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Carmakers Have a New Idea to Boost EV Range: Add a Gas Engine

wsj.com

61–70 of 75 posts

Re: Carmakers Have a New Idea to Boost EV Range: Add a Gas Engine

#61
post #10
post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

3rd sentence: It is a fully electric car with the security blanket of a gas-powered generator to charge the battery . So not your average hybrid whos gas-powered motor directly drives the wheels.

You are describing what the Volt was doing back in 2011

Diesel electric locomotives have been using this concept since the 1930s or 1940s.

Re: Carmakers Have a New Idea to Boost EV Range: Add a Gas Engine

#63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And I was driving the 2013. So I rest my case.

I rest my case as well. You should have kept your case to first generation.

Is this malicious? It's right there, first sentence "I drove an i3 rex, first generation"

Re: Carmakers Have a New Idea to Boost EV Range: Add a Gas Engine

#64
post #56

ITT: a disappointing number of low-effort drive-by comments responding to the headline alone.

It's 1) the WSJ and 2) a really dubious headline I don't find it surprising or disappointing that ppl aren't bothering to go read the article because of the two factors in conjunction above

3) article is paywalled. Yeah, I know they can be bypassed, but it's yet more friction, not worth it for a really dubious headline.

Re: Carmakers Have a New Idea to Boost EV Range: Add a Gas Engine

#65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I rest my case as well. You should have kept your case to first generation.

Is this malicious? It's right there, first sentence "I drove an i3 rex, first generation"

Not malicious. I think you edited your comment after I commented. You mentioned driving an i3, could have been a friends or a test drive, and a mechanics opinion. The opinion did’t match my experience. I commented on my experience which was overwhelmingly positive with no mechanical Issue ever. From my perspective the thread was complete at that point and there was no need for further comment. Anything beyond that was both of our faults and just being argumentative.

Re: Carmakers Have a New Idea to Boost EV Range: Add a Gas Engine

#66

"New"? Like hybrids haven't been around forever?

It's new in that it's not really a hybrid. It isn't meant to take over when you run out of battery. It's meant as an emergency recharge for the battery to get you to the next charging station. Hybrids can just run on gas and not have to worry about the distance to the next charging station.

[deleted]

Re: Carmakers Have a New Idea to Boost EV Range: Add a Gas Engine

#68

For people thinking that pure ev + backup generator is more reliable than PHEV, i recommend this video : Nobody understands the point of hybrid cars from Technology Connections It explains why PHEV is actually a very clever idea and now it simplifies things not complicates them. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnUFH5GX_fI

I enjoy that guy, but I've found he is wrong about what he talks about in several situations. This is probably one of them, but we'll see once the EREVs are tested. His argument here is basically, "The Volt wasn't fuel efficient so EREVs can't be". Ignoring all the has been learned about EVs since then. Plus he ignores that PHEVs and Hybrids are more complex than an EREV because they need complex transmissions and ot…

"so much better" is very multidimensional. If we talking about acceleration, sure you cant beat EV. but if you take generator in the trunk in to consideration and measure "better" on miles per galon then results might be different.

Re: Carmakers Have a New Idea to Boost EV Range: Add a Gas Engine

#69

BMW i3 REx with range extending petrol engine was released in 2014.

We have owned two. Trouble-free EV and trouble-free motor. The over-engineered little electrical actuators (for trunk, for gas-door opener) were our maintenance costs. The US only offers a single, dreadful tire in the correct size (Bridgestone Ecopia), which is the true achilles heel of the thing. The tiny tires seem to be made of discarded twix wrappers, are super expensive, and get destroyed by potholes and road hazards.

They're lovely little city bugs and just a pleasant place to be inside.

Re: Carmakers Have a New Idea to Boost EV Range: Add a Gas Engine

#70
post #45
post #23

Stellantis is still producing 400V EVs with below-average efficiency. Their cars display estimated range based on their marketing number rather than real battery condition and driving history, so the range drops by 1.6 miles for every mile driven. A lot of range anxiety would go away if their EV tech wasn't crap.

Interestingly, brands like Mercedes do the opposite - a recent test by What Car? indicated that the real (UK) highway range of the GLC 400 4Matic Electric is just 1.4% lower than its WLTP rating - 390 miles vs 394. I don't know about anyone else, but I always needed a short break after 450km or so. Those 390 miles are more than I would ever use without stopping to charge.

Germans car manufacturers are known to underrate. Horsepower, MPG, even BMW speedometers are under by 2-3mph. At least customers are pleasantly surprised when it's better than advertised.
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