The “range–extended” EV (BEVx) considered

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fooljoe said:
Sounds like Wright's turbines are designed as primary power sources rather than "range extenders". When he makes the spurious claim that these are cleaner than pure electric vehicles I take that to mean his truck batteries are too small to plug in...
Wrong, on both counts:
Range-Extending Generator

•Decoupled loads: generator works to charge batteries, while batteries provide power to turn the wheels.
•Open generator architecture: the Wrightspeed Route ™ can use any number of on-board power generation options, including micro-turbines and piston engines.
•No range anxiety! The Route ™, given refueling, has an unlimited range

High-Power Battery System

•Exceptional regen capability: 400 hp
•The high-power battery system provides peak power, allowing the generator to operate at its most efficient point.
•PLUG IT IN, for up to 40 miles on grid energy.
https://www.wrightspeed.com/products/the-route/
 
edatoakrun said:
PLUG IT IN, for up to 40 miles on grid energy
That's good that it can plug in, but it begs the question: If you actually believe the claim that it's cleaner to run it off the turbine then why would you plug it in? Of course in practice I'm sure it'll come down not to what's cleaner, but what's cheaper.

On the second point, the statement that the turbine runs at "its most efficient point" doesn't say anything about how its efficiency compares with an alternative powertrain. One need only look to the example of Phil's turbine trailer or perhaps even a Volt to get a sense of how efficient such a system will be - while it delivers respectable efficiency, it's still not as good as a Prius-like system.

Anyway, the idea of these trucks is great, but the journalism in the article you linked to leaves a lot to be desired (as usual), and I find the stated goal of replacing trucks in the 130 miles a day range to be a bit odd. Such a series hybrid setup would be great for a mixed-use trucking scenario with some long haul and some time doing local deliveries or sitting around at ports. But for a relatively short, regular route it seems a pure battery EV would do the job better.
 
The story below is pure speculation, IMO.

But I can dream, that some manufacturer will eventually appreciate that there is a market for a light ~2 seat BEVx, can't I?

And Mazda does have a lot of sunken costs in rotary engine development that in theory could be recovered with a range-extending generator BEV application...

Mazda will unveil a new rotary-powered sports car concept at the 2015 Tokyo Motor Show later this month.

The concept should prove popular with fans of the brand, who have bemoaned the lack of a rotary-engined sports car since the RX-8 departed in 2012.

But this concept could also have implications for those who prioritize fuel efficiency over performance.

... just a few years ago, there was chatter about Mazda using these engines as range extenders in future plug-in cars.

In 2013, we saw a range-extended electric Mazda 2 prototype that used a small rotary engine to charge a battery pack.

The car used a front-mounted, 100-horsepower electric motor for propulsion.
But it also had a tiny 330-cc rotary engine mounted under its rear cargo deck--capable of increasing range to 300 miles on the Japanese testing cycle.

The setup was similar in concept to what is currently used in the BMW i3 REx. The engine's tiny gas tank meant it was only a supplementary power source...
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1100291_will-mazda-sports-car-concept-revive-the-rotary-as-a-range-extender

Here's a link to the story on the Mazda 2 BEVx prototype:

http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1088728_rotary-engine-lives-on-in-range-extended-electric-mazda-2-prototype
 
By 10/30, we should know what Nissan means when it says efficient .
Overview: Nissan Exhibit at 2015 Tokyo Motor Show

...The Nissan Gripz Concept, conceived by designers in Europe and Japan, aims to blend the ability and practicality of a compact crossover with the excitement and performance of a sports car.

Equipped with an EV-technology-based series hybrid system—Pure Drive e-Power—, the Nissan Gripz Concept delivers a smooth, refined and exhilarating driving experience with outstanding fuel efficiency. Within the system, an efficient gasoline engine powers the same electric motor used in the Nissan Leaf...
http://www.nissan-global.com/EN/NEWS/2015/_STORY/151005-01-e.html?rss

Hopefully, it means Nissan understands the concept of a BEVx.

A BEV equipped with enough battery capacity to meet all regular driving needs, and also a small displacement low kW ICE, used to extend the range between stops at DC stations on occasional longer trips.
 
No ICE for the LEAF, But perhaps a BEVx coming from Nissan, sooner rather than later.

Nissan EV range extender in 2016

...To be revealed in 2016, the new vehicle will be self-proclaimed EV market leader Nissan’s first attempt at offering an electric car with a small combustion engine. Unlike regular and plug-in hybrids, the (usually tiny) engines have no connection to the driving wheels.

...Yoshi Shimoida, Nissan’s Deputy General Manager, EV and HEV engineering division, revealed to motoring.com.au that there will be “no engine” for the LEAF in future, ruling out the world’s best-selling EV as a donor car.

“But in the future Nissan will add [a new vehicle] to the line-up of EV systems an engine that is only for generating energy,” said the EV technology specialist....

The Japanese EV guru wouldn’t be drawn on the Nissan EV’s range...

Shimoida wouldn’t say what the new vehicle will be called although he did reveal it’s going to be announced sooner rather than later.

“Next year we announce what it’s called,” he stated.

If the new vehicle is not going to be a LEAF, it’s possible an all-new vehicle premiering the range-extending EV technology for Nissan could be introduced...
http://www.motoring.com.au/nissan-ev-range-extender-in-2016-100413/
 
Will this range extender be like the I3 in that it is only a generator, or will it be like the new Volt which in charge sustaining mode has a power train architecture similar to a conventional hybrid?

The advantage of the I3 approach it is very simple, the disadvantage is it is not very efficient. How the range extender works doesn't matter much if the battery has sufficient range, if so the range extender hardly comes on which greatly dilutes the impact of its relative efficiency. How the range extender works does matter for drivability. The I3 is, in my opinion, a good example of how not to execute a range extender. They seem to treat the range extender as an emergency backup that can be used but with limitations. Hopefully the Nissan approach will not impose this sort of limitations on the user.

You could compare the range extender to any portion of your battery that gives you range greater than your average drive. In the Volt's case the 53 mile range of the battery is good for about 90% of most peoples driving needs. For that last 10%, you need the range extender. In the case of the Bolt everything about the battery that is needed to go beyond that can be compared to the Volt range extension hardware. I don't know the numbers but it would be interesting to compare weight, volume and cost of a range extender against simply putting in a larger battery.
 
LKK said:
...The I3 is, in my opinion, a good example of how not to execute a range extender. They seem to treat the range extender as an emergency backup that can be used but with limitations. Hopefully the Nissan approach will not impose this sort of limitations on the user.

You could compare the range extender to any portion of your battery that gives you range greater than your average drive. In the Volt's case the 53 mile range of the battery is good for about 90% of most peoples driving needs. For that last 10%, you need the range extender. In the case of the Bolt everything about the battery that is needed to go beyond that can be compared to the Volt range extension hardware. I don't know the numbers but it would be interesting to compare weight, volume and cost of a range extender against simply putting in a larger battery.

Good points. The Volt seems to wind up with less cargo/passenger space, in exchange for getting both a fully functional EV, and a fully functional "hybrid" mode. Cost? Weight? who knows. Honestly, all we can do is compare the cars that are out there today.

A valid comparison involves more than just the extra batteries vs the engine/transmission. For example, how much extra volume, weight and cost is a heatpump+DCFC+7.7KW L2? The Volt foregoes those items because it has an ICE range extender, and an ICE cabin heater. The i3 includes them since it is closer to a pure EV.
 
More on Nissan's BEVx plans reported below.

It's probably too much to hope that the report is wrong about it using petrol as fuel.

As I mentioned in MY OP four years ago, IMO gasoline is a poor choice for fueling a rang-extended BEV.

It's pathetic that the public is so convinced that gasoline is desirable, that no BEVx manufacturer may consider using a superior fuel.

Wacky Gripz concept (vaguely) previews Nissan's next compact SUV – and its range-extender tech

...As we reported last week, Nissan will unveil its first range-extending EV as early as 2016, but it won’t be the next LEAF, so unless it’s a dedicated new ‘green’ model, the JUKE EV could be revealed earlier than expected next year.

Effectively an electric vehicle incorporating an onboard engine to power the batteries but not drive the wheels, the ‘REV’ will combine the LEAF’s large-capacity electric motor with a small-capacity petrol engine that acts as a generator to charge the batteries when they run down...
http://www.motoring.com.au/nissan-to-tone-down-next-juke-100484/
 
As bad as gas is, maybe the EREV path is the case of "not letting the perfect be the enemy of the good".

Manufacturers perspective; transmissions can be replaced with Electric versions with low failure rates relatively inexpensively. Mate the new technology to the ICE they understand.

Consumers perspective; Looks, drives and acts like a normal car, but if I plug it in I can get 70-200 mpg of gasoline.

As costs come down many will have their eyes opened to the fact that a BEV is all they need. Especially as BEV's get better and less expensive. At some tipping point the BEV becomes standard and the ICE addition is viewed as an unnecessary expense and wasteful.


That said, I have a range extender project in mind that I plan on prototyping this spring. Initial component purchases are happening now. As it is designed with carrying the LEAF in mind, I am calling it the Ant. Efficiency should be very high as it takes a very different approach from anything I've read about to date.
 
Via GCC:
New SAE International symposium on range extenders for electric vehicles
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2016/04/20160411-rex.html

SAE International will hold a new two-day symposium in Knoxville, Tennessee on 2-3 November 2016 on range extenders for electric vehicles (REX).

. . . “Range Extenders for Electric Vehicles” will include sessions on policy and regulation driving the design and implementation of prime movers for REX applications; unique and advanced prime movers (e.g., fuel cell stacks as well as engines); recent powertrain advances for enabling REX; infrastructure role on range extender options; and the future of REX from a prime mover perspective. . . .
 
Nice to see work is continuing on future BEVx generators designs, and I can see how linear generators could produce much improved efficiency...eventually

But can we please see a manufacturer put a BEVx with a correctly-sized (~10 kW) generator on the market soon?



Toyota R&D continues work on free piston linear generators for EVs; novel resonant pendulum control method


6 May 2016

In 2014, a team at Toyota Central R&D Labs Inc. published two SAE papers on their work in developing a prototype 10 kW Free Piston Engine Linear Generator (FPEG) for B/C segment electric vehicles. (Earlier post.) The FPEG consists of a two-stroke combustion system, a linear generator, and a gas spring chamber; the unit offers potential for compact build, high efficiency and high fuel flexibility.

Now, the Toyota researchers report on a new FPEG control method to realize stable and flexible piston motion control for efficient electric power generation...
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2016/05/20160506-toyotafpeg.html
 
Another report on free piston tech, indicating the large potential efficiency gains that might result from generating electricity directly from piston movement, rather than running the same energy through a crankshaft.

The thermal efficiency claims below are impressive:

Korea team investigates characteristics of SI dual-piston free-piston engine linear generator

28 June 2016

Researchers from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) and Korea Institute of Energy Research (KIER) have developed and are investigating the characteristics of a prototype of a dual-piston spark-ignition (SI) free-piston engine coupled with a linear alternator for electric power generation. Their paper is published in the journal Fuel...

Free-piston engines support multi-fuel combustion and the use of advanced combustion technologies such as HCCI. One study cited by the Korea researchers found that a free-piston engine with a high compression ratio up to 30:1, auto-ignited fuels with high octane number, such as propane or natural gas, reaching an indicated thermal efficiency of 56%...
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2016/06/20160628-kaist.html
 
Hit the big time as I saw it trending on FaceBook a little while ago ... "you Nissan BEV-only or die" hardcore folks must have migraines after all the Volt Gen1 and I3 w/ICE comments in the past several years.

Image: http://i.imgur.com/N3JEkRg.png
N3JEkRg.png


P.S. Had a nice roadtrip in my BEV last weekend to MI. Supercharger in St Joesph worked out great. Looking forward to a roadtrip to WI and then a ferry east across Lake Michigan and then come back via MI and IN. Wife is getting over 60 miles in her Gen2 Volt. Kid is enjoying the old Gen1 Volt driving back and forth to summer classes. Mixture is good for all.
 
scottf200 said:
Hit the big time as I saw it trending on FaceBook a little while ago ... "you Nissan BEV-only or die" hardcore folks must have migraines after all the Volt Gen1 and I3 w/ICE comments in the past several years....
You might want to read the thread on this subject.

My OP on page one of this thread is quoted there:

The “range–extended” EV (BEVx) considered

Thu Nov 17, 2011 8:50 am

...a true ICE ”range extender” for a BEV is not a bad Idea, It's just that current designs are all abysmal failures, from the point of energy efficiency and driver utility. Putting an ICE drivetrain in an EV, whether in series, parallel, or any other hybrid configuration, is not advisable, IMO. Invariably, you will get an overweight, overpriced, underperforming vehicle, like the Volt. It seems almost as ridiculous, to install an extremely expensive and heavy large battery pack (like the Tesla S long-range options) which is only occasionally required by the BEV driver.

A functional range extender would consist of:

A small displacement (200-600 CC) ICE generator, run at highest-efficiency rpm, to recharge the battery pack. Generator output would not be sufficient to drive the vehicle, just enough to extend the battery pack range to the next convenient recharge location...
Nissan's e-Power range-extended BEV, for sale by 3/31/17 in Japan

http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=22166
 
Another efficient single piston "one moving part" ICE generator aiming for BEVx applications claims to already be in the vehicle test stage.

And the (IMO, likely somewhat optimistic) cost projections indicate why the BEVx, rather than BEVs and PHEVs may ultimately be what displaces ICEVs in their market dominant position.

Peugeot tests Israeli range-extender technology in electric car push

PSA Group is preparing to test battery-powered cars that recharge with an on-board generator, industry sources said, as the French carmaker hunts for a breakthrough in mass-market electric vehicles to catch rivals Toyota and Renault-Nissan...

Aquarius Engines, an Israeli startup, said a major European carmaker had agreed to fund further development and road tests of its single-piston generator design, declining to identify the customer. But Paris-based PSA, the maker of Peugeot, Citroen and DS cars, confirmed its involvement...

In a rethink of engine fundamentals, Aquarius has pared the range extender down to a single piston that blasts to and fro inside a valveless 600cc cylinder, generating power from electromagnetic coils with each stroke. It delivers more than twice the overall energy efficiency of a typical combustion engine, according to simulations by German engineering firm FEV...

According to Aquarius, several prototype vehicles using its free-piston generator will be road-tested by the carmaker client early in 2017.

At an estimated $17,000 per vehicle, costs should undercut both conventional hybrids that come in closer to $25,000 and pure-electrics at around $40,000, the private company projects...
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-peugeot-electric-idUSKCN0ZT0T4

http://www.aquariusengines.com/
 
Via GCC:
PowerCell Sweden receives order from Chinese company for PowerCell S2 to be used as an EV range-extender
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2016/09/20160902-powercell.html

. . . The PowerCell S2 will be used as a hydrogen-based range extender for electrified passenger cars. The PowerCell S2 fuel cell stack is designed for efficient power generation in the range of 5 to 25 kW. . . .
That's the same max. output as the i3's REx. so while okay for flattish ground or speeds not much over 70 mph, it's not enough for mountainous terrain unless it has a fully functional hold system, and is inadequate for higher speed cruising in CS mode.
 
Via ABG: http://www.autoblog.com/2016/09/04/daimler-mercedes-plug-in-electric-hydrogen-cars/

. . . The Reuters scoop also hears that there will be a plug-in hybrid SUV that relies on a hydrogen fuel cell when its 30-mile electric range runs out. That would theoretically give you the added range of a fuel-based car without the environmental impact of gasoline. . . .
 
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