Quote:
Originally Posted by Boostermoose
Alright you have two identical vehicles. Say, two small size diesel cars.
Car A, Diesel-electric: Rig up an electric motor to the non-drive axle, extra batteries that can be plugged in, extra throttle pedal, wiring, etc. At low speeds the diesel ICE runs at low idle and thats it. This charges the batteries to run the electric motor which would move the vehicle. You keep the diesel in neutral during these times so you can still steer. At higher speeds you just use the normal ICE engine to move the vehicle, shutting off the electric motor. You would have two throttle pedals and would have to make the decisions of when to change between motors. Which is in contrast to a production hybrid where a computer does that.
Car B, Electric-diesel: Gut the ICE, do a basic EV conversion with extra batteries that can be plugged in and all. But, add a very small diesel motor somewhere to top up the batteries when needed. The electric motor would be doing all the work at all speeds.
So which would be more efficient?
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There is so much that plays into this that it really makes it difficult to do a comparison to be honest. Either set up works and each setup has current vehicles taking advantages of these setups.
Your pure EV individual will not be in favor of this at all as they will argue it is not as efficient as an all electric conversion. Which is true however batteries currently on the market do not have anywhere close to the energy storage of diesel or gas for that matter. They also cost more up front which is a big hurdle for most individuals.
This is why there are hybrids and why there will be more hybrids in the near future.
If engineered properly you can have a successful hybrid that is very economical and has solid performance at freeway speeds. The problem is there are to many options and most people do not get it right and end up over engineering and spending.
If you are trying to get an idea as to which route you should go then I would be more in favor of the series route using a small diesel/generator and having an electric traction motor to propel the vehicle. I kicked this around for years as to which approach would be best for my project. I think the ultimate way to go would be to use a power split device so you could have the best of both worlds. This allows you to have a series/parallel hybrid and gain the benefits of both. Maybe someday I will build this setup but right now I have settled on the series route as it offers some advantages for my project I would not get with the parallel configuration. Of course this all might change a month from now LOL :-) but right now the series for me is looking like the best option.
Take care,
GreenHornet