EVs Are Great Around Town, But.......

[Frank Lee]

That's nice. To be helpful to my usage patterns it would have to help on the freeway more than anything.

[hamsterpower]

If the pusher was only for cruising near highway speeds, and most small cars need less than ten hp for that, then it could be set up like cruise control. the EV drivetrain controls the speed. All acceleration is done with the EV components. Once at speed the pusher kicks in to maintain speed while the EV parts coast. We don't want to regen at cruise, but on descents and deceleration only.
A small wrecked motorcycle would seem to be about right. A two wheeled trailer would introduce all kinds of dynamic driving problems like jackknifing, off center traction, etc. a puller(tractor?) would need to be steered. But a small motorcycle frame, center mounted on a strong receiver hitch just might work. Some kind of lift to pick the wheel off the ground would be nice for maneuvering and at tolls.

[Angel And The Wolf]

Originally Posted by hamsterpower

a small motorcycle frame, center mounted on a strong receiver hitch just might work. Some kind of lift to pick the wheel off the ground would be nice for maneuvering and at tolls.

Since most EVs and hybrids are front wheel drive, why not use a small motorcycle engine/transmission mounted in a beefed up Harley frame, mounted to the car by a strong receiver, and remove the rear wheels and suspension? Motorcycle rates at the toll booth? Motorcycle registration rates?

[me and my metro]

I am confused by your statement in post number 6. Your Prius will drive across the country on the gasoline engine alone. As will a Volt or any other hybrid thus the only reason I would ever consider owning one. The trick is to use less gasoline and more electricity thus the savings.

[slowmover]

The “trick” is to live where a car isn’t needed.

The problem isn’t the tool. A gold-plated posthole digger isnt the answer.

The context (society) is that the cities are dangerous (the specifics of who lives there) and the resulting ethnic cleansing made suburban sprawl the WRONG “solution”.

In the meantime a turbodiesel car in an insulated garage is the “answer”. Electric cars and hybrids won’t change it.

[Angel And The Wolf]

Originally Posted by me and my metro

The trick is to use less gasoline and more electricity thus the savings.

I've blundered my way to the answer: Convert my standard traction battery to a Lithium Ion battery so that I can do my daily driving on stored electricity, and never burn gas until I take those long trips.

I had wondered if the ICE could be left in the garage until needed, thus lightening the weight for EV only operation.

[Angel And The Wolf]

Originally Posted by slowmover

a turbodiesel car in an insulated garage is the “answer”.

A turbodiesil in an insulated garage is an improvement in mileage, but the potential savings is offset by the higher price of diesel, and pollution is still there.

[hamsterpower]

Originally Posted by Angel And The Wolf

Since most EVs and hybrids are front wheel drive, why not use a small motorcycle engine/transmission mounted in a beefed up Harley frame, mounted to the car by a strong receiver, and remove the rear wheels and suspension? Motorcycle rates at the toll booth? Motorcycle registration rates?

That would be a solution if the original goal was a hybrid, but those already exist. If the quest is to create a "Modular hybrid" take that one step further and have a light empty rear section with no drive for local trips. But if the goal is to add range to an existing small EV, substantially redesigning the chassis seems out of scope.
The toll comment was to avoid doubling the fee with a third axle. My uncle tours on a Harley with a "large suitcase" sized trailer and pays more in tolls than a four wheeled box truck.

A thought just occurred to me. Thinking of those tiny trailers that connect tandem trailers for highway travel in the trucking industry. What if there was a range extending diesel axle module for EV delivery trucks that could be left behind when they reach the city.

[Angel And The Wolf]

Originally Posted by hamsterpower

What if there was a range extending diesel axle module for EV delivery trucks that could be left behind when they reach the city.

And that is my original idea. A range extending ICE trailer (or maybe a hitch mounted 20 HP ICE driving the rear tires through a power takeoff) that can be left in the garage until needed for highway trips, the EV not needing to drag all that weight around town on short EV range trips.

Keep the efficiency of electric at home, but add the ICE to turn the car into a Hybrid for extended range when needed.

[jamesqf]

Originally Posted by slowmover

The “trick” is to live where a car isn’t needed.

The problem with that "trick" is that you're condemming yourself to a pretty miserable life.

The context (society) is that the cities are dangerous (the specifics of who lives there) and the resulting ethnic cleansing made suburban sprawl the WRONG “solution”.

Nope. The problem is that there's too many people, no matter what sort of people they happen to be. A city full of dedicated pacifists of your preferred racial/ethnic/gender mix is still a city full of people - and even if you magically removed the people, it'd still be a lifeless conglomerations of concrete, asphalt, and steel.