This has been driving me crazy. Someone please educate me.
On the market there are hybrids, plug in hybrids, all electric cars. Each has a different kind of strategy for squeezing out mileage, but one strategy I have not seen is something similar to what trains use.
Would this work: You have an all electric car that runs only with electric motors (like the Leaf, only not as dorky, or the Tesla, only not as over the top expensive). Let's say its batteries store enough juice to go 75 miles. You also have an onboard generator that does not link to the drive gear, as on the Volt, only charges the batteries.
The car has two modes: Local and Travel. In local mode, it runs on batteries alone. This gives you your commute to/from work on all electric. However, for those times when you need more range, the Travel mode activates the onboard generator. The generator produces, say, 30kW, which is enough to replace the 45 hp or so it takes to drive the car at 75 mph, plus a small margin for accessories or to keep the house batteries charged up. The batteries handle acceleration etc., so the generator can run at its most efficient speed at all times.
What is the flaw in this notion (which I do not see) that has prevented the automakers from trying this?
On the market there are hybrids, plug in hybrids, all electric cars. Each has a different kind of strategy for squeezing out mileage, but one strategy I have not seen is something similar to what trains use.
Would this work: You have an all electric car that runs only with electric motors (like the Leaf, only not as dorky, or the Tesla, only not as over the top expensive). Let's say its batteries store enough juice to go 75 miles. You also have an onboard generator that does not link to the drive gear, as on the Volt, only charges the batteries.
The car has two modes: Local and Travel. In local mode, it runs on batteries alone. This gives you your commute to/from work on all electric. However, for those times when you need more range, the Travel mode activates the onboard generator. The generator produces, say, 30kW, which is enough to replace the 45 hp or so it takes to drive the car at 75 mph, plus a small margin for accessories or to keep the house batteries charged up. The batteries handle acceleration etc., so the generator can run at its most efficient speed at all times.
What is the flaw in this notion (which I do not see) that has prevented the automakers from trying this?