What produces extactly 723 Volts?

[Rubycon]

Theoretically, an electric car could do away with friction brakes all together. A motor acting as a generator is perfectly capable of locking the wheels if it was designed to do so.

In theory close but not practical due to the wide variety of speeds and type of commutation used; i.e. the best efficiency for generation may not be the best for plugging torque. It's a fringe benefit. At close to zero speeds there is little braking effect and of course standing still a binder is needed to prevent drift. Electrical motors can be used to keep a vehicle from moving but this obviously would be very counterproductive to the idea in whole.

If they wanted to make a "killer" electric car perhaps they should have named it the amp as everyone knows it's not the voltage but the amperage - that kills.

 

[Eli]

charging your 12v battery would still increase fuel economy, assuming that the current to the stator in the 12v generator can be managed effeciently enough (otherwise the energy savings would just go into having an extra-well-charged battery).

Yeah, I know.. but it would be imperceptible compared to the way systems use regenerative braking now, since the 12V battery isn't a traction battery. Nobody complains about the 0.2MPG drop because their headlights are on. But you're right, it would help.

 

[brblx]

Yeah, I know.. but it would be imperceptible compared to the way systems use regenerative braking now, since the 12V battery isn't a traction battery. Nobody complains about the 0.2MPG drop because their headlights are on. But you're right, it would help.

wasn't trying to nitpick, just making sure you weren't trying to argue with that newton guy.

 

[Doppel]

I think the Prius is a fantastic vehicle. I think the Leaf is good (IF you want an EV). I think the Volt is, at its current price, a ridiculous vehicle. It's not very good as an electric car (range sucks) and not very good as a hybrid (not good mileage and it requires premium). Combine this with the hype and bullsh*t from GM and I have no love lost for the car. I realize most Volt owners love their car, though, and I'm sure it drives nicer than the Prius (substantially faster).

GM and its fanboys have a multitude of excuses about the Volt's sales. But, whether they are terrible production or terrible interest (GM claims they are selling all they can make, so maybe they just can't make the damn things), they are not selling well. Yes, I'm aware of the July retooling. Doesn't explain why Sept sales are only marginally more than March.

In any case, with the huge gains Toyota continues to make with hybrids (Prius c supposedly 60 mpg next year combined), if you run the numbers you find that a good hybrid is actually only very marginally more expensive than EV miles (at current gas you can ballpark their cost similar to 100mpg) and yet the cars are many thousands cheaper and have no range problems (not an issue for the Volt, obviously but you pay through the nose for that).

 

[FoBoT]

volt sucks
gm sucks

 

[Red Squirrel]

I really hope to see electric cars take over. Yes, it will be a bumpy road and at first the cost does not make sense unless protecting the environment is your goal, but over time I'm sure they'll be able to produce them better and cheaper.

I also think they should have solar panels on the hood, roof and trunk cover with plexy class covers (so you don't damage the panels when scraping off ice and snow). Imagine a typical person who uses their car mostly to get to work. So you get up in the morning, start it up, drive to work, let's say you only use 10% of the battery. It sits in the parking lot all day. It will charge back to 100% if the conditions are right, you drive home for lunch, drive back, battery is at 80%, it will charge fully by end of shift, drive home, and your car will be at 90%. You can choose to plug it in, or just wait till next day as it will charge at work anyway. This is even more true in summer when it's still light out after 5 as it may actually be back to 100% by the next morning without even plugging it in.

Sure some places the power comes from fossil fuel, but instead of using that as an obstacle, that needs to be changed too. Add more hydro electric dams, more nuclear plants, wind farms, etc.

 

[Howard]

i lol'd

 

[bfdd]

Electric cars will never take over because batteries are to expensive and damn near all the materials for them come from different nations. It is not in our best interest to continue to invest in these battery technologies, hence it's not in our best interest to continue to push EVs at the moment. Now maybe if some new advances in fly wheel batteries come about I'll jump back on board, but until then I'm cool seeing EVs slide by.

 

[LTC8K6]

I really hope to see electric cars take over. Yes, it will be a bumpy road and at first the cost does not make sense unless protecting the environment is your goal, but over time I'm sure they'll be able to produce them better and cheaper.

I also think they should have solar panels on the hood, roof and trunk cover with plexy class covers (so you don't damage the panels when scraping off ice and snow). Imagine a typical person who uses their car mostly to get to work. So you get up in the morning, start it up, drive to work, let's say you only use 10% of the battery. It sits in the parking lot all day. It will charge back to 100% if the conditions are right, you drive home for lunch, drive back, battery is at 80%, it will charge fully by end of shift, drive home, and your car will be at 90%. You can choose to plug it in, or just wait till next day as it will charge at work anyway. This is even more true in summer when it's still light out after 5 as it may actually be back to 100% by the next morning without even plugging it in.

Sure some places the power comes from fossil fuel, but instead of using that as an obstacle, that needs to be changed too. Add more hydro electric dams, more nuclear plants, wind farms, etc.

You would need massive upgrades in the grid and in power stations before we can all have electric cars.

You would need a massive leap in solar cell technology to have the solar cells on the car charge the battery up even a tiny bit.

 

[Red Squirrel]

You would need massive upgrades in the grid and in power stations before we can all have electric cars.

You would need a massive leap in solar cell technology to have the solar cells on the car charge the battery up even a tiny bit.

Well let's do these upgrades. This is where the government needs to step in. We can't be relying on oil forever.

And yes solar cells is something that seriously needs more research put into. Currently they are really inefficient, but I'm sure they could be improved. As a society we need to stop using money as an excuse to advancements in technology.

 

[Doppel]

So you get up in the morning, start it up, drive to work, let's say you only use 10% of the battery. It sits in the parking lot all day. It will charge back to 100% if the conditions are right,

Yes, if conditions are right; e.g. you parked on the sun. Even extremely efficient solar panels taking the entire hood and roof will barely dent the depleted charge of a battery. In fact, even if you put a crap load of panels on your house it will be easy to exhaust the amount of electricity you use. I know this because I read that the Ford Focus EV is doing some deal where you get panels at home and the math just doesn't support solar on the car at all. The best the solar can do as an option on the Prius is operate a fan to help circulate air in the cabin.

Electric cars will never take over because batteries are to expensive and damn near all the materials for them come from different nations. It is not in our best interest to continue to invest in these battery technologies, hence it's not in our best interest to continue to push EVs at the moment. Now maybe if some new advances in fly wheel batteries come about I'll jump back on board, but until then I'm cool seeing EVs slide by.

America obviously doesn't give a sh*t about relying on other, even crap nations, unfortunately.

Battery prices can come down but even if they did, using current efficiency they are actually not that much cheaper to operate than a very good hybrid for the average joe and have so many caveats. This is sad in a way. I had thought of getting a Leaf as a next car (just a consideration), but the numbers are so ghastly for it that I can see why analysts consider it 10-20+ years before we have any meaningful number of EVs on the road.

 

[Doppel]

Well let's do these upgrades. This is where the government needs to step in. We can't be relying on oil forever.

And yes solar cells is something that seriously needs more research put into. Currently they are really inefficient, but I'm sure they could be improved. As a society we need to stop using money as an excuse to advancements in technology.

Money is just resources that is all. Society will always use resources as an excuse to impact advancements in technology.

I would like to be the first in my hood to get solar panels but it will still be leaps before they're worth getting residentially, even with all the tax breaks, at least in most states.