Sleeping with the enemy...

[mikester]

Originally Posted by mopho

On the other hand, it could mean that when you fix something it immediately breaks all by itself

But that's just SOP for Lotii, right ? Kidding, I'm kidding....

[mikester]

but seriously, that's not bad for range - I was not expecting that much.

[Icedog_16]

IIRC, the sticker I've seen of one lists 30kW/100 mi city and 33kW/100 mi highway. Battery capacity is on the order of 65kW. I'm sure Sorinne has more accurate info.

[ewalberg]

just to nerd out on ya'll for a minute, regenerative braking isn't anything "reversing" itself per se (other than voltage and current flow that is)... it's actually a fundamental aspect of electric motors.

A motor is also by definition a generator. The only difference is if you're putting voltage across the terminals (with current available to flow) which generates torque on the drive shaft (motor), or if you're forcing the drive shaft to rotate which generates voltage and current flow at the terminals (generator).

So regenerative braking (i'm really simplifying things) is not much more than having fancy hardware and software in place to allow the weight of the car to forcibly spin the driveshaft of the motor and allow that voltage generated to deliver current back into the batteries... it's no more than taking advantage of engine braking to re-charge your batteries. In fact the little electronic speed controls for Radio Contolled cars back in the early 90's had this capability... probably a little more sophisticated on a full sized car.... basically this is the only sustantive reason a normal current hybrid gets better gas mileage than a conventional car of equivalent HP rating and aerodynamics... and is why they really only get better mileage on city streets...

[Icedog_16]

Originally Posted by ewalberg

just to nerd out on ya'll for a minute, regenerative braking isn't anything "reversing" itself per se (other than voltage and current flow that is)... it's actually a fundamental aspect of electric motors.

A motor is also by definition a generator. The only difference is if you're putting voltage across the terminals (with current available to flow) which generates torque on the drive shaft (motor), or if you're forcing the drive shaft to rotate which generates voltage and current flow at the terminals (generator).

So regenerative braking (i'm really simplifying things) is not much more than having fancy hardware and software in place to allow the weight of the car to forcibly spin the driveshaft of the motor and allow that voltage generated to deliver current back into the batteries... it's no more than taking advantage of engine braking to re-charge your batteries. In fact the little electronic speed controls for Radio Contolled cars back in the early 90's had this capability... probably a little more sophisticated on a full sized car....

To nerd on your nerd, it's basically utilizing the principles of induction.

[mikester]

Exactly, and that's pretty cool !

[njboy]

I think plug-in electrics are the future. Hybrids, hydrogen and fuel cells are not. With Lithium Ion batteries having a very good power storage vs weight a 200 mi range is fine for most commuters. Personally I would buy a plug-in electric now if I could get a sporty hatchback for around $20K. Most of us park in unshaded parking lots while at work and if the car manufacturer's incorporated solar panels into the hood and roof the battery can be recharged partially over a 8-10hr period making extra power for A/C or heaters. I'm glad to see the Tesla because this get people thinking about electrics and shows that they are not slow and goofy looking.
For me the big advantage having an electric car is that you have freedom from possible gas shortages in the future.

[nak]

Originally Posted by njboy

... Most of us park in unshaded parking lots while at work and if the car manufacturer's incorporated solar panels into the hood and roof the battery can be recharged partially over a 8-10hr period making extra power for A/C or heaters...

I have a high-eficiency solar array on my roof. Judging by the size of the panels, I'd say that you might get 200 watts worth of generating capacity on the roof of a car. Most locales have 4-5 hours of full sun equivalent each day.

Even if you work a ten hour day of full sun, you'd get 2 kWhr of recahrge on your 65 kWhr battery pack. (Using the Tesla as an example of charge capacity).

Your car lacks roof space. A lovely idea, and worth doing if the price of solar drops an order of magnitude. A car that put 2% into the "fuel tank" every day just sitting there is better than a car that doesn't.