range extender

[N952JL]

Remember, the ICE you would be adding would not be optimize for pushing the care. Pushing the car at various speeds would require it to run at various speeds. The most cost efficent mover on land that I know of is the diesel electric engine used on trains. The diesel engine runs a generator, the generator provides the electric current, and the electric motor drives the train. (...)

Just making an observation, but the diesel engines in locomotives also have to run at different speeds according to the demands of the electric motors. The speed range is just smaller. That means that, in theory at least, a small diesel gen could work well enough. For the love of gods, though, please run it on biodiesel, at least...

Here in Middle GA some of the folks run on throw away used French Fries Oil from fast food places and other restaurants. They just filter the oil and run it in their diesels. And of course we can use peanut oil as some farmers do with their tractors.

 

[LeftieBiker]

Yes, that's common all over the Western world now. VW diesel owners waiting hopefully outside the back doors of fast food joints... ;-)

 

[EVerlasting]

Here's an article about a new French EV Range Extender: http://evworld.com/news.cfm?newsid=30986

 

[rmay635703]

Nissan could add a small conforming removable ICE to the car in the trunk area with a simple clutching mechanism and lightweight differential to the rear wheels.

They could also sell a leaf eco that was an EV1 clone, use the same battery and the car would go 250 miles instead of 80.
Either of which isn't bloodly likely.

After all it's only 10-20 HP. Personally I don't have the machining and engineering ability to design a system like this. Wouldnt be worth doing for just one car anyway.

Oh and about trailers... The Nissan leaf is not approved to pull trailers. it says so right in the owner's manual. A trailer is different from something that is attached to the car. At least in Washington, trailers need to be inspected and licensed. Add ons to a car do not.

You don't need to pull a trailer, you just need a hitch to attach one of those wire "pads" to mount your 150lb genset to. This genset could drive you unlimited distances at about 25-35mph.

 

[ScottsNissanLeaf]

I am willing to pay anyone who would help me set up a Honda EU2000i portable generator so I can charge my car when I'm not near a charging station.

Anyone interested?

Thank you,

Scott

 

[dgpcolorado]

I am willing to pay anyone who would help me set up a Honda EU2000i portable generator so I can charge my car when I'm not near a charging station.

Anyone interested?

Thank you,

Scott

Why would you need anyone to set it up? All you need is a simple grounding plug in one of the generator's outlets and the EVSE plugged into the other. Ingineer explains how and why to do it in a post in the charging on generator thread. I show a picture of my grounding plug in this post.

 

[johnrhansen]

It's important to know that a 2000 watt generator will take forever to charge your battery. But it would be a good idea to get you that last 5 miles to the charger if your car stops short. You will only get about 4 miles of range for every hour of charging if you do it this way.

 

[rmay635703]

I am willing to pay anyone who would help me set up a Honda EU2000i portable generator so I can charge my car when I'm not near a charging station.

Anyone interested?

Thank you,

Scott

That genset is an order of magnitude less efficient than the diesel I linked to, believe it or not most NON-inverters are more efficient in terms of fuel use than a honda inverter. The ONLY reason an inverter is efficient is because it can idle down reducing fuel consumption massively at low loads, but on your Nissan it would need to run WOT or very close continuously, At WOT an old fashioned gasser is more efficient.

And even when run in this fashion you would only gain 7-35 miles on your range depending on how slow you go, really the 5kw genset I link to is "ideal" in terms of range benefit VRS fuel consumption. Much bigger and it weighs too much, much smaller and it doesn't do enough.

 

[N952JL]

I am willing to pay anyone who would help me set up a Honda EU2000i portable generator so I can charge my car when I'm not near a charging station.

Anyone interested?

Thank you,

Scott

That genset is an order of magnitude less efficient than the diesel I linked to, believe it or not most NON-inverters are more efficient in terms of fuel use than a honda inverter. The ONLY reason an inverter is efficient is because it can idle down reducing fuel consumption massively at low loads, but on your Nissan it would need to run WOT or very close continuously, At WOT an old fashioned gasser is more efficient.

And even when run in this fashion you would only gain 7-35 miles on your range depending on how slow you go, really the 5kw genset I link to is "ideal" in terms of range benefit VRS fuel consumption. Much bigger and it weighs too much, much smaller and it doesn't do enough.

You need to really look at the Bandon Micro jet being developed in England. It would be a 20 to 30 Kw genset at a very small weight. But I have no idea on how much fuel it would burn.

 

[donald]

You need to really look at the Bandon [sic] Micro jet being developed in England.

'Bladon'

http://www.bladonjets.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Jaguar C-X75 Concept

The stunning Jaguar C-X75 concept study highlights how Bladon Jets micro gas turbines could be used to create a new generation of high-performance, high-efficiency hybrid electric vehicle.

The C-X75 concept was developed by Jaguar as a range-extended electric two-seater supercar, and was designed to explore the outer limits of both performance and sustainability. Its powertrain was developed with support from Bladon Jets engineers, and features two 70kW micro gas turbines.

Conceived as a plug-in electric hybrid vehicle, the C-X75 features a 580kW (778bhp) propulsion system with powerful 145kW (195bhp) electric motors at each wheel. The Bladon Jets micro gas turbines are mounted in the centre of the car, and can either generate 140kW to charge the batteries – extending the range of the car to a remarkable 900km (560 miles) –or in Track mode can provide supplementary power directly to the electric motors.

The C-X75 concept achieves a zero tailpipe emissions range of 110km (68 miles) when running under battery power alone, plus a potential top speed of 330kph (205mph) and blistering acceleration
of 0–100kph (62mph) in 3.4 seconds.

 

[LeftieBiker]

It looks a little cramped and I hate to have to scrunch down to enter a car, but in this case I think I'd accept one as a gift. ;-)

 

[donald]

It looks a little cramped and I hate to have to scrunch down to enter a car, but in this case I think I'd accept one as a gift. ;-)

reminds me of an advert I saw once for a very expensive sports car. It read "... unwanted gift". I thought, firstly, who would not want it, and secondly, what sort of lucky *** gets gifts like that!!!

 

[jawshoeaw]

I am willing to pay anyone who would help me set up a Honda EU2000i portable generator so I can charge my car when I'm not near a charging station.

Anyone interested?

Thank you,

Scott

That genset is an order of magnitude less efficient than the diesel I linked to, believe it or not most NON-inverters are more efficient in terms of fuel use than a honda inverter. The ONLY reason an inverter is efficient is because it can idle down reducing fuel consumption massively at low loads, but on your Nissan it would need to run WOT or very close continuously, At WOT an old fashioned gasser is more efficient.

And even when run in this fashion you would only gain 7-35 miles on your range depending on how slow you go, really the 5kw genset I link to is "ideal" in terms of range benefit VRS fuel consumption. Much bigger and it weighs too much, much smaller and it doesn't do enough.

It's not an order of magnitude - it's about 25% less efficient. Works out to about 30 mpg - not great I admit. The small diesel gensets pencil out to about 40 mpg (or 36 mpg when corrected for carbon)

 

[Rat]

reminds me of an advert I saw once for a very expensive sports car. It read "... unwanted gift". I thought, firstly, who would not want it, and secondly, what sort of lucky *** gets gifts like that!!!

My father bought me an Impala convertible 327 (used) when I was a sophomore in college. I didn't want it, because:
1) I hate convertibles - the wind/noise/cold/rain make riding very unpleasant with the top down so I never did
2) it was a gas hog and I didn't have any money to spend on gas
3) I could not drive it to school because I was not a senior and therefore couldn't get a parking sticker, so I rode my bike to campus
4) This was in lieu of paying my room, board, or tuition. That was the last my parents gave me for my education. I would rather have had the money. I did not feel lucky.

I kept it for awhile, but it mostly just sat parked on the street in front of my apartment except when I drove it to the grocery store. I sold it at the end of my junior year and had no car for my senior year. When I graduated and got a job I bought a 1969 Datsun 510 sedan brand new. That was a much better car IMHO.

 

[hill]

A 5th wheel "pusher" is definitely the easiest/cheapest way to go. There is a 1st-gen Honda Insight owner that made an electric 5th wheel booster: http://99mpg.com/projectcars/mikesinsight/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Too much time on his hands.