Quote:
Originally Posted by jamesqf
Suppose it's not a few long trips per year? Suppose you have an EV with (just for instance) an 80 mile electric range, and you regularly make trips of 100 miles. So you drive 4/5 of the way on electricity* and 1/5 on the generator: even if the generator is only half as efficient as using a plain IC-engined car, aren't you still cutting fuel use by 60%?
*Though of course you would not really run the batteries to empty, then run a generator big enough to drive the car, but instead would have a much smaller generator running most of the time.
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In this case, an ICE that only operates at 80% load, with e motor assist, recharged by braking, either using the pedal or engine braking, and no option to idle.
This removes the charge inefficiency, and allows "normal use" operation.
Inherent problem that if the batt pack runs dry, the power of the motor driving would sort of "limp home". A10hp ICE isn't going to be hugely fast.
However, given the immediate resources of the average ecomodder in time, money, and skills, a generator is simply easy, fairly inexpensive, and workable solution to range problems.