sub3marathonman
Well-known member
VitaminJ said:Seriously, I don't know why this rental-generator-trailer thing is so insanely popular on this board. For the amount of effort that would take Nissan they could just make a 60kwh Leaf. The only way it makes sense is for the DIYer backyard builder who wants to mess around.TomT said:Do you really think that Joe Q Public is going to want to deal with a generator that takes a long time to recharge (120 volt) and can't charge while the car is on??? I seriously doubt so!
Wow, apparently nobody remembers "The Long Ranger!"
http://www.evnut.com/rav_longranger.htm
http://www.tzev.com/2001_rxt-g_library.html
It was commissioned by Toyota, and definitely was not a DIY hacked up project. I always thought it was a spectacular idea. But just as the "Beta" tapes with higher quality lost out to VHS for convenience, this great idea never really caught on.
And, after having the LEAF, and having 24kw of batteries degrade to less than 50% in four years of ownership, five year battery life since it sat at a dealership a year, and with the experiences of people in Phoenix and other really hot places, I'm wondering if the smaller 7kwh - 10kwh battery hybrid isn't ultimately more efficient in the long run. Even the Volt has17kwh, with 6kwh or so of "extra battery" that isn't used, just to help mask the inevitable degradation that occurs. By the end, getting LBW at 26 miles, I must have been using at most 6kwh or so, and I was still able to get by.
So, a 60kwh car could give 10 cars a 6kwh battery, and overall it seems a lot less gasoline would be consumed. Yes, those batteries might have to be replaced a bit quicker if they are cycled to a greater extent, but how many people even with the LEAF use the entire battery range every day? If the LEAF could have the option of a 10kwh battery with "The Long Ranger" and offset the purchase of 14 kwh, or 20kwh, or 50kwh (!) of batteries, and be able to have the 200 mile range, would there be a dramatic increase in buyers? I know I wouldn't mind maintaining a little 50cc engine in a trailer, but of course it would prove difficult to pull into a gas station and actually buy gasoline.
And yes, this is more of a theoretical concept at the moment, but only because the supply of batteries is sufficient to keep up with the relatively small demand of those buying EVs.