Can it- will it allow itself to charge while driving?

Would have to figure out how to over ride interlock that prevents one from driving while plugged in. Charging while driving is a great idea like planes do in flight refueling.

 

How about the EV version: grappling hook to back of a semi when he isn’t looking and ride-off the regen to produce ~20 kW. He might never notice other than thinking that the truck needs service LOL

Sneaky Pierre strikes again 😼

 

Have zero idea, but it definitely can stop at a fast charging station if not.

 

The closest would be to start your trip from the top of a mountain and use regen other than that maybe something like this: WIND TURBINE FOR CARS
You could also put a portable EV charging station in the trunk with solar panels but that is not cheap and not very effective (expect at best a few miles a day worth of energy)

 

That was the BMW i3 REx.

 

The easy answer is NO. The car can’t move when plugged in. What you want is what the Volt was. The i3 was a mistake, with a 3L gasoline generator, you needed to stop every 100 km to refuel.

 

The car can’t move when plugged in.

Would be interesting to see what happens if one plugs in while moving. Anyone want to try that?

 

I've seen this come up before and got me thinking... Regardless of current capabilities of the vehicle, electrically it seems beneficial.

I have a 220# gas generator capable of 50A out of a 14-50R, but that's peak. Closer to 40A continuous, so I'd use the included EVSE.

Included EVSE charges 36A @ 240V for 8640W. We'll just say 8kW for AC->DC conversion loss and easier math.

On the highway I average 3.7mi/kWh. 8kW charging rate * 3.7mi/kWh = 29.6 miles/hr to break even with the charging speed, if that math checks out.

So doing 60mph would only utilize 50% of the energy, thus doubling the battery range ?

 

It sounds like we would be converting the Bolt to a Volt. Interesting, but maybe we could just buy Volts instead.

 

Making a hybrid car out of an EV using a bolt-on generator would probably create more greenhouse gasses than just driving an actual hybrid car. Generators and other small engines don't have the emissions control elements that ICE cars do. But if you aren't driving an EV because of the environmental cost vs. ICE then it might not matter to you.

From How Bad are Generators for the Environment
"Air quality and air pollution
Although these measures have seen CO, CO2, and NO emissions being reduced, generators are not yet clean or safe. Not by a long shot.

While most gasoline and diesel vehicle engines feature sophisticated emission control technology, most generators don't, particularly portable generators. Modern generators do feature some emission control technology and run a lot cleaner than older models. They, however, still release a lot of particulate matter and other air pollutants during operation.

For example, the average portable generator running under load produces the same air quality destroying emissions as an idling automobile."

 

Making a hybrid car out of an EV using a bolt-on generator would probably create more greenhouse gasses than just driving an actual hybrid car. Generators and other small engines don't have the emissions control elements that ICE cars do. But if you aren't driving an EV because of the environmental cost vs. ICE then it might not matter to you.

From How Bad are Generators for the Environment
"Air quality and air pollution
Although these measures have seen CO, CO2, and NO emissions being reduced, generators are not yet clean or safe. Not by a long shot.

While most gasoline and diesel vehicle engines feature sophisticated emission control technology, most generators don't, particularly portable generators. Modern generators do feature some emission control technology and run a lot cleaner than older models. They, however, still release a lot of particulate matter and other air pollutants during operation.

For example, the average portable generator running under load produces the same air quality destroying emissions as an idling automobile."

I honestly dont car about greenhouse gas emissions- i think its all a bunch of BS. I do very much like E.V. efficiency though- I actually am kind of an efficiency freak, so im environmentally conscious by default since I abhore waste.

I bought this car because of economics.

I've seen this come up before and got me thinking... Regardless of current capabilities of the vehicle, electrically it seems beneficial.

I have a 220# gas generator capable of 50A out of a 14-50R, but that's peak. Closer to 40A continuous, so I'd use the included EVSE.

Included EVSE charges 36A @ 240V for 8640W. We'll just say 8kW for AC->DC conversion loss and easier math.

On the highway I average 3.7mi/kWh. 8kW charging rate * 3.7mi/kWh = 29.6 miles/hr to break even with the charging speed, if that math checks out.

So doing 60mph would only utilize 50% of the energy, thus doubling the battery range ?

This is kinda my thought. Think about if a car company put time/$ into making a small, super efficient generator into the vehicle. Like what if Ford makes the gas generator thats available on the gas F150, available on the Lightning- But its super efficient compared to a regular say Honda generator because Ford engineered the **** out of it. Now the Lightning would go 600-700 miles possibly on a single plug, or perhaps the small gas engine could offset the range loss from towing- thatd be HUGE.

 

As far as range extending goes, a hitch mounted genset makes the most sense to me (instead of battery swapping, pusher trailers, extra battery on a trailer...)

That said, they already make plug-in hybrids, which accomplishes the exact same thing more efficiently. There's kinda no point in inventing the hitch mounted genset.

 

When you say there’s no point, you’re totally missing the point. The point is… charging ports are often difficult to find, and you have to stop and wait (not traveling) while it charges. With an onboard generator, range anxiety is eliminated. You don’t have to scrounge for a working, available charging port. And you’re not sitting, waiting to add range. You’re charging while driving. As someone previously commented, this is HUGE! It’s why this technology evolution is very popular in China and American auto execs are super excited about it. It could take a Lightening that has about 100 miles of range towing a 9,000 pound travel trailer, and give it 400 to 500 miles of range. You know, HUGE! And all you’d have to do to extend that would be five minutes to refuel, at a readily available gas station without waiting hours to recharge. But yeah, that’s all “pointless.”

 

Problem is that having a 60 kWh battery PHEV doesn’t make sense from the business point of view. You only carry an ICE generator to use it once in a blue moon. The Volt was making sense, being that it had the 50 miles range, enough for the average commuter (driving about 45 miles a day) to not use gas but have the full power of an EV. Anything less than 50 miles IMO was useless… everything above was bonus. I bought my Volt in 2014 and my mpg was 1.2L/100 km over the 70k km I drove it before I swapped it for a Bolt EV. None of the actual hybrids could come even close to that. GM decided to stop it's production because Mericans don’t like sedans. Worst decision ever, but hey, they gave us the Bolt EV.

 

No. The inverter used to put in 120 or 240 into the battery is the same inverter that supplies AC to/from the drive motor. Would be a massive conflict there.

 

Not correct. Propulsion has its own inverter separate from the on board charge controller which injects DC into the vehicle DC BUS

 

Not so much with generators, but I can see this being a thing for folks towing a trailer, that the trailer would have added capacity and use some sort of dc connection to increase range. Particularly with that being the stinging point for towing with Electric trucks, but even smaller cars like the Bolt wanting to town a small camper or jetski or what not.

 

There have been several articles on trailers with electric drive assist, most recently Airstream. But, the idea is to offset the range loss caused by towing a heavy trailer.

The funny part was it was tested with a Model X, but the Airstream has a CCS plug. So, the range of the Tesla was near normal range as if it was not pulling the trailer. But, does that mean two DCFC stops, one at an SuC, and one to charge the trailer? And very few SuC have pul through stalls, so even if the site had CCS plugs, logistically it is not clean.

There was also a German company doing this with semi trailers, effectively making diesel trucks hybrid. The increase MPG for the tractor makes a big difference in operating costs, but it would seem most useful for short-medium range routes because again, charging time at a location other than where the diesel fuel is purchased.

As for a trailer supplying DC power to the EV, the drag of pulling a heavy trailer would probably negate the added capacity.

 

How about one of those European trailers that is a battery for an EV. Don’t think it will charge while driving, but it will transfer when parked. Like for camping in the wild extender.

 

If it were possible to use solar panels of high efficiency in the future they would probably work like a solar system in that whatever the solar is producing would run the car along with the battery and if there was excess the solar would run the car exclusively and excess would charge the battery. Or instead of solar it could be a generator etc. The battery acts as a backup even though it runs everything when there is no sun or other power.

 

While I consider this idea a non-starter, if you could tie it into the Regen circuit (with the correct voltage, frequency, etc.) it should be possible.

 

You need a BMW i3 rex.

 

There was a guy that built a generator trailer for a Nissan Leaf, with a turbine powered generator. It supplied high voltage DC straight to the battery pack connections. Basically, the powertrain acted as if the power was being drawn from the battery, while the battery saw little, or no load perhaps even charged. There is an article about it at:
https://autos.yahoo.com/blogs/motoramic/one-inventor-wants-boost-evs-towable-turbine-210057167.html

When I was at the APS Electrics event in Phoenix 1996, Alan Cocconi from AC Propulsion brought a Civic conversion with a range extender generator trailer. I was surprised to find it in the hotel parking lot that morning.

It is possible to build systems like this if you happen to be an electronics genius with deep pockets. Me, I will just look for a charging station. (Yes, I did play with building an ICE pusher trailer for my Civic conversion, I got it kind of working, then I scrapped it.)

 

Mine can now ….

LOL

 

Tesla tried the "towing a generator" idea... It didn't sell very well, so they abandoned the project.

 

This is an interesting subject that I have thought about since ordering a 23 Bolt to replace a 17 Volt. Theoretically a 240 volt gas generator being towed behind the Bolt could be used as a range extender, similar to the way the Volt works, but outboard rather than inboard. Both cars are designed to prevent driving the car while the EVSE is plugged in for obvious reasons. But if GM were to add a connection for an outboard source of charging power, a range extender trailer could be an easy reality, and something that would make perfect sense for those longer trips that would help reduce the number of stops at charging stations.

 

The issue become how to you charge a battery is being used or electron flow if you could split the battery then it would be possible ,

My theory is that if there is a possibility that the control of electrons are next and if this is possible then the next random option would be materializing and possible worm hole creation

The other good benefit is that charging battery would not be need do to the control of electrons the energy would be drawing thought

or even possible to unfold the charge so some type of electron compression

almost like zipping a file on the computer .

lets say you folded the electrons down 10:1 then decompressed 9.9:1 you justed charged the car in a 10 of the time

so 1 min fully charged

on a quick charger

 

Technically the answer is yes, the battery can be charged while driving, the same way the Volt and other PHEVs work. The question should be "Is it practical to charge the Bolt while driving?" An external generator can certainly provide enough current to replace the current being drained for driving. The problem is connecting the generator to the vehicle charging system in such a way that the system does not prevent driving the car while it is "plugged in". For that reason you cannot just plug the generator into the charging port. The computer will not allow the car to be taken out of 'Park'.

 

Check out this article on solar-powered EVs. The Aptera and the Lightyear One are close to production. The solar panels are used for range extension while driving and charging the car when it's parked.
Top 5 Solar Powered EV in the World: Electric Car With Solar Panels - (e-vehicleinfo.com)

 

This guy did it with his Tesla.

 

.... Can it- will it allow itself to charge while driving? ...

Yes, of course it can.
It's called 'Regen'.
Start at the top of a mountain and ride the brakes going down the mountain.
Blended Brakes allows this without brake pad wear.

As for plugging in while driving with a generator on a trailer, no.

This is such a common noob question. It's been asked since BEV's came out long ago. Sorry....

 

Yes, of course it can.
It's called 'Regen'.
Start at the top of a mountain and ride the brakes going down the mountain.
Blended Brakes allows this without brake pad wear.

As for plugging in while driving with a generator on a trailer, no.

This.

Today, I reached the Eisenhower Tunnels on I-70 at 11,013 feet with 125 miles of range and 95 miles to reach home. When I got to I-25 in Denver, I had 195 miles of range on the GOM, and got home with 95 miles remaining.

Did I regenerate 70 miles of kWh in the 50 mile stretch, nope. But I did add a few kWh, the rest was super efficient driving weighing heavily on the GOM.