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Old 02-04-2008, 08:35 PM   #15 (permalink)
AGR
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Join Date: Jun 2007
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A mid size family sedan with all the technolgy and safety features that customers expect with usually an aluminum ICE weighs over 3,000 lbs. with a carrying capacity of lets say 1,500 lbs for a GVM of 4,500 lbs.

This same mis size sedan fully electric would easely weigh an additional 1,000 lbs to accomodate the weight of a battery pack for a reasonable range for a GVW of 5,500 lbs which is getting into large sedan or pick up territory.

The Tesla Roadster starts out as a small very light ICE powered Elise, and turns into a very heavy Tesla Roadster(compared to the Elise). Putting an addtional 1,000 lbs (batteries) in a Camry would create several challenges.

The compromise is a battery pack and a small range extender.

TEG, has described a few scenarios of how it could work.

Also keeping in mind that most elctronics in modern cars have a genuine distaste for voltage fluctuations, they love to run on the alternator at 13.5 volts.
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