Feasability of going from gas to only electric

[Isaac Zackary]

Here are a few pics I found on the internet.

[LittleBlackDuck]

I have only one question - WHY?

Why would you use a filthy and inefficient ancient diesel to augment an electric car? It seems so wrong!

I have a 9" chop saw but I don't think it is the correct tool for making modifications dash of my Lexus so I can install a switch. Just because you have it does not mean you should use it.

Simon

[Stubby79]

Depends which is more important to him: ECOnomy or ECOlogy.

It might appear that this website is purely dedicated to the environment, by it's title, but you'll find that there are a lot of people who come here because they're inherently frugal.

And I'm not talking in a strictly financial aspect, either. I'm talking about being wasteful.

Pushing the EV with the smallest diesel engine that can do the job properly - which he just happens to have - does not come across as remotely wasteful. He will presumably only do it when absolutely necessary. Whatever emissions he does put out will still be scant next to what the average vehicle puts out over the course of a year. It's not like he's pushing it with an over sized Cummings diesel.

And if emissions are enough of a concern to him, he can take further steps to minimize them, and/or keep his eyes out in the meantime for something that will pollute less.

[freebeard]

Do you know the provenance of this? I think I saw it at the Springfield German show and shine. The EV Rabbit was purchased from the State of Oregon and the trailer was made from a convertible so it had the little hatch in the back.

Roadkill did an episode with a pusher trailer, but I'm not linking it since it's neither economical or ecological. That had a small block Chevy with a supercharger blowing through a pipe into the small-block Chevy in the car. Instead of an Ultragauge they used tire smoke.

[Isaac Zackary]

Originally Posted by LittleBlackDuck

I have only one question - WHY?

Why would you use a filthy and inefficient ancient diesel to augment an electric car? It seems so wrong!

I have a 9" chop saw but I don't think it is the correct tool for making modifications dash of my Lexus so I can install a switch. Just because you have it does not mean you should use it.

Simon

I definitely want to reduce emissions as much as possible. I've been thinking of adding a universal diesel catalytic converter, and perhaps water injection, propane irrigation or even an EGR cooler and valve to lower NOx.

I guess this is why this thread now has 27 pages and I still can't seem to decide what to do.

It seems that there's a battle in my brain between ecology, economy and practicality. I could go buy a whole new 2017 car, turn it into a pusher trailer and keep all its emissions stuff. But for that price and job I might as well as just buy a new car and use it when I need to go out of town.

But I don't really want to pay thousands of dollars for that once a month or so when I need to go farther than what the Leaf will allow. I could rent. But it's a small town and I'm lucky that there is one place to rent a car. But then again, every time I go by there I can't find anyone. I guess that's because their open only a few hours a day. But this may be the only practical, environmentally friendly and economic way of doing this.

I could add more batteries, pay for a few CHAdeMO charging stations along the road out here, or make a solar trailer with some lightweight multi junction aerospace solar panels. But then I'd be out of money again.

The only two other semi practical environmentally friendly "mods," besides a modified EVSE and making a deal with the only fuel station between here and nowhere to let me charge at 240V, would be a battery battery trailer if I could get another Leaf battery for cheap, or generator in the trunk used only in emergencies, while I keep trying to convince people to put in charging stations or let me charge at their place off of their RV outlet.

It's not like a big city where everywhere I go I can advocate putting in charging stations. There are stretches of road out here that there aren't even any gas stations or RV parks or even homes for some 100 miles, or even more. Lucky most roads there's at least a gas station every 30 miles, which usually are only open a limited number of hours a day, or even seasonally.

I guess it boils down to what's most important to me. And all suggestions are very appreciated!

[Isaac Zackary]

Originally Posted by LittleBlackDuck

I have only one question - WHY?

Why would you use a filthy and inefficient ancient diesel to augment an electric car? It seems so wrong!

I have a 9" chop saw but I don't think it is the correct tool for making modifications dash of my Lexus so I can install a switch. Just because you have it does not mean you should use it.

Simon

I'd say that a better analogy would be if you're driving through some desolate part of the world and aren't sure if you'll make it to the next fuel station. Now you go down to the store to get a portable fuel tank, but you find out they're very expensive even for the small ones. But you also have some large water cooler bottles at home. Now which would you use to fill up on enough gasoline? Now take that price and multiply it by a few thousand. Now which would you use? Yes, the water cooler bottles aren't for transporting fuel. They could leak, could even cause a fire hazard and generally be a bad choice. But if a tiny fuel can that still wouldn't add very much range costs several thousand dollars, those water cooler bottles might not look like such a bad idea after all. But still. Which would be best? Pros and cons! Pros and cons!

[Isaac Zackary]

I think for now I need to get a cheap $300 SportsMan's propane inverter generator and simply try to go somewhere in the Leaf and see what it's like.

[Isaac Zackary]

It wouldn't be a bad idea to discuss first all ecological choices first and then compare their disadvantages and see if they're too much of a disadvantage or not.

The first that pops up in my mind is a car rental. The disadvantage is purely pride, I guess. Why buy a new electric car and then rent an ICE car? This is definitely a viable option, but something in my mind keeps pushing me away from the idea. If there were some 15kW-20kW super low emissions engine for cheap I could just strap on and go that would make my day...

[Isaac Zackary]

I thought this was interesting:

Road Tripping 1,300 Miles In My Nissan LEAF

Wait a minute! My mother-in-law lives 600 miles away!

So if I get an emergency use generator and complain about how there's no charging infrastructure yet maybe some day it will be possible to drive several hundred miles in a day off of pure electricity.

[LittleBlackDuck]

Originally Posted by Isaac Zackary

It wouldn't be a bad idea to discuss first all ecological choices first and then compare their disadvantages and see if they're too much of a disadvantage or not.

The first that pops up in my mind is a car rental. The disadvantage is purely pride, I guess. Why buy a new electric car and then rent an ICE car? This is definitely a viable option, but something in my mind keeps pushing me away from the idea. If there were some 15kW-20kW super low emissions engine for cheap I could just strap on and go that would make my day...

I agree that range anxiety, lack of range extenders and the associated hassles that result from having an EV with a shortish range are real,problems for some of us that don't live in the city.

There is no real answer, but hiring a car for infrequent trips is attractive because you avoid the standing costs and maintenance risk.

Simon