8>)
Posted on 11/21/2019 9:03:37 PM PST by ctdonath2
They didn't have a jaws of life handy?
I don't know the other details. Was the driver passed out drunk and the car was driving itself? How long did it take for the emergency crew to get there? Was the driver already consumed or asphyxiated by the fire?
I guess the bottom line is you have to be conscious after an accident to have your best chances for survival. Either that or nothing is perfect. 8>)
It can help. :^)
The roof and the sloped “bed” area looks like it would have been ideal for solar panels. Since this is an electric vehicle made by Tesla, it seems stupid they didn’t add solar panels to help with the range.
8>)
Oopsy!!
Well, I wasn't talking about charging the dead battery, only maintaining the charge as it goes down the road. I will concede that my generator would not be up to the task of unlimited travel, but it would extend the range. Nor is a single cylinder air-cooled, carbureted, flat-head engine the most efficient of power plants.
I'm sure you agree that it doesn't require 300+HP to propel your vehicle down the pike at 70MPH. You can probably get a pretty good estimate of the power usage, by noting your RPM at that speed, and then calculating your engine's output at that RPM.
Conventional ICE powered vehicles have a built-in excess of HP for the purpose of acceleration, in a hybrid, that surplus is handled by the battery group.
So a 60HP or so efficient light-weight unit...like a water cooled sport bike engine, or something similar, would likely be a good match. The alternator would need to be geared to allow the engine to run at its optimal efficiency constant RPM.
There is probably an off-the-shelf unit similar to what I described, maybe an APU for a sailboat or RV. I wouldn't be surprised if Honda or Yamaha makes such a product.
The picture is of a closed vehicle.
Then how is it a "truck"?
The ad shows pics of it with the bed empty and the tailgate dropped, and another shot with an ATV parked in it.
It's a crewcab.
There’s nowhere near enough surface area to provide meaningful solar collection. Optimistically it could collect 200-300 watts, taking an hour of clear direct sun for enough energy to go about half a mile. Too much cost/complexity/fragility to get way too little benefit.
It'll make merging on sooooo much easier. :^)
I have done that. I have even written a technical paper on how to calculate power required to propel vehicles at various speeds, including factors for drag coefficient, weight, brake drag, tire rolling resistance, speed, road grade, etc. That's how I was able to CALCULATE that the average EV would get about 15 mpg from the gasoline used in an auxiliary AC generator. Note, these facts were calculated from data, not estimates. The conclusion is undeniable: You cannot safely carry enough gasoline in an EV to SAFELY extend the range with an on-board gasoline generator.
It does appear that the Tesla "truck" has an open bed. In my view, though, a REAL pickup truck must be able to carry a few 4x8 sheets of plywood. It appears to me that the Tesla could barely carry a few golf clubs.
Now just a minute.
What kind of generator would burn a gallon of fuel in 15 minutes?
A small block Chevy?
>>The French startup EP Tender wants to make those worries a thing of the past. They’ve developed an innovative range-extending trailer that should allow cars to cover a range of up to 500 kilometers, plus the distance allowed by the car’s inner electric motor.<<
(hold about 9 gallons)
https://en.reset.org/blog/ep-tender-trailer-helps-electric-cars-cover-long-distances-04032017
>>>Not sure what kept them from breaking a window<<<
Maybe it was Bulletproof.
The Fireman should have brought a big Ball Bearing with them.
As I calculated, accessory generators only add about 15 miles of range for every gallon of gasoline burned in the generator. This calculation does not even include the effect of the added weight of the generator and gasoline which the EV would be carrying even if the extended range is not needed. When the added tires, weight, and aerodynamics of a trailer is added in, as well, the effectiveness deteriorates even more. I would not be surprised if the total range actually DECREASES.
So, you’re saying a factory hybrid can’t possibly get more than 15MPG.
You seem to be talking about a gasoline powered "battery charger".
A properly matched APU should be able to put out enough juice to directly power the drive motors, moving the vehicle, down the pike, at the speed limit...(probabaly about 50-60HP) The batteries would provide extra power for acceleration, and get "paid back" later, while cruizing.
If when you leave for your 1000 mi trip with fully charged batteries, you should arrive with fully charged batteries. Unless it's uphill all the way and you do a lot of passing.
This calculation does not even include the effect of the added weight of the generator and gasoline which the EV would be carrying even if the extended range is not needed.
Well, in that case, you'd leave it home, in the garage.
No. I’m saying that standby generators are not very efficient when used as EV battery chargers. Hybrid vehicles start out with high efficiency powertrains, and then add electric boost to improve acceleration and to also propel the vehicle when the electric system is not as efficient and the IC system. They also utilize regenerative braking and downhill driving to charge the batteries.
Isn't that what I've been saying?
They also utilize regenerative braking and downhill driving to charge the batteries.
Which works pretty well as brakes, but not so much for recharging the batteries....unless the "batteries" consist of both voltaic cells and massive capacitors.
The true genius in the hybrid concept, is how they replace both the problematic and heavy automatic transmission, and the stone-age friction brakes (designed to wear out) with bullet-proof electric motors that will probably last the life of the vehicle.
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