Charging while driving

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Joined
Nov 1, 2016
Messages
9
So i have a crazy idea, trying to make a system to where it charges the car while driving. Has anyone done this before? What wires would you have to tap into? Anyone have info on this?
 
This has never been tried before, so you'd best not talk about it. Imagine if the carmakers found out.

Actually, my LEAF already has this feature. It's called the brakes. It activates every time I push that pedal.
 
Actually, it has been done by ingineer using a propane generator back in 2011-2012 timeframe. Do a search. As I recall, he hacked into the high voltage wires and chademo plug. Not for the faint of heart.
 
Just to spell out the scientifically obvious: any energy you take from the air or passing pavement to charge while driving comes from the car, along with extra losses from friction, heat, etc. So unless it's a very large, very streamlined solar array, the OP's scenario remains impossible. Charging while braking, however, is already a reality.
 
Contact this guy:

man-hacks-prius-to-run-on-san-francisco-muni-electric-bus-power-lines



Prius_SP_Hero.jpg
 
im looking for how you would tap into the wiring so have a charging source, charge while you drive. Im only looking increase miles by 20-30
%. i know it hasn't been done before but doesn't mean its not possible.
 
Mike9812121298 said:
im looking for how you would tap into the wiring so have a charging source, charge while you drive. Im only looking increase miles by 20-30
%. i know it hasn't been done before but doesn't mean its not possible.

As has already been said here, it has been done, using a generator. It has also been done using auxiliary battery packs. And it's done by every LEAF via regenerative braking. It is not impossible and it is not a new idea.
 
Mike9812121298 said:
So u can charge while driving?
What's the power source for this charging?
SurfHawk said:
My Tesla owning friend said I'd see posts like this on EV forums once I bought my EV.

stephen-colbert-popcorn-gif.jpg
Indeed. I have a guess as to what the OP's thinking is. There are threads like that over on "TMC" that also occasionally pop up.
 
Yes. It is completely ridiculous to think someone would want to drive their car out of town for a trip once in a while. Something like a Prius Prime, Chevy Volt, or range extended i3 is a crazy idea. It would be even crazier if you could just leave the ICE/ gen engine on a trailer at the dealer 350 days/ year when you weren't using it so other people could use it.
.
Any short range commuter EV like the Leaf could be designed with a rear quick charge port option that would control a 20kW Gen trailer that, weighs 500 pounds, costs $3000, rents for $100/week and makes 40 mpgUS cross country.
.
PS. $100,000 Tesla 1%ers with your 100 kWh battery need not reply.
 
There are wires on a 2011-12 LEAF behind the front seat that go from the rear charger to the pack. These same connections are less accessible but also exist at the front of 2013 + model years. Of course this requires expertise in HV systems and critical safety measures as pack voltages are lethal. Your charging source also needs to be safe, properly secured and isolated,etc, etc.

A more simple solution is to wait for a 200 mile range EV as it will cost less in the long run, be safer and avoid the many hindsight discussions with your friends you may wish to avoid. You can also contact one of the bankrupt companies that made range extended packs for the LEAF for some input.
 
sendler2112 said:
Yes. It is completely ridiculous to think someone would want to drive their car out of town for a trip once in a while. Something like a Prius Prime, Chevy Volt, or range extended i3 is a crazy idea. It would be even crazier if you could just leave the ICE/ gen engine on a trailer at the dealer 350 days/ year when you weren't using it so other people could use it.
.
Any short range commuter EV like the Leaf could be designed with a rear quick charge port option that would control a 20kW Gen trailer that, weighs 500 pounds, costs $3000, rents for $100/week and makes 40 mpgUS cross country.
.
PS. $100,000 Tesla 1%ers with your 100 kWh battery need not reply.

My thoughts exactly on this. For most commuting, my Leaf cuts the mustard, I would only need a range extender on rare occasion, and a trailer would work perfectly for this. (Or maybe a hitch-mount setup.) If you knew how long you were going to be driving, it could even be a smaller generator, such as if you're using 20kW driving, but it generates only 10kW of power, it means you're only consuming 10kW total from the battery, thus doubling your range before you deplete the battery.

But all of this adds complexity that car manufacturers don't want to deal with, honestly. It's easier to just say it has X range and call it a day.
 
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