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mt2 · 02-04-2008, 10:25 PM

TEG, you make a very good point. Elsewhere, we discussed what happens to an engine and it's gas if you only run it once or twice a year.

I think my ideal situation would be an engine that produces only as much as or less than the power needed to sustain the vehicle at highway speeds. Suppose, for instance, that the genset kicks in when the battery is at 60% capacity. The battery would continue to drain if I was doing highway driving, but the range for the remaining 60% could be nearly indefinite depending on how I drive. Assuming I have to get off the highway once in a while to eat and use the restroom, regen would help extend the range further.

In that type of scenario, it would be possible to run the batteries to empty - especially as they age. But that would be really rare and a driver would have a lot more time to find a place to charge up. If I could get 400 to 500 miles before the batteries are drained, I could plan my road trips around that.

02-04-2008, 10:25 PM	#16 (permalink)
mt2 Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Chicago Area, Northwest Burbs Posts: 184	TEG, you make a very good point. Elsewhere, we discussed what happens to an engine and it's gas if you only run it once or twice a year. I think my ideal situation would be an engine that produces only as much as or less than the power needed to sustain the vehicle at highway speeds. Suppose, for instance, that the genset kicks in when the battery is at 60% capacity. The battery would continue to drain if I was doing highway driving, but the range for the remaining 60% could be nearly indefinite depending on how I drive. Assuming I have to get off the highway once in a while to eat and use the restroom, regen would help extend the range further. In that type of scenario, it would be possible to run the batteries to empty - especially as they age. But that would be really rare and a driver would have a lot more time to find a place to charge up. If I could get 400 to 500 miles before the batteries are drained, I could plan my road trips around that. __________________ Mark Tomlinson "I am not a trouble maker; I'm a catalyst for change."