Quote:
Originally Posted by mechman600
Unfortunately, a "portable" genset with enough power to move the car down the freeway (~30kW) isn't going to be so portable. It will fill most of the engine compartment up. Or all of a huge trunk - and in a trunk it will be so noisy that you won't be able to hear yourself think, not to mention cooling issues and the like. It took GM a lot of engineering magic to accomplish this with the Volt. Also, powering the wheels with a generator, batteries and motor with is very inefficient compared to driving the wheels mechanically. That's why on the freeway the Volt's engine can be geared to the wheels.
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A lot of factors influence the results of a parallel-hybrid setup. I've already seen some gensets fitted with 2-stroke gasser engines which could fit easily in tight spaces. Also, for an increased efficiency hub-motors can be considered since there are no parasitic losses from a transmission.