Is Nissan researching a gasoline based electricity generator

JasonT said:

but I see no reason why Nissan should be involved in it.

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The reason is so that we can have four electric cars in our garage instead of one.

This same discussion came up in the Aptera Forum. I suggested a U Hall rental solution. The generator trailer rental could be located say 50 miles away from major metro locations. Thus, one would drive their EV with no trailer for a bit.. then hook up and continue the drive. Once one approaches their destination (within say 50 miles), they turn in their trailer. Once at your destination, you go back to local opportunity charging.

Theoretically, one would only need the trailer for getting there and getting home. Many folks will drive from LA to San Francisco... then stay a week or two. All the local driving (including a trip to Napa vineyards) could be done without a trailer. When you're ready to leave, you drive your 50 miles.. rent a trailer and drop it off before arrive back in LA. A two week holiday with a 2 day trailer rental charge.

rayfellow said:

This same discussion came up in the Aptera Forum. I suggested a U Hall rental solution. The generator trailer rental could be located say 50 miles away from major metro locations. Thus, one would drive their EV with no trailer for a bit.. then hook up and continue the drive. Once one approaches their destination (within say 50 miles), they turn in their trailer. Once at your destination, you go back to local opportunity charging.

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Good idea.

It doesn't look like it will take much to adopt generators already for sale to be trailers, they are already on wheels.
http://www.amazon.com/TG72K12-Portable-Generator-Electric-Compliant/dp/B0016L35F4/ref=sr_1_25?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1272824626&sr=8-25
http://www.globalindustrial.com/p/electrical/generators/portable/portable-generator-17500w

It seems like it will be easy for someone to create a kit to convert these things into trailers. Hopefully Nissan provides ways to make the hookup easier.

The reason Nisson would need to be involved is to add some "standard" rear charge port, and the control circuitry necessary to use the Range Extender Trailer (RET) while driving (and "still"). Also, provide for mounting a light-duty towing hitch.

I suspect that just powering "hacked" cars will not create a large enough market to get U-Haul (or some other) interested and involved.

not sure where I found this, but it is an old PDF on the Range Extender trailer prototype that AC Propulsion built for the RAV4EV

http://www.bilmuh.gyte.edu.tr/~gokturk/hybrid/rangeextender.pdf

found this very old article (5/18/2008) where Carlos Ghosn mentioned a possible range extender for their upcomming EVs (read: Leaf)

http://green.autoblog.com/2008/05/18/nissan-hedges-all-electric-bet-with-range-extender-option/

"Nissan has been telling us over and over again that they will have electric cars for sale by 2010 and we are pretty darn sure they're serious about it. However, that doesn't mean that they are so committed to zero emissions that they won't explore less idyllic possibilities. Conscious of a vocal segment of the car-buying public that wishes to be able to travel well beyond the current range of a battery electric vehicle without having to stop for hours to re-charge, Nissan/Renault head Carlos Ghosn stated in an interview last week that they will be offering a "range extender" in some of their upcoming electric models. Ghosn is quoted in a piece in the Wall Street Journal, as saying that Nissan is committed to making vehicles that are "pure electric, zero emission. But you always have the possibility of having a range extender."

It's possible Ghosn remembers that the Renault side of the corporate family built 500 electric vehicles with range extenders back in 2003 called the Elect'Road (electrode, get it?). Though technology has marched on in the five years since that brief offering, perhaps they believe they can improve on that formula with a modern drivetrain, like that of the Mixim concept (pictured above). And while this compares closely with what GM is planning for the Volt, the article in the WSJ suggests that the Nissan version will go 100 miles gas-free as compared to the meager 40 clicks for the Detroit machine. That should keep those annoying trips to the gas pump down to a bare minimum. "

mitch672 said:

It's possible Ghosn remembers that the Renault side of the corporate family built 500 electric vehicles with range extenders back in 2003 called the Elect'Road (electrode, get it?).

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Very interesting. So Elect'Road was being sold 5 years before the "first" EREV Volt goes on sale !