Quote:
Originally Posted by Joe1234
Would an electric car with no batteries whose electricity was derived from an efficient generator at a constant rpm be more efficient than that same car with it's standard gas engine or... would the conversion from gas to electric to mechanical energy waste more energy than if you had just left it alone and kept the normal gas engine? I'm speaking in general terms. Weight and horsepower of the two different systems being the same.
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Hi Joe,
What you are describing is an electric transmission. As things stand now, in general terms, the best electric transmissions are 90% efficient, good mechanical CVTs are 95% and gear meshes are 98% - for cruising automotive conditions.
And a gas engine could be as good as 34% efficient, compared to the 25% that conventional cars average.
So .34 x .90 = .30 vs .25 x .98 = .245
However, electric transmissions weigh more and cost more than mechanical.
But for a large vehicle, like a Ford F150 the weight difference might not matter. You could go from 18 MPG (EPA combined) to about 22 MPG. To break even in 100000 miles the electric option needs to add less than about $4000 to the cost of the truck.
If gas continues to cost more and electrics get just a little cheaper...
-mort