[smileysteve]

Re: 1, ignoring the complexities, is really interesting but depending on the effort to change our battery banks quickly makes renting a car more feasible.

And this highlights American traffic and sparseness.

- plug-in hybrids have 10-13 mile range which is great for running a few errands (this is only slightly more feasible than in a golf cart or ebikes) - also great for last mile connectivity for mass transit n users;

- the Nissan leaf 2012 had an 80 mile range - perfect for most daily commutes in a metro area

- modern electric vehicles have 200-300+ mile range, good for weekend getaways; esp with a charge at the destination

[toast0]

PHEVs were quoting 20+ miles on electric last decade, I think 25-35 is common now?

Actual distance depends on elevation changes and speed/driving, but 15-20 is quite acheivable, as long as you don't make it to highway speeds. And if you go a bit farther and use a splash of gas, no big deal, that's why it has a tank.

[Uvix]

25-35 is common, and some like the Prius PHEV can do 45.

[zhivota]

BYD Seal DM-i has a plug in range of 125km / 78mi.

[hinkley]

I’ve done the math a couple of times and IIRC if we can get the charge density per kilo to about twice what lithium ion can do, you hit a point where a deposit battery that’s around 20 kilos has enough range extension to start being worth doing. That’s the weight of a large bag of kitty litter or a commercial bag or rice. Put a good ergo handle on it and most people should be able to lift a few of them consecutively.

But until one unit is worth about 8 miles of extended range, there would be no point. 3@25 or 30 miles might make it worth the trouble for a road trip, or camping.

[fooker]

A great range extender weighing twenty kilos is available right now, a diesel generator.

It can also double as a air/water heater, emergency power for household or medical appliances, and emits about as much carbon in 30 years as it takes to manufacture a battery pack.

[hinkley]

Honestly surprised Honda hasn’t designed a hybrid that’s more generator and less hybrid but I suspect that has to do with air and noise pollution loopholes for generators versus engines.

[rsynnott]

Nah, the BMW i3 had one of these as an option, as does some Chinese car, with no regulatory difficulties. Also a common arrangement for ‘hybrid’ buses and trains.

[smileysteve]

The i3 certainly had some us regulatory difficulties, they had to change the battery and fuel tank sizes.

[lstodd]

actually if you can get a late-1990-ish 90-100cc 2T japanese scooter like Honda Lead 90 or Suzuki Address 100, or even later Yamaha Neos / MBK Ovetto 100cc of 2005-ish vintage this whole discussion about ranges and fuel consumptions becomes pointless.

because those have had fuel consumption of like 2-3L per 100km. with fuel tanks of about 6L you had all the range for errands you could possibly need.

and they were capable of moving two persons around _and_ moving a ton of grocery, or something like an ironing board.

hell, in 2000s we were doing 700km trips on them.

[stetrain]

Small 2-stroke engines tend to be worse for pollution emissions (NOx, particulates) despite generally good fuel efficiency.

[lstodd]

well, yes, I like the smell of 2T exhaust in the morning.

still, even my yamaha majesty 250 of 1992 (4HC-edit) only ate 3.5L/100km despite hauling thrice the mass of that same ovetto.

[olddustytrail]

Of course you do. As long as someone else pays for cleaning up after you. There have always been leeches in the world.

[lstodd]

your comment reminds me of a rant by a severely clueless person who insisted that we must conserve water despite living on an island in a middle of a second largest european reservoir.

which is utterly pointless.

[olddustytrail]

Of course it does. When you apply zero thought to anything you can always find false equivalence.