The Slow Death of the Internal Combustion Engine

[Taylor95]

That is pretty interesting regarding the old crank vehicles. Not everyone would be able to do that. Now that electric vehicles have caught up a bit, they still lack in terms of range and charging times. What EVs do have is a (potential) clean energy source. What if ICE manufacturers figured out how to substantially limit the amount of CO2 introduced into the atmosphere? The ICE has proven to be versatile. in the 1970s we would not even have imagined the possibility of variable valve timing or mild hybrid systems.

[Piotrsko]

There are ways to scrub the CO2, but they are massive and expensive with expensive being the killer for high production manufacturing.

[JSH]

Originally Posted by Taylor95

....in the 1970s we would not even have imagined the possibility of variable valve timing or mild hybrid systems.

They imaged the possibility but didn't have the electronic controls to make it work outside of a lab.

TRW tested a hybrid with a power-split device very similar to the Toyota Hybrid Synergy Drive way back in the 60's. It was granted a patent in 1971: US 3566717A. It has an ICE engine, two motor / generators and the same power modes as the Toyota system.

https://patents.google.com/patent/US...=Baruch+Berman

[Taylor95]

Well, my point is that cars are using different things from years ago. One of my favorites is using a smaller engine with a turbo for combined power and efficiency. Right now some people think we are moving towards forced induction GDI engines with a miller cycle.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miller_cycle

[Xist]

Would the edges of the semis actually glow? If so, would people still rear-end them?

"Oh sorry, I did not see you there!"

(I have heard many times this actually happens)

I was trying to find examples of human drivers:
https://www.wired.com/story/tesla-au...y-crash-radar/
https://insideevs.com/tesla-model-s-...ed-fire-truck/

[freebeard]

One would hope. The glow, not the rear-ending.

Originally Posted by Taylor95

Right now some people think we are moving towards forced induction GDI engines with a miller cycle.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scuderi_engine

I think Carmelo Scuderi's kids blew their opportunity when they engineered a proprietary inline-4 engine block instead of using a flat-four with replaceable piston and cylinders.

[RedDevil]

Look what I found on my lunch break walk...



It stormed so we avoided the park for its large but rotten trees.
This parking lot splits KFC and a formula restaurant 'De Beren' (Bears) and some offices. There's a tire shop and a Volkswaggin dealer nearby. It's kinda... meh. But less than a km from a busy highway junction centering between Utrecht, Rotterdam and The Hague. It is all new, this lot was a large defunct office building 1 year ago.
My company office is maybe a hundred meter away.

They're not operational yet. A few are still missing, see the red hoops. The dump truck is apparently just parked there blocking 4 inop stalls. But it's coming.

Now I wonder because the parking lot is shut off with a barrier until 9 AM, to prevent us office workers from taking up all the parking spots close to our office... No supercharging early in the morning? And this did use up some 20 parking spots anyway?
Yet, apparently we'll see lots of Teslas soon.

[redpoint5]

I hope they are going to install protection poles, or the cabinets themselves are made of 1cm thick steel, or they don't stand a chance of surviving more than a year.

Ever see the concrete pillars in parking structures? Every color of paint imaginable represented there.

[RedDevil]

We'll see. I think it will be fine, the customers will be Tesla owners and the slots are almost 4 meters wide. There are 3 regular parking spots facing the chargers, but the gap in between is relatively wide.
https://www.google.nl/maps/@52.02274...7i16384!8i8192
(Same parking lot half a year ago)

[sendler]

Originally Posted by Taylor95

That's just amazing-- I've always thought of EVs as new technology.

I think this can add to our discussion. What do you think mainly caused EVs to die out back then?

The energy density, cheap storage, and transportability of liquid fuel. And low price. The historical trend average for crude up until 2002 was $20/ barrel. 1 gallon of diesel contains 38 kWh.

Originally Posted by Taylor95

Why will that not happen in this era?

Volkswagon has stated that the new engine they are developing for 2020 will be produced for up to 10 years but is the last ICE engine they intend to develop. Replacing ICE engines is not just about CO2 emissions. There is only 20 years of cheap oil left. We need to start transitioning all oil consumption now to stretch what we have left and learn a whole new way of life before oil starts to leave us.
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Oil near the top. Gas for heat, fertilizer, cement production-70 years. Coal for another 200. If we can still run the giant machines needed to level mountains to get at it without cheap liquid fuel.
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