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hmmm (lemmy.world)
submitted 8 months ago by to c/hmmm@lemmy.world
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[–] 6 points 8 months ago* (3 children)

This is a good idea, though.

Piston engines are way, way, way more efficient (and cheaper to make) when optimized for one RPM and a static load (like a generator). They can be tiny if running at 100% throttle all the time; a few horsepower is enough. Excluding the transmission saves weight/cost, and a generator for a few horsepower isn’t that big.

Yeah, you get electrical loss, but everything else more than makes up for it.

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  • [–] 1 point 8 months ago (1 child)

    I heard of hybrid cars working like that. I wonder why it never really became a thing.

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  • [–] 1 point 8 months ago*

    I suspect "tiny battery+generator" EVs aren't a thing in the US because:

    • It doesn't sound or drive like an ICE car. It still has a battery, so gets all that range/durability "anxiety" associated with being an EV.

    • It's associated with all the issues of ICE-based hybrids.

    • It's not "all-electric," not quiet, so it's not percieved as a luxury car like pure EVs generally are.

    • The cars that do implement this tend to be smaller, so not marketable here in the US, apparently.

    • Factories are still tooled to make ICE cars en masse, not EV drivetrains.

    In other words, it's all perception and marketing. And I think, sadly, it's true: people wouldn't buy them here in the US.

    You do see them outside the US though.

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