The “range–extended” EV (BEVx) considered

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now for a blast from the past
Nissan's supermotor, an generator/motor with a inner rotor, a outer rotor and a shared stator inbetween. :eek:

f4c4d842e96b2b.jpg


http://www.nissan-global.com/EN/TECHNOLOGY/OVERVIEW/super_motor.html

I never imagined that Nissan would actually do it, but for a Nissan Note to have a Voltec/i3 REX/Outlander PHEV type series hybrid capacity in a car as small as the Note, well the old super motor concept may just be viable.

This was actually a 2007 era concept car Mixim

If they actually start selling a supermotor Note this year in Japan, then hats off to Nissan for secrecy award, thats 9 years of stealth.
the thinking behind supermotor is similar to CVT and Mazda rotary engines. easy to draw, hard to make
 
"low cost", ~17 kW and weighs just over 100 LBS.

When are BEV manufacturers finally going to get it?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAnmgFRYQU8

...At the LCV 2016 event in the UK last week, Delta Motorsport unveiled a new low-cost micro-turbine applied as a range-extended in an electric car. The company developed the E-4 Coupe extended-range electric electric vehicle in a £3.1-million (US$4-million) collaborative R&D project. The Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) and Innovate UK co-funded the project.

The new system, dubbed MiTRE (Micro Turbine Range Extender), is specifically designed for use as a range extender for electric vehicles. Delta has produced two complete MiTRE prototype systems with 17 kW power output..
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2016/09/delta-motorsport-introduces-micro-turbine-range-extender.html

Capable of running on petrol, kerosene or diesel, the micro turbine spins at up to 120,000rpm, driving a 17kW generator...

The plan is to supply the range extender as a complete system, including the generator and the power electronics. With all the ancillaries (minus fuel) it is said to weight approximately 45kg – considerably less than having an extra adult passenger onboard. Delta Motorsport plans to take the design through to production, although that’s unlikely to happen in-house.

There’s also a 35kW variant under development. This larger unit is said to be capable of maintaining the state of charge on a large passenger EV, such as a Tesla...
https://www.theengineer.co.uk/delta-motorsport-launches-gas-turbine-range-extender/
 
Nice to see some progress made, if only on BEVx trucks.

Bizarre, when you consider it, that BMW chose to use ~the same truck-sized ICE for the generator in its subcompact I-3...

UPS adding 200 more series hybrid delivery trucks

11 October 2016

UPS will add 200 new series hybrid electric delivery trucks to the company’s growing alternative fuel and advanced technology fleet. The vehicles have the same 650cc 2-cylinder engine and E-GEN chassis as the 125 vehicles UPS announced earlier this year. (Earlier post.)

Equipped with lithium ion batteries and a range-extender engine, these trucks will deliver significant fuel economy equivalency gains, approximately four times the fuel economy of a gasoline powered vehicle...
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2016/10/20161011-ups.html

.. UPS announced an update to 125 Workhorse E-GEN series hybrid electric delivery trucks that improve fuel economy as part of the company’s broader Rolling Laboratory approach.

A compact, quiet-running 650cc 2-cylinder engine replaces the previous 2.4L 4-cylinder engine; charging capability remains the same, as does the electric range. The smaller engine will improve fuel economy, however...

The original 2015 E-GEN Drive was propelled by a 200 kW Sumo electric motor/generator (from tm4 Electrodynamic Systems) with a 60 kWh pack (45 kWh usable) built with Panasonic 18650 Li-ion cells. A small 23 kW/30 hp, 2100 N·m PSI 2.4-liter internal combustion engine (ICE) served as the genset engine. The small ICE could be outfitted for gasoline, propane, or CNG...
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2016/05/20160503-ups.html
 
Man! I just read all 135 posts on "range-extended" EV DIY projects, DIY and commercial plans as well as speculations, from micro turbines to wankel engines to BMW i3's and possible future Nissan and Mazda BEVx's.

Of course the term "range extender" could refer to just about anything that extends range, from driving habits, to charging stations, to the little 120V EVSE that comes with the Leaf, to aerodynamic modifications.

Personally I would be interested in a range extender for my Leaf, for several reasons. And I have several DIY ideas, only I can't seem to decide on one or the other.

  • I have a 1985 VW diesel Golf. The interior is shot but the engine is just getting broken in (it only has 470,000 miles on it.) I like the Mr. Sharkey idea of making a pusher trailer out of it, and adding propane fumigation for better emissions. Yet I know it would never get good emissions and so I'm not really inclined to do it although I have every thing to make one.
  • I also have a 1972 VW Beetle with a brand new engine I built myself. JB Straubel, before becoming CTO of Tesla, also used an air cooled VW engine for a pusher trailer on his homebuilt Porsche EV. Yet again, emissions are what bother me by the idea.
  • Incidentally, someone once offered me a used Capstone 40kW micro turbine for $4,000. I'm tempted to get back ahold of him so as to try what Phil did earlier in the thread. But there seems to be a lot of risk, and it seems to be a bit overkill too. I guess I just don't know enough about micro turbine's and 3 way inverters to get it to work without a disaster.
  • No one has mentioned steam. I would think a steam engine on a trailer for a range extender would be a wonderful idea. For two reasons: 1. A steam engine is very quiet, just like our EV's and 2: It is much easier to get low emissions with an external combustion engine. A prime example would be the Doble steamers of the 1920's. Those got and still get emissions that meet CARB requirements for a modern ICE car. They also only got 15mpg, not bad though for a 6,000lb 1920's vehicle that could do over 120mph!
  • A little 2 cylinder propane powered engine would seem about best IMO. Kohler makes a 23hp EFI propane engine. It's air cooled, but maybe with a little EFI, maybe even water injection and a good catalytic converter it could make not-so-bad emissions.
  • A wrecked Leaf's battery could be turned into a battery trailer. Solar panels could be added to it. I'm just a bit afraid of hacking into my Leaf's electric drive. I'd prefer a pusher trailer.
  • Then there's the motorcycle pusher idea. A decent motorcycle like the Honda NC700X would work, but wouldn't be cheap. The advantage is that I could use just the motorcycle, whereas most other ideas don't help me for anything else.
 
Two very different BEVx concepts using turbine generators debut at Geneva:

Has Pininfarina built a Tesla fighter?

H600 TURBINE HYBRID CONCEPT PROMISES 621-MILE RANGE, 2.9-SECOND BLASTS TO 62 MPH
MARCH 7, 2017

The Geneva motor show is one of the year's best opportunities to see concept cars from the few European design houses that are still around, but rarely are they luxury sedans with suicide doors. Hybrid luxury sedans with suicide doors, to be precise.

That's just what Pininfarina brought to Geneva: The H600 was developed in partnership with the Hybrid Kinetic Group and claims a maximum range of 621 miles, which gets over the all-important 1,000-kilometer barrier thanks to a mysterious battery and a turbine-run range extender, whose detailed specs were not disclosed.

But the performance figures of the concept sedan are nothing short of another shot fired in the EV launch-time wars: Pininfarina says the H600 can silently whoosh to 62 mph in just 2.9 seconds, and it has a output of "over 600 kilowatts," which translates to just over 800 hp. As you might have guessed by now, this 4,122-pound sedan won't be able to hit that max range of 612 miles if it lights up the tires at every traffic light, though the claimed maximum range is currently in the top tier of concept, if not production, EVs...
http://autoweek.com/article/geneva-motor-show/has-pininfarina-built-tesla-fighter

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XWldyj0wiM

TECHRULES DEBUTS PRODUCTION DESIGN FOR THE Ren SUPERCAR

Geneva, 7 March 2017 – Techrules is debuting the final production design of its first series hybrid supercar at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show. 'Ren' is the first production vehicle from the China-based automotive research and development company, and features its proprietary Turbine-Recharging Electric Vehicle (TREV) technology.

The aerospace-inspired design is optimised for aerodynamic efficiency, wîth a striking modular three-cockpit design that has been crafted by world-renowned automotive designers, Fabrizio and Giorgetto Giugiaro. A sense of drama is assured by the distinctive fighter jet-style canopy that rises up to enable occupant access and futuristic elements such as the front laser headlights and 'star-burst' reversing LEDs.

The Ren features a lightweight chassis that has been designed and constructed to the highest standards by esteemed motorsport specialist, L.M. Gianetti of Turin. The performance-focused modular layout that allows the car to be configured wîth one, two or three polycarbonate canopies: one for track use by only the driver, two for the 'Le Mans' configuration wîth a single passenger, or three to accommodate the driver and two passengers.

Renis the world's first electric production supercar to feature the ground-breaking Techrules-developed Turbine-Recharging Electric Vehicle (TREV) system, previously introduced at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show. The series hybrid powertrain technology delivers unprecedented levels of efficiency and performance, and an ultra-low environmental impact.

A variety of configurations will be available to tailor the powertrain to the exact requirements of the customer. The flagship version – wîth a battery capacity of 25 kWh and wîth two motors at the front and four at the rear – delivers maximum power of 960kW (1,287 hp/1,305 ps) wîth a range of 1,170 km from 80 litres of diesel fuel (NEDC)...
http://www.conceptcarz.com/z27278/Techrules-Ren-SUPERCAR-Concept.aspx

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JU3xl4Itazg
 
Specs on the Hybrid Kinetic H600 announced:

Hybrid Kinetic H600 microturbine range-extended electric vehicle concept runs 0-100 km/h in 2.9 seconds

20 March 2017

At the Geneva Auto Show, the China-based Hybrid Kinetic group unveiled the H600 microturbine range-extended electric vehicle sedan concept, produced together with its vehicle design and engineering partner, Pininfarina. The 60 kW microturbine range extender delivers 40% efficiency, low emissions, and a 10000-hour maintenance interval.

The 30 kWh battery pack has a long life span (50,000 charging/discharging cycles) as well as high energy density (300 Wh/kg); it can sustain a very high charging rate (50C). The fast charging capability allows the H600 to recover up to 30% of kinetic energy. The H600 features all-wheel torque vectoring, and accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 2.9 seconds; the electric motors deliver combined maximum power of more than 600 kW. Range is more than 1,000 kilometers (621 miles)...

The chassis of the H600 is aluminum; empty weight for the vehicle is 1,870 kg (4,123 lbs).

When connected to residential home power systems with V2H (Vehicle-to-Home), H600 can provide electricity to homes and communities.
When connected to other vehicles with V2V (Vehicle-to-Vehicle), H600 can charge other electric vehicles...
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2017/03/20170320-hkg.html

edatoakrun said:
Two very different BEVx concepts using turbine generators debut at Geneva:

Has Pininfarina built a Tesla fighter?

H600 TURBINE HYBRID CONCEPT PROMISES 621-MILE RANGE, 2.9-SECOND BLASTS TO 62 MPH
MARCH 7, 2017

The Geneva motor show is one of the year's best opportunities to see concept cars from the few European design houses that are still around, but rarely are they luxury sedans with suicide doors. Hybrid luxury sedans with suicide doors, to be precise.

That's just what Pininfarina brought to Geneva: The H600 was developed in partnership with the Hybrid Kinetic Group and claims a maximum range of 621 miles, which gets over the all-important 1,000-kilometer barrier thanks to a mysterious battery and a turbine-run range extender, whose detailed specs were not disclosed...
http://autoweek.com/article/geneva-motor-show/has-pininfarina-built-tesla-fighter

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XWldyj0wiM
 
Now if the other FC proponents trying to sell passenger vehicles in CA would just downsize their FCs and increase their battery pack sizes (maybe a BEVx with a ~20 kWh pack and a ~10 kW FC) they might actually sell me one...

The reason they won't, I expect, is that while a FC would make an excellent generator for a BEVx, it makes the proposition of ever developing expensive and inefficient H fueling infrastructure for such limited purposes even more unlikely.

UPS to deploy prototype Class 6 extended range fuel cell electric vehicle delivery truck; trials begin in Q3


UPS will deploy a prototype extended range Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV) in its Rolling Laboratory fleet of alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles. UPS is working with the US Department of Energy (DOE) and other partners to design a first-of-its-kind, zero tailpipe emissions, Class 6 medium-duty delivery truck that meets the same route and range requirements of UPS’ existing conventional fuel vehicles.

The UPS trucks are equipped with a 32 kW Hydrogenics fuel cell coupled to 45 kWh of battery storage and 10 kg of hydrogen fuel. Each FCEV produces electricity which continuously charges its batteries, thereby providing additional power and an extended range of 125 miles. This will support the full duty cycle of the truck, including highway driving...
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2017/05/20170502-ups.html
 
I wonder what ever happened to the EP Tender, the Pru and the eBuggy. I know, some of these were being priced more than a Chevy Sonic or a VW Jetta. And some of these burned fuel which would seem contrary to the whole idea of buying a BEV in the first place. But it was a cool idea IMO. I wish it hadn't vanished like it did.
 
No technical details, but the fact that a major vehicle manufacturer and parts supplier may have a FCREEV system production ready is big news:


Magna shopping its hydrogen fuel-cell range extender for EVs

VANCOUVER – Magna International is offering a solution to one of the main knocks against battery-electric vehicles – the time it takes to recharge on long trips.

The Canadian auto-parts giant is shopping around a hydrogen fuel-cell platform as a range extender for battery EVs. It first revealed the fuel cell range-extended electric vehicle (FCREEV) in March at the Geneva auto show.

The system was developed at the Magna Steyr Engineering facility in Graz, Austria, in partnership with fuel-cell developer Proton Motor of Germany and two Austrian research institutes, with funding from the Austrian government...

The fuel-cell range extender vehicle addresses the main criticism of battery EVs as long-range zero-emission vehicles.

For example, Bartlok explained, a 700-kilometre drive between Vienna and Stuttgart, Germany normally takes about seven hours. Assuming fast-charging facilities are available en route, a battery EV would need up to 10.5 hours.

But the all-wheel-drive FCREEV would add only 15 minutes to the journey if it needs one hydrogen refuelling stop, Bartlok said. If no refuelling facility is available, it could fall back on battery fast-charging...
http://www.autonews.com/article/20170615/COPY01/306159957/magna-shopping-its-hydrogen-fuel-cell-range-extender-for-evs

A likely potential customer would be Jaguar, which has already contracted out I-PACE production to Magna Steyr:

Jaguar I-PACE BESUV available 2018
http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=22545
 
edatoakrun said:
No technical details


Magna
hydrogen


The Canadian auto-parts giant is

fuel-cell range extender
http://www.autonews.com/article/20170615/COPY01/306159957/magna-shopping-its-hydrogen-fuel-cell-range-extender-for-evs

2018[/b][/i]
http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=22545[/quote]

:(
Even an E85 fuel cell would be better
 
Via ABG:
London’s range-extended electric cab gets trial run at Goodwood
http://www.autoblog.com/2017/06/30/london-range-extended-electric-ev-cab-goodwood/

. . . The electric cabs have been in the works for almost a decade, though details started surfacing about them in late 2015. The vehicles will be powered by an electric motor that provides a full-charge range of about 70 miles. Additionally, the cabs will have a three-cylinder range extender made by Volvo. Geely has owned Volvo since 2010.

London Taxi expects to deploy its first electric cabs later this year. That's a good thing, as London's mayor would like to mandate emissions-free taxi cabs by 2018. Spy shots of the TX5 surfaced in March, showing a vehicle that's a little less curvy than the TX4 and featuring "suicide" doors for easier passenger entry.
 
Whoever moron at CARB who decided that a BEV charge assist (i.e. a minimally powered gasoline genset) should be called a "Range Extender" (which it is not - it is for occasional use and for finding a charger), and dictated that it may not be turned on before 5% SoC (instead of dictating a maximum power such as 5 or 10 kW for the genset) should be quartered, tortured, and then shot by firing squad, to teach a lesson to all government planners that the road to hell can easily be paved with good intentions and incompetence.
 
Interleaf said:
Whoever moron at CARB who decided that a BEV charge assist (i.e. a minimally powered gasoline genset) should be called a "Range Extender" (which it is not - it is for occasional use and for finding a charger), and dictated that it may not be turned on before 5% SoC (instead of dictating a maximum power such as 5 or 10 kW for the genset) should be quartered, tortured, and then shot by firing squad, to teach a lesson to all government planners that the road to hell can easily be paved with good intentions and incompetence.

Yes, so you keep telling us. Or maybe BMW just built a crappy range-extended EV.
 
LeftieBiker said:
Interleaf said:
Whoever moron at CARB who decided that a BEV charge assist (i.e. a minimally powered gasoline genset) should be called a "Range Extender" (which it is not - it is for occasional use and for finding a charger), and dictated that it may not be turned on before 5% SoC (instead of dictating a maximum power such as 5 or 10 kW for the genset) should be quartered, tortured, and then shot by firing squad, to teach a lesson to all government planners that the road to hell can easily be paved with good intentions and incompetence.

Yes, so you keep telling us. Or maybe BMW just built a crappy range-extended EV.
European BMW i3's let the driver engage the REx engine early via a hold (charge) mode as alluded to by http://insideevs.com/bmw-i3-rex-bevx-restrictions-plea-carb-unleash-rex/ whenever the SoC is 75% or less. "Coding" removes the crippling by apparently enabling that feature in US i3's but doing so is likely frowned up by BMW NA and even more likely by CARB (might even be illegal).

Plenty of US i3 REx drivers have "coded" their cars.

As for crappy, yes, in terms of reliability (well, at least to a point where it's unacceptable to me) and value for the money.
 
cwerdna said:
... "Coding" removes the crippling by apparently enabling that feature in US i3's but doing so is likely frowned up by BMW NA and even more likely by CARB (might even be illegal).

Plenty of US i3 REx drivers have "coded" their cars...
I don't think there is any doubt that this is illegal.

And for i3 drivers who applied for and collected the CA BEVx rebates, you can probably add additional civil and/or criminal liability.

The tolerance shown by both BMW and CARB for "coding" is likely to end only after this activity is more widely reported.

Might become be a significant scandal at that point, IMO.

Future WSJ sensationalist headline?

CALIFORNIA PAID $ MILLIONS TO BMW OWNERS WHO CHEATED ON SMOG REGULATIONS
 
It will never be a scandal, because having the REx means that people are driving more EV miles, not less. Which doesn't change the fact that the Reg is a bad one as written, but as noted in another thread it was BMW who specifically asked CARB for the BEVx category to be created.
 
edatoakrun said:
cwerdna said:
... "Coding" removes the crippling by apparently enabling that feature in US i3's but doing so is likely frowned up by BMW NA and even more likely by CARB (might even be illegal).

Plenty of US i3 REx drivers have "coded" their cars...
I don't think there is any doubt that this is illegal.

And for i3 drivers who applied for and collected the CA BEVx rebates, you can probably add additional civil and/or criminal liability.

The tolerance shown by both BMW and CARB for "coding" is likely to end only after this activity is more widely reported.

Might become be a significant scandal at that point, IMO.

Future WSJ sensationalist headline?

CALIFORNIA PAID $ MILLIONS TO BMW OWNERS WHO CHEATED ON SMOG REGULATIONS
GRA said:
It will never be a scandal, because having the REx means that people are driving more EV miles, not less...
LeftieBiker said:
Given how unpleasant the i3 Rex seems to be to drive in Rex mode, I doubt that many people will drive around on the ICE.
I think both of your assumptions are incorrect.

The comment below was posted yesterday:

...I deactivated the legal disclaimer (yea!!!!) and then enabled 'hold state of charge' for the REx. I even set one of the presets on the dash to turn on (or off) the 'hold state of charge function. I then went for a drive, and it all worked like a charm. It was dead simple to do.

With the ability to 'hold state of charge' you can travel between cities where charging infrastructure along the way may not be adequate, but where finding gasoline is easy. It gives you basically unlimited mileage between charging stations as long as you stop for gas...

Liberating your Rex is a necessity, and one which will make the wonderful i3 that much more so, and allow you to use the REx as it was designed to be used and not hamstrung by regulatory compliance...
http://www.mybmwi3.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=4615&sid=1f4645e9f98bc91cec01d337ea7ad584

That statement particularly applies to California.

BMW has claimed to have developed the DC infrastructure on California freeways, but in fact only promoted the installation of single-unit, CCS-only DC chargers, that often supply far lower than the (slow) 24 kW claimed (when they function at all) and at far higher cost-per-mile than by just filling up with gasoline and driving on the REx.

BMW has not only tolerated, but for all practical purposes actually encouraged California i-3 REx buyers to code to enable long gas-fueled trips by evading the BEVx regulations.
 
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