMake=BMW&autoYear=2014&autoModel=i3&autoModClar=Giga%20World&frontWidth=155%2F&frontRatio=70&frontDiameter=19&frontSortCode=57235&rearWidth=175%2F&rearRatio=60&rearDiameter=19&rearSortCode=57245&performance=ALL

BMW pulled out all the stops when designing the i3. Mostly carbon fiber. Used an exotic tire never used on another vehicle, or since.

If I could actually get a set, maybe my average mpg would increase some more.

1-5%, likely below the threshold a mere user could accurately measure.

It appears to me that today, the cost of vehicles is always going up, but the overall efficiency is going down, why is that???

That is true, but before you noticed that didn't you also notice each and every model revision tends to get bigger and bigger over the years? Consider the Ford Mustang? So adding more weight, more performance, less MPG, is an age old trend.

Bucking that trend my Model Y uses 2/3rds the power my Model S used.

 

[Grumpycat]

Could be but I would think the Beemer would not weigh as much as my RS. One thing for certain and that is, it's light years more expensive.

Of course the Beemer has a slush-o-matic and my RS is a 6 speed. I multi speed manual, will always perform better than a power loss slush box so long as the operator drives it frugally.

BMW i3 REX weighs 3150 pounds. Has a 1 speed electric motor drive.