Peri Hartman via EV wrote:
The hybrid "evolution" theory doesn't work. I think Toyota's approach
was right, for the time: make a substantially more efficient gas engine.
They did a brilliant job.
But to migrate that to an EV is difficult. First, you still need a
fairly substantial gas engine, if you want the vehicle capable of long
distance freeway travel.
But is that actually true? Cars have engines with ten times the
horsepower needed to drive down the road at 70 mph. A "strong" hybrid
(big EV motor and battery, small ICE) could easily have enough power to
provide that 10x boost for fast acceleration or hill-climbing.
Second, if you want a larger battery, you now have to find additional
space - you still need the ICE and the transmission and all the other
junk. And more weight for a larger battery.
Are you sure? A 40HP engine is considerably smaller and lighter than a
400 HP engine, and still plenty enough to push you down the road all
day. Look at how small and light the engine is in a Geo Metro or old VW
beetle. You could pick it up single-handed.
The ICE (and its assorted pieces) needed to go (say) 400 miles is
certainly lighter than the battery pack needed to go that same 400
miles. The millions of cars on the road have already demonstrated this.
It just doesn't work. The 40-50 mile range hybrids are probably
the limit this technology can go.
But there have been hobbyist-built "strong" hybrids with big EV and
small ICEs. They appear to work just fine (given the limitations of
hobby engineering).
I think people in general are quite aware of EVs now, especially seeing
teslas on the road. it seems people are waiting for enough range and
quick enough charging that they don't have to be concerned any more than
they are driving and ICE-V. We're getting close to that. The other
factor is price, which is dropping (for what you get) every year. It's
coming! We don't need a transition vehicle.
I think you're overly optimistic. Here; we're the converted! We
*believe* that EVs are the future.
But almost everyone I know tells me, "ICEs are forever... I'll never
drive an EV... They're too weird, too expensive... I like what I already
have, and don't want to change." That may not be the case in other
countries that are more pragmatic. But most Americans won't change
without being *forced* to! And our government can't/won't do that, given
the political climate.
Climate change may be happening in the rest of the world; but not in the
US government!
Lee
--
A designer knows he has achieved perfection not when there is
nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.
-- Antoine de Saint Exupery
--
Lee Hart, 814 8th Ave N, Sartell MN 56377, www.sunrise-ev.com
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