Quote:
Originally Posted by dcb
I've never seen anyone do any efficiency analysis on a series hybrid, as far as I can tell there are many losses to consider:
engine to generator
generator to controller
controller to motor
generator to charger
charger to battery
battery to motor
transmission/wheels
whereas a small gasser can use
engine to transmission/wheels
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To be fair I don't think an onboard genset will primarily charge the batteries. Most of the output will probably go straight to the motor and a little bit will go to the pack, which will be used for sudden/slight changes in output. Also, EV transmissions seem to be heading towards single gear reduction, so they'll be more efficient than a multispeed box, but you're pretty much right on regarding how lossy something like this is compared to a decent parallel setup ala the Prius.