Regen is much more to me than just regaining some range. It is a safety item that I would use for dynamic braking. Since my physical size is large, I physically fit better in a larger heavier vehicle (why I chose to have a S-10 Blazer converted). So, regen would be quite useful to me in a heavier EV.
Way back when I had press credentials, I was allowed to take production EVs out for a spin (Honda EV+, Nissan Altra EV, Toyota RAV4-EV-gen1, GM EV1, +more). Sometimes after signing my life away, a dealership or utility would let me take an EV to shows and drive it back, so I got to enjoy them for several hours out of the day. The amount of regen each production EV I drove had varied because of the amount allowed by design. Some too little, and others more, but never an ability to select what I wanted (more than today's driving modes). That is, until I went to EVS-20 http://brucedp03.150m.com/evs-20/ Where AC Propulsion had a converted VW as a plug-in-hybrid with an easy 60+ mile e-range http://brucedp03.150m.com/evs-20/IMG_0285.jpg http://brucedp03.150m.com/evs-20/IMG_0289.jpg If you expand/zoom-in on the interior focusing on the front tray between the seats http://brucedp03.150m.com/evs-20/IMG_0286.jpg AC Propulsion put a slider control to allow the driver to adjust the amount of regen on the fly. It was really cool. I could see setting it to maximum when mountain driving, and to less when creeping in traffic. One of the advantages of building or having a converter build you an EV, is you can make the EV fit your needs better. Like a custom build that you do not have to worry about if you would lose warranty coverage on a production EV, like if you made modifications on it. [Sidebar: then again if you have a thick wallet, you can buy a Leaf EV like the Stanford Student did to take the doors off and make into a high-speed Electric golf cart. See http://electric-vehicle-discussion-list.413529.n4.nabble.com/EVLN-Doorless-Pratt-Leaf-EV-abandoned-on-city-street-for-months-tp4665972.html EVLN: Doorless 'Pratt-Leaf' EV abandoned on city street for months If you look at that news item's images, the owner really was without a care if the EV got damaged or lost warranty coverage. ] {brucedp.150m.com} - On Mon, Aug 11, 2014, at 12:49 PM, Robert Bruninga via EV wrote: > > As for regen, the efficiency improvement you get over DC will vary... > > Typically the improvement is small, because you just don't spend > > that much time braking. ... Learn to make use of coasting and > > you can probably match the range improvement of regen. > > Amen. With my CITY car I agonized over all kinds of designs for Regen > but > once I started driving it, I realized I hardly ever used the brakes. > (somewhat due to them being old and worn out in the first place)... but > still, after also driving a Prius and similarly avoiding brakes or regen, > the amount from regen is not worth it (I am going on the assumption that > regen in DC traction motors causes undue arcing of the comutator...) - -- View this message in context: http://electric-vehicle-discussion-list.413529.n4.nabble.com/Re-Conversion-advice-regen-tp4670938p4670962.html Sent from the Electric Vehicle Discussion List mailing list archive at Nabble.com. _______________________________________________ UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.evdl.org/help/index.html#usub http://lists.evdl.org/listinfo.cgi/ev-evdl.org For EV drag racing discussion, please use NEDRA (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NEDRA)
