Featured PHEV Tesla Model 3

Just one plug in?

 

At each end.

 

Don't recall if it was on their site or in the brochure, but Obrist talks about their system freeing up 25mm of engine bay for cabin space. Cars do have a minimum height to them. Their design is a V configuration and has the generatorsnear the centerline of the engine. An opposed horizontal design will have generators on the outside edge and require more wiring.

You have a PiP. A PHEV with the EV range of a Volt or i3 with a duty cycle that sees engine use only a couple times a year will face issues, or burn gas just to burn it.

 

Last year (2019) I went on out-of-town trips exceeding the electric range of an i3 in April (1), June (1 - 2,500 miles), July (1), October (2), November (1) and December (2). All but one of those trips (New Year's eve) exceeded the range of any presently available EV also, so they involved significant running of the ICE and would have even on a Volt or i3.

 

volt didn't run the engine much that i recaal didn't they have a gas quality monitoring system?

 

if you're committing to 70-100 miles ev, and an equivelent gas tank, it depends on how the manufacturer designs it

 

what do you figure, about 220 miles on 3 gallons of gas?

 

Then the statement doesn't pertain to you.

There was a fuel maintenance mode that what turn on hybrid mode when the engine hadn't been used in some time. Don't know the particulars, or if it changed between generations. Doesn't the PiP do the same in the unlikely event of just EV miles?

 

pip runs the engine every 124 miles, way too often for my taste

 

No, I figure about 4 gallons used, but that leaves the gauge at 3/4. That's because the first gallon or two doesn't move the "needle".

 

that's interesting, i haven't seen that since the gen 2 bladder

 

Isn't this a series hybrid? Don't they suck?

 

Yes, and that depends.

 

I'm going with the idea that they've found something even smoother. Don't forget, even a 2-cyl boxer isn't completely balanced. There will still be some periodic torque about the vertical axis due to the longitudinal offset of the crankpins.

 

power electronics
(including ac motor/genset)
over the years have moved from about 80% peak efficiency to over 90% peak efficiency per stage/component .

this means we are above the efficiency of a non-locking automatic transmission in its highest gear.

This means at low speeds this E-CVT May allow for much higher than expected economy by maintaining peak load and also allowing for reducing engine displacement if managed correctly.
With a loss of economy at high loads/speeds.

some EV drivetrains are over 98%, if we can expand the entire system to those levels we are near parity with a traditional automatic with lockup.

 

Normally true unless the engine is optimized for high efficiency and only operates in peak thermal dynamic efficiency. As our former Prius showed, it is cheaper to cycle the engine ON/OFF and run only at peak efficiency than any sort of low or high power region with poor efficiency.

Bob Wilson

 

tl;dr For a hybrid without a plug, the drawbacks of a series system likely outweigh the benefits. The benefits make it a cost effective range extender for EVs; the drawbacks can be mitigated, and hybrid efficiency becomes less important to overall efficiency as EV range increases.

Like all hybrid types, there are pros and cons to a series hybrid.

Because of the energy conversion losses, series hybrids are less efficient at higher speeds. Honda's two motor hybrid system acts like a series hybrid until speed gets above 50mph, and them the engine is connected to the wheels for better high way efficiency.

Series hybrids don't have a mechanical transmission, so cost and weight is saved there. Having the engine disconnected from the drive train allows it to operate at loads and speeds independent of what the car is doing. Which makes it easier to tune the engine for efficiency and emissions. Designers are also free to place the engine anywhere for the best package, though that mostly applies to big vehicles, like ships.

The only series hybrid without a plug is a Nissan Note available in Japan. So it has only been tested on that easy, slow test cycle. It probably runs like a locomotive without batteries much of the time, with the engine changing output based on driver demand, as the battery is around the size in the Prius. The numbers aren't going to be too impressive on the EPA test.

Put in a bigger battery, and you can have the engine run more often at its ideal point for efficiency and emissions. Any energy from the engine not needed for driving just goes into the battery. Essentially, the system will pulse and coast itself, and help make up for the energy losses of the series set up.. A big battery also means a smaller engine could be used, as more power can come from the pack.

With a bigger battery, you might as well add a plug. Depending on the actual EV range and individual use, a series PHEV with relatively lower fuel economy could mean less fuel use than a more efficient hybrid.

 

Stabil says 6 months.

Know-How Notes: How To Use Fuel Stabilizer - NAPA Know How BlogNAPA Know How Blog
Stabil label also warns to give up all hope @ 2yrs. Not just your gas .... even the stabil, once opened? 2yrs .... So if its 22 months after opening? (found this out the hard way) your stabil protected gas isn't long for this world.
Stabil also warns that gas oxidizes much slower, if the tank is completely full.
So again - it's good that hybrids eventually burn it.

.

 

Probably heavily influenced by a CYA corporate policy which makes sense/cents. I've gone well over a year on a couple of motorcycle that weren't suppose to be stored that long but ended up that way.

Storage temps greatly affect shelf/tank life too.

 

Until you can buy it and they can support it with a charging network, parts and trained mechanics...it is vaporware to me.