Quote:
Originally Posted by Ecky
Nissan has a hybrid out in Japan which is basically a Leaf electric motor and a small "generator" gasoline engine to provide the electricity. Their city fuel economy is supposed to be pretty good.
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That's an interesting idea. Using the gasoline engine to power a generator and running the generator only when the batteries are low may reduce or eliminate pumping losses and transmission losses, but introduces more efficiency losses in the generator, charger, inverter (if it has an AC motor), and electric motor. Not sure how much benefit there is.
Honda actually made an Accord hybrid that had no transmission, the engine ran a generator at low speeds and it powered the wheels with a simple differential with a 1:1 drive ratio when driving at higher speeds.