[EVDL] EVLN: EV life at a more efficient 55mph is not as bad as you think
Driving in the summer months often extends a EV's range http://www.thegreencarwebsite.co.uk/blog/index.php/2014/07/11/life-at-55-mph-its-not-as-bad-as-you-think/ Life at 55 (mph): It’s not as bad as you think 11 Jul 2014 Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield [images] (traffic, Tesla-S, Volt pih - M1 with hard shoulder running HA picture - Lower speed limits have been avoided, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't slow down) Earlier this week, UK Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin confirmed that plans to lower the speed limit of certain sections of the UK motorway network from 70mph to 60mph would be shelved after tough opposition from the rest of the Government. Originally designed to cut both air pollution and congestion, the proposed 60mph limit would have been applied to a 32-mile section of the M1 in Derbyshire as well as a smaller section of the M3 motorway in Surrey. As anyone who has regularly driven either road will tell you, rush hour is something of a nightmare on both – and air quality isn’t exactly great in the neighbouring areas either. While the proposed speed limit drop won’t happen however, there are some great benefits to switching your motorway speed down on your own terms. And you owe it to yourself to try. As an electric car driver, I’ve become acutely aware that the efficiency of my car is inversely proportional to the speed that I’m travelling at. In fact, it’s something I learned back in 2011 when my Nissan LEAF was new and the UK’s quick charging network was in something of a protozoic state. You see, travelling at 60mph is, on average, 12.4 per cent less efficient than driving at 50 mph. Driving at 70mph instead of 60mph is about 14 per cent less efficient than driving at 60mph, and driving at 80mph is about 15.4 per cent less efficient than driving at 70. In short, if you drive at 70mph – or perhaps even 80mph as many people do on the motorway – your car’s fuel economy will be far less than it would be at 50mph. That might not make too much difference to your daily driving, especially if you own a petrol or diesel car that can manage several hundred miles on a tank. But calculate it over time, and you’ll find those inefficiencies will start to make an impact. Take the Toyota Prius, one of the most fuel-efficient hybrids on the market today. At 50mph, you might be able to squeeze 70mpg out of your green ride. At 60mph, you might find the fuel economy has only dropped a few mpg to say 65mpg. But drive your Prius around everywhere at 80mph, and you’ll suddenly find fuel economy down in the low fifties. At this point, I should probably point out that the figures I’m quoting will vary according to the car you have, the weather, traffic, and the type of road you’re driving on. Driving in the summer months often extends a car's range For example, most people find that they get better fuel economy in the summer than they do in the winter, because there are lower headwinds, warmer weather, and drier roads – and your car’s engine and tyres don’t take so long to get up to optimum operating temperatures. If you’ve got an EV, the same is true – but it’s related to the temperature of your battery pack and the likelihood that you tend not to drive around in the summer with the heater on full blast, zapping precious miles from your car’s battery pack. Before you think I’m some kind of go-slow granny driver however, hear me out. I love driving fast just as much as everyone else. I love the thrill of burying the right pedal to the floor in a fit of motoring madness. I love the thrill of seeing the countryside whoosh past me. I like making those rush-hour trips home take as little time as possible. Yet these days, I’m taking a different approach. I save my accelerator lust for racing simulations and track days, and I’ve started playing a new game with myself. A game that I find really addictive because I’m competitive, and saves me money too. It’s called “maximizing your mpg” – or in my case, my car’s range. First of all, I follow some basic rules. I make sure that I’m not driving too slowly for any given road, because that’s as dangerous as driving too fast. I make sure I’ve given myself extra time to make the trip, and I tend to pick something to listen to on the radio which will both help me relax but also focus on my goal: saving fuel. Then I drive. On motorways, I’ll generally sit at 55 mph, looking ahead for hills where I can use gravity to my advantage. I’ll make sure I have plenty of time when executing a manoeuvre to not lose any momentum, which in return ensures I’ve got a larger gap between myself and the car in front. The whole thing actually chills me out. For the past few weeks, I’ve been driving my Volt every day using this technique, and I’ve managed to increase my car’s all-electric range from 35 miles per charge to more than 50. The petrol engine hasn’t turned on once, and I’m arriving at my destination more refreshed and less stressed than I would be were I driving
[EVDL] EVLN: First Tesla-S Crash in China is too Painful to Watch
A Chinese customer pays $175k for the $121k Tesla-S P85 EV
http://www.autoevolution.com/news/first-tesla-model-s-crash-in-china-is-downright-painful-to-watch-photo-gallery-83839.html
First Tesla Model S Crash in China is Painful to Watch (Photo Gallery)
by Mircea Panait 14th July 2014
[images
http://s1.cdn.autoevolution.com/images/news/gallery/medium/first-tesla-model-s-crash-in-china-is-downright-painful-to-watch-photo-gallery-medium_1.jpg
http://www.autoevolution.com/news-g-image/first-tesla-model-s-crash-in-china-is-downright-painful-to-watch-photo-gallery/215654.html#sjmp
gallery
]
The past 30 days or so have been laden with crummy incidents related to the
Tesla Model S - at the end of June, a Chinese customer smashed the
windscreen of its showroom fresh Model S, a different car was split in half
after a high-speed crash in L.A. on the 4th of July and a fresh owner
crashed his brand new pure electric luxury sedan before leaving the Fremont
Assembly plant.
A recurring reader of carnewschina.com sent the Chinese motoring publication
a set of pictures of what is believed to be the first Tesla Model S road
accident in the country. The unfortunate crash happened last Friday in the
Chaoyang District of Beijing. It's no wonder if you take into account that
only Shanghai and Beijing electric vehicle customers enjoy a government
incentive that shaves $15,000 off the sticker price.
Furthermore, Chaoyang is home of the Central business district, many foreign
embassies and shopping malls, as well as the most populous district in
Beijing thanks to a total population of over 3.6 million. So what exactly
happened? Well, the driver of the red Model S allegedly hit a lamp pole at
the side of the road while carrying a not so legal amount of speed. The
impact further propelled the car into a bus parked nearby.
Fortunately, there were no passengers aboard the bus, while the driver and
front passenger of the red Tesla Model S were transported to the local
hospital for routine checks that confirmed they have not sustained serious
injuries from the impact. The pictures provided hint that all airbags were
deployed upon impact, while the right rear wheel broke off. There's damage
on virtually every panel of the car except for the roof, and most of us can
agree that this particular Tesla Model S is a complete write-off.
All in all, tough luck for the guy that crashed this car. Speaking of which,
do you know how much a P85 retails for in China? We don't know how to soften
the blow, but it's way more expensive than the Stateside sticker price.
Specifically, a Chinese customer has to pay $121,000 at current exchange
rates for the Tesla Model S P85 - $81,070 U.S. price, $3,600 shipping
handling, $19,000 customs duties taxes, $17,700 VAT and the dealership
premium. A fully loaded P85 Performance model can go as high as ¥1,087,000
($175,000).
[© autoevolution.com]
http://www.auto-types.com/autonews/man-crashes-20-ferrari-accidentally-while-taking-test-drive-11859.html
Owner Crashes £200k Ferrari-ice Accidentally While Taking Test Drive
Mark Curtis July 17, 2014
For all EVLN posts use:
http://electric-vehicle-discussion-list.413529.n4.nabble.com/template/NamlServlet.jtp?macro=search_pagenode=413529query=evlnsort=date
http://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/188/hackers-target-tesla-us1-bounty
Zhejiang University team scoops US$10,000 for Tesla hack
http://www.autoevolution.com/news/tesla-model-s-hacked-by-qihoo-360-84102.html
...
http://electric-vehicle-discussion-list.413529.n4.nabble.com/EVLN-Hack-A-Tesla-Model-S-And-Win-10-000-Model-S-software-flaw-tp4670368.html
EVLN: Hack A Tesla Model S And Win $10,000, Model S' software flaw
http://archive.pnj.com/usatoday/article/12642475
'Lemon-law' lawyer declares victory against Tesla
...
http://electric-vehicle-discussion-list.413529.n4.nabble.com/EVLN-WI-Lemon-Law-King-Sues-Tesla-shenanigans-of-some-nutbag-tp4668837.html
EVLN: WI Lemon Law King Sues Tesla ... shenanigans of some nutbag
http://ecomento.com/2014/07/10/tesla-model-s-overheats-tackling-nurburgring/
Tesla Model S overheats tackling Nürburgring (video)
http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/657485-uganda-to-start-producing-cars-in-2018.html
Uganda's Kiira EV SMACK commercial production in 2018
...
https://www.google.com/search?q=Kiira+EV+SMACK
http://www.fastcoexist.com/3032583/finally-a-way-to-know-whether-the-power-to-your-outlet-is-clean-or-dirty
Finally, A Way To Know Your EV Charging Power Is Clean Or Dirty
+
EVLN: EV life at a more efficient 55mph is not as bad as you think
{brucedp.150m.com}
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View this message in context:
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Re: [EVDL] e-volks upgrade....
Congratulations! Makes me want to change to lithium sooner than later. Presently, I have 18 US125 FLA batteries that weigh about 1,200 pounds, and an old Curtis controller that is limited to about 350 amps. Makes for some ponderously slow acceleration. http://evalbum.com/4331 Sounds like you're having a good time and success with the project! Tom Keenan On Jul 18, 2014, at 7:09 AM, Zeke Yewdall via EV ev@lists.evdl.org wrote: Update and EV grin. I took the VW bug out for the first serious drive with Lithium last night. WOW. Before -- with the 12 volt AGMs. I was getting maybe 280 amps peak battery amperage on a freshly charged pack, dropping to less than 100 amps after 5 miles or so. Pathetic performance (lots of driving on the shoulder). With the 100AH, 72 volts of CALB lithium, I was regularly getting 200 amps on acceleration, and I got 370 amps peak once (should probably not do that too much for the health of the batteries). The alltrax 450 never even got warm, with it's new heat sink and cooling fan. It's peppy now... way more than a ICE VW bug. 30mph up hill, and can pull out onto the highway just fine (highway being the 45mph road -- not 75mph freeway). And... the motor (6.7 series) is actually running cooler than before as well. I think because the controller is able to keep the speed up, the motor RPM is not dropping like it was before, so it's actually cooling better with its internal fan. And, it takes less time to climb the hill when you can keep up 30mph instead of 15. After climbing a two mile hill at 250+ battery amps most the way, it was hot but not too hot to hold onto. I kept it in 2nd up to about 40, then switched to 3rd for more power on the highway. 1st is able to peel out in the dirt. I'm sure that driving it like that doesn't help the efficiency, but it's way more fun that it was as a lead sled (it's also about 400lbs lighter). One thing 50mph around curves is a little scary... something to do with standard suspension and brakes of a '73 VW bugI only took 20AH out of them, because I don't have the BMS connected to the controller yet, but this weekend, I'll do a full range test with the BMS operating. Makes me want to get lithium for my Ford conversion. -- next part -- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.evdl.org/private.cgi/ev-evdl.org/attachments/20140719/c281f6ee/attachment.htm ___ 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)
Re: [EVDL] EVLN: BMWDaimler developing 3-Hour Wireless Inductive EVSE for i3 EV
You are correct. We are requiring 2-way communication as well as monitoring of the power being transmitted. If some metal does come near/into the field, the transmitter can easily detect this (big change in current) and shut down the transmission. Likewise if the communication fails, power transfer stops. If the alignment between pads shifts (we call it alignment check) outside of nominal values, power transfer stops. If a living object comes near (basically to the side of the car), power transfer stops. I've just spent an entire week working with the standard responsible for this, so all of this is VERY fresh in my mind. :) Cheers, Peter On 7/18/14, 4:18 AM, Evan Tuer via EV wrote: It's more than improbable. There is 2 way communication with any of these wireless charging protocols, and monitoring of the power on both sides. Any rogue coil (which would have to be inserted pretty much in between the car and the charger whilst it is charging, which isn't going to happen accidentally) would cause a mismatch and transfer would stop immediately. Transfer won't start in the first place unless there's a correct, properly aligned and communicating receiver. On Fri, Jul 18, 2014 at 5:24 PM, Martin WINLOW via EV ev@lists.evdl.org wrote: Hmmm, my instant reaction was 'extremely unlikely' as you would need a 'receiver' circuit with the right resonant frequency to generate any sort of significant energy. That said, it is, I suppose, quite feasible that with the mass of coils of one sort or another that there are 'out there' that some fluke of chance may just throw up a matching resonant situation and then, who know's what could happen. It's a bit improbable though. Certainly simple metal objects such as you mentioned will *not* be an issue. On the other hand, interestingly, the power used by the flux generating coils in a large, whole body MRI scanner is about the same as that which this inductive charger will use, ~7kW. As I suspect you know, these MRIs come with all sorts of dire warnings about keeping metal objects out of the way lest they turn into lethal projectiles. Fortunately, the MRI coils are designed to do something completely different to the inductive charger and so this issue is unlikely to be important. Also, the fixed coils energy will only be 'live' when a car is charging so, again, it is improbable that with the car in the way, anything would be able to get into a position where something unexpected would occur. It will be interesting to see how this all pans out. MW On 17 Jul 2014, at 13:30, robert winfield via EV wrote: will it induce eddy currents in metallic jewelry or clasps or such in clothing worn by occupants. (My car warms me before we leave in the morning...) On Thu, 7/17/14, brucedp5 via EV ev@lists.evdl.org wrote: Subject: [EVDL] EVLN: BMWDaimler developing 3-Hour Wireless Inductive EVSE for i3 EV To: ev@lists.evdl.org Date: Thursday, July 17, 2014, 4:58 AM Wireless EV Charging on the Horizon, But is It Safe? http://www.digitaltrends.com/cars/cables-needed-bmw-daimler-working-wireless-charging-technology-evs/ No cables needed: BMW and Daimler working on wireless charging technology for EVs By Andrew Hard — July 11, 2014 [image http://icdn2.digitaltrends.com/image/rsz_p90155654.jpg Wireless Charging Technology ] With the help of BMW and Daimler, electric vehicles are taking the next step toward worry-free ownership. The German automakers recently announced a joint effort to develop a wireless charging system for the i3 electric vehicle and i8 plug-in hybrid. EVs don’t need oil changes, filter replacements, or emissions testing, so they’re already extremely convenient to own. If the inductive wireless charging technology is viable, EV owners won’t even need to worry about refueling. BMW and Daimler’s charging tech works in the same way wireless cell phone chargers do, just on a larger scale. An alternating magnetic field transmits energy between two sets of coils: one mounted onto the car’s parking area (usually a garage floor), and a secondary coil on the vehicle itself. The array transmits energy at a charging rate of 3.6 kilowatts, which, according to BMW, is enough to fully charge an i8 in under two hours. The German engineers predict they can increase that rate to 7.0 kW in the future. The circular design of the coils comes in a compact, lightweight package that is equal parts subtle and slick. The floor-mounted baseplate will function even when exposed to rain and snow, and the car’s receiver coil can be activated with the push of a button. To keep the neighborhood cats safe and grounded, the current is automatically shut off if any foreign bodies are detected. BMW allows users to monitor the charging process with the i Wallbox and accompanying smartphone app. As always, BMW strives to be an innovator. In May, the German company announced a solar-powered carport that would
Re: [EVDL] EVLN: BMWDaimler developing 3-Hour Wireless Inductive EVSE for i3 EV
So, how much EMF from the transmitter 'escapes' the receiver in normal operation? It is this, I think, anyone who has concerns about the technology is effectively talking about. Whether any escaped energy can then cause problems with other devices is another matter. MW On 19 Jul 2014, at 16:14, Peter C. Thompson via EV wrote: You are correct. We are requiring 2-way communication as well as monitoring of the power being transmitted. If some metal does come near/into the field, the transmitter can easily detect this (big change in current) and shut down the transmission. Likewise if the communication fails, power transfer stops. If the alignment between pads shifts (we call it alignment check) outside of nominal values, power transfer stops. If a living object comes near (basically to the side of the car), power transfer stops. I've just spent an entire week working with the standard responsible for this, so all of this is VERY fresh in my mind. :) Cheers, Peter On 7/18/14, 4:18 AM, Evan Tuer via EV wrote: It's more than improbable. There is 2 way communication with any of these wireless charging protocols, and monitoring of the power on both sides. Any rogue coil (which would have to be inserted pretty much in between the car and the charger whilst it is charging, which isn't going to happen accidentally) would cause a mismatch and transfer would stop immediately. Transfer won't start in the first place unless there's a correct, properly aligned and communicating receiver. On Fri, Jul 18, 2014 at 5:24 PM, Martin WINLOW via EV ev@lists.evdl.org wrote: Hmmm, my instant reaction was 'extremely unlikely' as you would need a 'receiver' circuit with the right resonant frequency to generate any sort of significant energy. That said, it is, I suppose, quite feasible that with the mass of coils of one sort or another that there are 'out there' that some fluke of chance may just throw up a matching resonant situation and then, who know's what could happen. It's a bit improbable though. Certainly simple metal objects such as you mentioned will *not* be an issue. On the other hand, interestingly, the power used by the flux generating coils in a large, whole body MRI scanner is about the same as that which this inductive charger will use, ~7kW. As I suspect you know, these MRIs come with all sorts of dire warnings about keeping metal objects out of the way lest they turn into lethal projectiles. Fortunately, the MRI coils are designed to do something completely different to the inductive charger and so this issue is unlikely to be important. Also, the fixed coils energy will only be 'live' when a car is charging so, again, it is improbable that with the car in the way, anything would be able to get into a position where something unexpected would occur. It will be interesting to see how this all pans out. MW On 17 Jul 2014, at 13:30, robert winfield via EV wrote: Wireless EV Charging on the Horizon, But is It Safe? http://www.digitaltrends.com/cars/cables-needed-bmw-daimler-working-wireless-charging-technology-evs/ No cables needed: BMW and Daimler working on wireless charging technology for EVs By Andrew Hard — July 11, 2014 [image http://icdn2.digitaltrends.com/image/rsz_p90155654.jpg Wireless Charging Technology ] With the help of BMW and Daimler, electric vehicles are taking the next step toward worry-free ownership. The German automakers recently announced a joint effort to develop a wireless charging system for the i3 electric vehicle and i8 plug-in hybrid. EVs don’t need oil changes, filter replacements, or emissions testing, so they’re already extremely convenient to own. If the inductive wireless charging technology is viable, EV owners won’t even need to worry about refueling. BMW and Daimler’s charging tech works in the same way wireless cell phone chargers do, just on a larger scale. An alternating magnetic field transmits energy between two sets of coils: one mounted onto the car’s parking area (usually a garage floor), and a secondary coil on the vehicle itself. The array transmits energy at a charging rate of 3.6 kilowatts, which, according to BMW, is enough to fully charge an i8 in under two hours. The German engineers predict they can increase that rate to 7.0 kW in the future. The circular design of the coils comes in a compact, lightweight package that is equal parts subtle and slick. The floor-mounted baseplate will function even when exposed to rain and snow, and the car’s receiver coil can be activated with the push of a button. To keep the neighborhood cats safe and grounded, the current is automatically shut off if any foreign bodies are detected. BMW allows users to monitor the charging process with the i Wallbox and accompanying smartphone app. ___ UNSUBSCRIBE:
Re: [EVDL] How crazy am I?
Hi Ben, I'm a little surprised at the light response you've gotten to your question. I would have thought there'd be more folks here who at least have put some thought into homebrewing a hybrid this way, if not done it themselves. So, even though I'm about the worst person to do so since I'm a EE dropout and have never built a hybrid, I'll post a few random ideas about them that have popped into my head over the years. First, some thoughts on why or why not. ICEVs' efficiency has improved immensely from microprocessor engine control, but it's still pretty abysmal on short trips. For some folks, short trips can amount to a lot of driving - take the kids to school, come home, run to the store, come home, pick the kids up, come home ... repeat to 40 or 50 significant digits. That kind of use is also hard on an ICE, because it never gets properly warmed up. OTOH, EVs excel at short trips. They don't need to warm up, they don't idle, and many have regen to claw back some kinetic energy normally wasted as heat in the brakes.. For folks who need to make both short and long trips, intuitively the true hybrid seems like an ideal compromise. However, the devil is in that little word, compromise. It's because you have two vehicles in one. To stick with conversions here, you're in effect doing a full EV conversion, but still leaving the engine and all its supporting hardware in place. You have to find a place to mount the EV drive components and the battery; but unlike a BEV conversion, you don't have nice big chunks of space where the ICE and gas tank used to be. So you have a packaging challenge. Your vehicle also gains a fair bit of weight. And there are other little places where you miss out on efficiency. For example, with the exhaust still there, you probably can't add a belly pan to smooth out the underbody aerodynamics, as you could with a BEV. The result is that your hybrid isn't going to be optimized as either an ICEV or an EV. It's likely that its EV range will be less than a similar BEV's, and its fuel efficiency less than a similar ICEV's. So after thinking all this over, I've decided that I'm more in favor of having multiple vehicles. Each can be optimized for different needs - an EV for local trips, and an ICEV for long trips, for example. This is a great solution where you have two drivers and two cars. With just one driver, I guess it depends partly on what it costs to license and insure two vehicles in your area. I also really like the station car concept, where you commute using mass transit, and lease an EV for daily use between your house and the train station. In the best of these proposals, you can also swap your EV for an ICEV car or van or truck, when you need that instead (you want to go on vacation with the kids, or to fetch a load of lumber). Alas, I don't see many of these on the horizon. Not that I'm trying to talk you out of this project, just presenting some things to consider. Now, again, I'm not really the right person to advise you. But maybe if I cast out some ideas here, someone else will pop up and disagree with me ;-) First a little of my somewhat quirky nomenclature. I'm an old guy, so hybrid still means to me what it meant in 1969. To me, a hybrid is a vehicle that can use multiple energy sources. The cars most folks call hybrids today get all their energy from gasoline. Others here disagree with me on this point, which is fine, but I don't consider a car like a non-plug-in Prius a true hybrid. In my book, most of the factory hybrids are really ICEVs with electric superchargers and/or sophisticated transmissions. The Prius power splitting device is a really clever gadget that amounts to an electomechanical torque converter, for example. So let me use the term true hybrid here for the real stuff. You may already know this, but true hybrids come in two flavors, series and parallel. A series hybrid has its motor (only) permanently linked to the driveline. The ICE drives a generator or alternator that supplements or replaces the battery's energy. Diesel-electric locomotives are series hybrids. The downside of the series hybrid is that you lose some efficiency in the conversion of mechanical energy to electrical energy. Back in the 1960s and 1970s, before the days of microprocessor ICE control, you gained ICE efficiency by running the ICE at a constant speed and load. This helped to make up for the conversion losses. With today's computer engine control, that's not true any more. ICEs are now much more efficient over a wider range of speeds and loads. So there are fewer situations where a series hybrid is apt to give you improved efficiency. This is where the parallel hybrid comes in. A parallel hybrid can mechanically link either the motor or the ICE to the driveline - sometimes both. This is the system you're proposing. In theory, you should get the best of both
Re: [EVDL] How crazy am I?
Ben, I'll diverge a bit from David's ideas. First, disclaimer: I bought a leaf and have no hands-on experience. One way you could have an ICE and room for EV components is to completely take out the existing ICE and replace it with something much smaller. Even though David claims the parallel configuration is more optimal, and I agree, you could do a series configuration with the electric motor heading the drive train. You then use the ICE to power the electric motor. I imagine several benefits of this: 1. smaller ICE - it only needs to be large enough to maintain constant speed up a long grade. Say you're on a 5% freeway grade and want to maintain 60mph. That determines your ICE size, considering losses for elec. generation, etc. You get acceleration from the electric motor; e.g. the leaf is 80kw and I think the volt is around 100kw; the ICE needs to be just big enough to provide elec. power for long-average loads. 2. more flexibility on how to use the space under the hood. The ICE could even be in the trunk. 3. You can run electric only and never use the ICE for short trips - depending on your battery size. Disadvantages: 1. most of the things David relates. 2. you might have issues with the engine computer since you probably would still need it for running the dash accessories, etc. Peri -- Original Message -- From: EVDL Administrator via EV ev@lists.evdl.org To: Electric Vehicle Discussion List ev@lists.evdl.org Sent: 19-Jul-14 1:16:45 PM Subject: Re: [EVDL] How crazy am I? Hi Ben, I'm a little surprised at the light response you've gotten to your question. I would have thought there'd be more folks here who at least have put some thought into homebrewing a hybrid this way, if not done it themselves. So, even though I'm about the worst person to do so since I'm a EE dropout and have never built a hybrid, I'll post a few random ideas about them that have popped into my head over the years. First, some thoughts on why or why not. ICEVs' efficiency has improved immensely from microprocessor engine control, but it's still pretty abysmal on short trips. For some folks, short trips can amount to a lot of driving - take the kids to school, come home, run to the store, come home, pick the kids up, come home ... repeat to 40 or 50 significant digits. That kind of use is also hard on an ICE, because it never gets properly warmed up. OTOH, EVs excel at short trips. They don't need to warm up, they don't idle, and many have regen to claw back some kinetic energy normally wasted as heat in the brakes.. For folks who need to make both short and long trips, intuitively the true hybrid seems like an ideal compromise. However, the devil is in that little word, compromise. It's because you have two vehicles in one. To stick with conversions here, you're in effect doing a full EV conversion, but still leaving the engine and all its supporting hardware in place. You have to find a place to mount the EV drive components and the battery; but unlike a BEV conversion, you don't have nice big chunks of space where the ICE and gas tank used to be. So you have a packaging challenge. Your vehicle also gains a fair bit of weight. And there are other little places where you miss out on efficiency. For example, with the exhaust still there, you probably can't add a belly pan to smooth out the underbody aerodynamics, as you could with a BEV. The result is that your hybrid isn't going to be optimized as either an ICEV or an EV. It's likely that its EV range will be less than a similar BEV's, and its fuel efficiency less than a similar ICEV's. So after thinking all this over, I've decided that I'm more in favor of having multiple vehicles. Each can be optimized for different needs - an EV for local trips, and an ICEV for long trips, for example. This is a great solution where you have two drivers and two cars. With just one driver, I guess it depends partly on what it costs to license and insure two vehicles in your area. I also really like the station car concept, where you commute using mass transit, and lease an EV for daily use between your house and the train station. In the best of these proposals, you can also swap your EV for an ICEV car or van or truck, when you need that instead (you want to go on vacation with the kids, or to fetch a load of lumber). Alas, I don't see many of these on the horizon. Not that I'm trying to talk you out of this project, just presenting some things to consider. Now, again, I'm not really the right person to advise you. But maybe if I cast out some ideas here, someone else will pop up and disagree with me ;-) First a little of my somewhat quirky nomenclature. I'm an old guy, so hybrid still means to me what it meant in 1969. To me, a hybrid is a vehicle that can use multiple energy sources. The cars most folks call hybrids today get all their energy from gasoline. Others here disagree
Re: [EVDL] EVLN: BMWDaimler developing 3-Hour Wireless Inductive EVSE for i3 EV
We have very strict european radiation standards that cover this - you could be walking your pet sloth next to the charging car and be safe (both you and the sloth). :) The bigger issue is what happens when you stick your arm under the car - it is currently saying that power must be off before the arm comes near one of the primary power areas. Cheers, Peter On 7/19/14, 8:25 AM, Martin WINLOW wrote: So, how much EMF from the transmitter 'escapes' the receiver in normal operation? It is this, I think, anyone who has concerns about the technology is effectively talking about. Whether any escaped energy can then cause problems with other devices is another matter. MW On 19 Jul 2014, at 16:14, Peter C. Thompson via EV wrote: You are correct. We are requiring 2-way communication as well as monitoring of the power being transmitted. If some metal does come near/into the field, the transmitter can easily detect this (big change in current) and shut down the transmission. Likewise if the communication fails, power transfer stops. If the alignment between pads shifts (we call it alignment check) outside of nominal values, power transfer stops. If a living object comes near (basically to the side of the car), power transfer stops. I've just spent an entire week working with the standard responsible for this, so all of this is VERY fresh in my mind. :) Cheers, Peter On 7/18/14, 4:18 AM, Evan Tuer via EV wrote: It's more than improbable. There is 2 way communication with any of these wireless charging protocols, and monitoring of the power on both sides. Any rogue coil (which would have to be inserted pretty much in between the car and the charger whilst it is charging, which isn't going to happen accidentally) would cause a mismatch and transfer would stop immediately. Transfer won't start in the first place unless there's a correct, properly aligned and communicating receiver. On Fri, Jul 18, 2014 at 5:24 PM, Martin WINLOW via EV ev@lists.evdl.org wrote: Hmmm, my instant reaction was 'extremely unlikely' as you would need a 'receiver' circuit with the right resonant frequency to generate any sort of significant energy. That said, it is, I suppose, quite feasible that with the mass of coils of one sort or another that there are 'out there' that some fluke of chance may just throw up a matching resonant situation and then, who know's what could happen. It's a bit improbable though. Certainly simple metal objects such as you mentioned will *not* be an issue. On the other hand, interestingly, the power used by the flux generating coils in a large, whole body MRI scanner is about the same as that which this inductive charger will use, ~7kW. As I suspect you know, these MRIs come with all sorts of dire warnings about keeping metal objects out of the way lest they turn into lethal projectiles. Fortunately, the MRI coils are designed to do something completely different to the inductive charger and so this issue is unlikely to be important. Also, the fixed coils energy will only be 'live' when a car is charging so, again, it is improbable that with the car in the way, anything would be able to get into a position where something unexpected would occur. It will be interesting to see how this all pans out. MW On 17 Jul 2014, at 13:30, robert winfield via EV wrote: Wireless EV Charging on the Horizon, But is It Safe? http://www.digitaltrends.com/cars/cables-needed-bmw-daimler-working-wireless-charging-technology-evs/ No cables needed: BMW and Daimler working on wireless charging technology for EVs By Andrew Hard — July 11, 2014 [image http://icdn2.digitaltrends.com/image/rsz_p90155654.jpg Wireless Charging Technology ] With the help of BMW and Daimler, electric vehicles are taking the next step toward worry-free ownership. The German automakers recently announced a joint effort to develop a wireless charging system for the i3 electric vehicle and i8 plug-in hybrid. EVs don’t need oil changes, filter replacements, or emissions testing, so they’re already extremely convenient to own. If the inductive wireless charging technology is viable, EV owners won’t even need to worry about refueling. BMW and Daimler’s charging tech works in the same way wireless cell phone chargers do, just on a larger scale. An alternating magnetic field transmits energy between two sets of coils: one mounted onto the car’s parking area (usually a garage floor), and a secondary coil on the vehicle itself. The array transmits energy at a charging rate of 3.6 kilowatts, which, according to BMW, is enough to fully charge an i8 in under two hours. The German engineers predict they can increase that rate to 7.0 kW in the future. The circular design of the coils comes in a compact, lightweight package that is equal parts subtle and slick. The floor-mounted baseplate will function even when exposed to rain and snow, and the car’s receiver coil can be activated with the push of a button. To keep
Re: [EVDL] EVLN: BMWDaimler developing 3-Hour Wireless Inductive EVSE for i3 EV
Hi Lee, Part of the long, long discussion covers this. We have a list of common metal items (along with size and material) that must be detected. There are some other standards that EV charging will have to conform to, since we will need to prevent overheating that can cause human injury. Some of the scenarios that we have: * metal left on the pad before charging (coins, cans, keys, metal foil, etc), * metal blowing onto the pad during charging (same list), * living objects moving near to the charging area. The list is not complete yet, but I'm hoping we'll be done with it by the end of the year. It is slow going since we need to negotiate with companies worldwide. Cheers, Peter On 7/19/14, 8:53 AM, Lee Hart via EV wrote: Peter C. Thompson via EV wrote: I've just spent an entire week working with the standard responsible for this, so all of this is VERY fresh in my mind. :) Excellent! I'm delighted to see your company thinks it is important. Though, I still worry about unintended consequences. When I was working with a high-power switchmode power supply, one of the techs happened to be wearing a wristwatch with a metal band. He reached over the supply to adjust something, and his wrist watch band got hot! The flux leakage from the 50kw transformer was tiny -- maybe 0.1%. But 0.1% of 50kw is 50 watts -- easily enough to overheat the band. There was no observable change in the operation of the supply at all. If he hadn't jerked his hand away, he would have gotten burned! I've heard of similar situations with people wearing rings or other metal jewelry. There are also cases of burning up parts or traces on PC boards in phones etc. due to stray EM fields. Even a tiny power loss that's too small to detect can have serious consequences. ___ 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)
Re: [EVDL] EVLN: BMWDaimler developing 3-Hour Wireless Inductive EVSE for i3 EV
My question relates to orientation and ground clearance. Now I like about 8.5 inches of completely clear ground clearance, that way it can clear a 8x8x16 cement block, and most debris is smaller than that. The other question is one of orientation... Why does everyone want to put the unit in the pavement under the car? Why not put it in front of the car with a format twice as large as a front license plate. (12x12 inch ) and a box like structure in front of the parking space, it should be readily possible to attain alignment within half an inch and nominal contact with rubber rails to catch the front of the car without marring. The details become much simpler at 440 Hz also...and that eliminates induced voltages at beyond 2 inches... Thinking out of the box is interesting... Dennis Lee Miles (EVprofessor) *Founder:**EV Tech. Institute Inc.** (www.evti.org http://www.evti.org) * *E-Mail:* *evprofes...@evprofessor.com* evprofes...@evprofessor.com *Phone #* *(863) 944-9913* in Central Florida (Office hours: 12:00 Noon to 10:00 pm, New York time) On Sat, Jul 19, 2014 at 6:11 PM, Peter C. Thompson via EV ev@lists.evdl.org wrote: Hi Lee, Part of the long, long discussion covers this. We have a list of common metal items (along with size and material) that must be detected. There are some other standards that EV charging will have to conform to, since we will need to prevent overheating that can cause human injury. Some of the scenarios that we have: * metal left on the pad before charging (coins, cans, keys, metal foil, etc), * metal blowing onto the pad during charging (same list), * living objects moving near to the charging area. The list is not complete yet, but I'm hoping we'll be done with it by the end of the year. It is slow going since we need to negotiate with companies worldwide. Cheers, Peter On 7/19/14, 8:53 AM, Lee Hart via EV wrote: Peter C. Thompson via EV wrote: I've just spent an entire week working with the standard responsible for this, so all of this is VERY fresh in my mind. :) Excellent! I'm delighted to see your company thinks it is important. Though, I still worry about unintended consequences. When I was working with a high-power switchmode power supply, one of the techs happened to be wearing a wristwatch with a metal band. He reached over the supply to adjust something, and his wrist watch band got hot! The flux leakage from the 50kw transformer was tiny -- maybe 0.1%. But 0.1% of 50kw is 50 watts -- easily enough to overheat the band. There was no observable change in the operation of the supply at all. If he hadn't jerked his hand away, he would have gotten burned! I've heard of similar situations with people wearing rings or other metal jewelry. There are also cases of burning up parts or traces on PC boards in phones etc. due to stray EM fields. Even a tiny power loss that's too small to detect can have serious consequences. ___ 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) -- next part -- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.evdl.org/private.cgi/ev-evdl.org/attachments/20140719/82a638fe/attachment.htm ___ 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)
Re: [EVDL] EVLN: BMWDaimler developing 3-Hour Wireless Inductive EVSE for i3 EV
An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.evdl.org/private.cgi/ev-evdl.org/attachments/20140719/f935e0c9/attachment.htm ___ 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)
