Finally, a generator powered EV?

[Jstpssng]

This is an interesting article which describes what has been mentioned here before; Nissan claims it's made a more thermally efficient gas engine, but there's a catch. Apparently Nissan has been offering it for about 5 years, just not on this side of the pond.

A couple of things which weren't mentioned; they've been doing this with locomotives for years, sans the battery. And what's more efficient than a gas engine? The same engine which is powering many of our tractors.

 

[RalphVa]

A turbo diesel is about 33% efficient, about the same as a dino fuel powered boiler generating steam. Most of our tractors are not turbo, probably about 20% less, e.g. about 27%. You can get more efficiency by powering a gas turbine and then generating steam from its exhaust, more like 67%. We had a driver like this generating steam on a ketone dewaxing unit in Texas. The driver was used to compress propane for refrigeration instead of directly generating power like in a power plant.

 

[Btown]

It only took start stop technology about 30 years to show up in the US.

 

[zzvyb6]

You really ought to get out more. A Chevy Volt is an all electric car with a generator backup. The gas motor does not engage the driveline it only provide electricity.
Good grief.

 

[MossRoad]

Chevy Volt was discontinued two years ago.

 

[sd455dan]

Chevy Volts can and do engage the engine to drive wheels in some situations. Its done through planetary gear sets and clutches because of efficiency.
Gen 1 and Gen 2 do it differently though since the design advanced in Gen 2.
I always thought GM would Upsize the Volt design for full size trucks.
Towing a decent size trailer would be nice to have the generator helping when climbing a mountain or going the last few miles when the batteries are depleted.