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probably a dumb question regarding hybrid vehicles
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So my neighbor has a hybrid car we were talking about and he said it gets about 50 miles per charge then switches to gas automatically when the
battery dies.
Then you are on gas until you plug it in again .
My question is..... why when you are driving on gas does it not recharge itself like battery's in every other car?
Can they not make a big enough alternator ?
I am a laymen and am curios
But I would buy a car that recharged itself while using gas . You would use much less gas and electricity
Then you are on gas until you plug it in again .
My question is..... why when you are driving on gas does it not recharge itself like battery's in every other car?
Can they not make a big enough alternator ?
I am a laymen and am curios
But I would buy a car that recharged itself while using gas . You would use much less gas and electricity
edit on 11-10-2022 by pureblood69 because: (no reason given)
Alternators do not create energy, they convert mechanical energy to electrical energy. Anytime you convert energy you lose some to friction, heat,
ect.
In short, you would need to apply more energy to the alternator than it take to just move the car.
In short, you would need to apply more energy to the alternator than it take to just move the car.
Just put a windmill on it.
Newtons law of thermodynamics explained
Newtons law of thermodynamics explained
edit on 10 by
Mandroid7 because: Add link
The energy in a system can be converted to heat or work or other things, but you always have the same total that you started with.
As an analogy, think of energy as indestructible blocks. If you have 30 blocks, then whatever you do to or with the blocks you will always have 30 of them at the end. You cant destroy them, only move them around or divide them up, but there will always be 30. Sometimes you may loose one or more, but they still have to be taken account of because Energy is Conserved.xt
Mandroid7 because: Add link
edit on 10 by Mandroid7 because: Quote
a reply to: Jason79
Yes, that is pretty much what I came up with by looking into it. My husband had asked this same question a few years back.
I have a hybrid car, and I love it. But I have solar panels on my roof and I do not drive very far. To answer the question though people could go to this website.
vehq.com...
Yes, that is pretty much what I came up with by looking into it. My husband had asked this same question a few years back.
I have a hybrid car, and I love it. But I have solar panels on my roof and I do not drive very far. To answer the question though people could go to this website.
vehq.com...
edit on 11-10-2022 by StarsInDust because: Just Because
a reply to: pureblood69
I doubt he is getting 50MPG on a charge before switching to gasoline. Possible but only if he has a Polestar 1.
www.autoguide.com...
For me, a hybrid is about useless as my round trip commute is about 90 miles. I might as well get a full electric one day.
I doubt he is getting 50MPG on a charge before switching to gasoline. Possible but only if he has a Polestar 1.
www.autoguide.com...
For me, a hybrid is about useless as my round trip commute is about 90 miles. I might as well get a full electric one day.
a reply to: pureblood69
I’ve never seen a hybrid car that needs plugged in.
The gas engine powers a generator, not an alternator, and charges the battery.
afdc.energy.gov...
I’ve never seen a hybrid car that needs plugged in.
The gas engine powers a generator, not an alternator, and charges the battery.
afdc.energy.gov...
They have been able to produce some power from interesting places using regenerative braking systems, but we need a power source to make electric
work, not just an electrical storage device.
On an interesting note I had to shutoff the TV so I didn't stroke out after watching the new Jeep commercial.
They talked about all the freedom of the new electric jeep...in the middle of nowhere.
In the commercial they actually put a random Jeep electric charging station in the desert.
Lol. Good thing, they're gonna need it.
On an interesting note I had to shutoff the TV so I didn't stroke out after watching the new Jeep commercial.
They talked about all the freedom of the new electric jeep...in the middle of nowhere.
In the commercial they actually put a random Jeep electric charging station in the desert.
Lol. Good thing, they're gonna need it.
a reply to: infolurker
I have a 2011 Volt, so one of the first hybrids. My car does plug in though. It switches automatically from electric to gas when driving, if the electricity runs out. But it rarely does. My car does make me run the gas out once a year as a maintenance sort of thing though. My car gets about 30 miles in the summer time and only about 25 in the winter. But it is an older model, and I figured they had gotten better… maybe not.
I have a 2011 Volt, so one of the first hybrids. My car does plug in though. It switches automatically from electric to gas when driving, if the electricity runs out. But it rarely does. My car does make me run the gas out once a year as a maintenance sort of thing though. My car gets about 30 miles in the summer time and only about 25 in the winter. But it is an older model, and I figured they had gotten better… maybe not.
Only hybrids I've seen don't work that way either...
They'll use the electric motors to get up and moving- and use them as regenerative braking to recharge the batteries... but generally while cruising at highway or back road speed they'll use the ICE to maintain speed- which would explain the 50mpg.
It wouldn't explain "switching" once the battery is dead- since they generally recharge the battery from the brakes AND the engine.
I guess maybe you could set one up with a home charger and tell it to not recharge the internal battery once it runs out... but then you'd be going direct to ICE and you'd need a whole second driveline for that, AND you'd be hauling around dead batteries- the mileage would be terrible.
I have always wondered if a small diesel turbine generator on an electric car could be a good compromise for an electric car with a fuel backup, but I'd have to imagine they'd be on market by now if they were. Not that I trust the average consumer with a small high power turbine engine...
They'll use the electric motors to get up and moving- and use them as regenerative braking to recharge the batteries... but generally while cruising at highway or back road speed they'll use the ICE to maintain speed- which would explain the 50mpg.
It wouldn't explain "switching" once the battery is dead- since they generally recharge the battery from the brakes AND the engine.
I guess maybe you could set one up with a home charger and tell it to not recharge the internal battery once it runs out... but then you'd be going direct to ICE and you'd need a whole second driveline for that, AND you'd be hauling around dead batteries- the mileage would be terrible.
I have always wondered if a small diesel turbine generator on an electric car could be a good compromise for an electric car with a fuel backup, but I'd have to imagine they'd be on market by now if they were. Not that I trust the average consumer with a small high power turbine engine...
originally posted by: infolurker
a reply to: pureblood69
I doubt he is getting 50MPG on a charge before switching to gasoline. Possible but only if he has a Polestar 1.
www.autoguide.com...
For me, a hybrid is about useless as my round trip commute is about 90 miles. I might as well get a full electric one day.
No not 50 mPG 50 miles on 1 charge then he has to plug it on.
Sry for the confusion
I thought hybrids were supposed to run the engine all the time except when they are going slow in cities. They use the batteries to help accelerate
then maintain speed with the power from the engine and trickle charge when they can. When they brake or go down hill, they also charge the batteries.
If the batteries are low, they run the engine when parked to recharge. Only a few are designed to plug in and charge.
It lets the car have a smaller engine for the size of vehicle but runs that smaller engine longer.
It lets the car have a smaller engine for the size of vehicle but runs that smaller engine longer.
originally posted by: Mandroid7
They have been able to produce some power from interesting places using regenerative braking systems, but we need a power source to make electric work, not just an electrical storage device.
On an interesting note I had to shutoff the TV so I didn't stroke out after watching the new Jeep commercial.
They talked about all the freedom of the new electric jeep...in the middle of nowhere.
In the commercial they actually put a random Jeep electric charging station in the desert.
Lol. Good thing, they're gonna need it.
The Jeep 4XE is getting very popular. Only gets about 25 miles on the battery only though. It is pretty quick with instant torque of 470lbs. I think 0 to 60 is about 5.5 secs. Most people are not driving them out in the middle of nowhere though.
I opted for the 392 Rubicon though with the big v8. Loud and raucous and stupidly fast in a jeep. It is smiles per gallon....
a reply to: beyondknowledge
Some can run electric only for short trips. Once battery is depleted they switch over to gas. They are perfect for people with short commutes or in urban areas as most of these folks don't drive more than 20 miles per day. However, once you need to go further you have the gas engine. Some people only need to fill up once a month or so as 90% of their driving is less than the electric only range.
Some can run electric only for short trips. Once battery is depleted they switch over to gas. They are perfect for people with short commutes or in urban areas as most of these folks don't drive more than 20 miles per day. However, once you need to go further you have the gas engine. Some people only need to fill up once a month or so as 90% of their driving is less than the electric only range.
a reply to: beyondknowledge
I'm not quite sure about it honestly but it seems to me that Toyota is the only company that makes their hybrid system in that manner. I rented a Prius through Turo in Seattle a few years back thinking it would save on gas as I flew into SeaTac and needed to drive about 2 hours east to Ellensburg. Big mistake. I didn't realize that they were mainly meant for city driving and their highway mpg is only about as good as my regular Corolla.
That being said, I've had a pile of trouble with most of my cars in recent months and had to rent on 2 separate occasions. The first I had reserved a luxury SUV (Navigator or similar) but surprise! They had none when I went to pick it up. I ended up getting a huge discount and an AWD hybrid Sienna. I only had that for 4 days but drove 40+ miles each of those days and only paid $15 to fill it up on return (this was when definitely-not-Biden's-fault prices were roughly $4.10 here). A few weeks later I found myself with a hybrid Highlander. Just about the same as the Sienna, maybe slightly better (both were averaging 44-48mpg combined but predominantly highway mileage). Honestly I've never been a Toyota fan but as soon as I get my Enclave back from the shop I plan to trade it towards a hybrid Highlander.
Anyway, I don't really get plug-in hybrids. Seems kind of dumb. I have a photo I'd love to embed but we all know how that works lately.
I'm not quite sure about it honestly but it seems to me that Toyota is the only company that makes their hybrid system in that manner. I rented a Prius through Turo in Seattle a few years back thinking it would save on gas as I flew into SeaTac and needed to drive about 2 hours east to Ellensburg. Big mistake. I didn't realize that they were mainly meant for city driving and their highway mpg is only about as good as my regular Corolla.
That being said, I've had a pile of trouble with most of my cars in recent months and had to rent on 2 separate occasions. The first I had reserved a luxury SUV (Navigator or similar) but surprise! They had none when I went to pick it up. I ended up getting a huge discount and an AWD hybrid Sienna. I only had that for 4 days but drove 40+ miles each of those days and only paid $15 to fill it up on return (this was when definitely-not-Biden's-fault prices were roughly $4.10 here). A few weeks later I found myself with a hybrid Highlander. Just about the same as the Sienna, maybe slightly better (both were averaging 44-48mpg combined but predominantly highway mileage). Honestly I've never been a Toyota fan but as soon as I get my Enclave back from the shop I plan to trade it towards a hybrid Highlander.
Anyway, I don't really get plug-in hybrids. Seems kind of dumb. I have a photo I'd love to embed but we all know how that works lately.
originally posted by: Bluntone22
a reply to: pureblood69
I’ve never seen a hybrid car that needs plugged in.
The gas engine powers a generator, not an alternator, and charges the battery.
afdc.energy.gov...
Which on my bosses car used up at least half a tank of fuel to fully charge it..!
Okay, lot's of confusion about hybrid cars.
My professional opinion: It's a leftover technology from the days before we had standalone EV. Most developments come from Formula sport to regain energy. However these systems are not light and since 2004 the ICE engine has reached it's full potential in what can be done physical with material science. Since then the manufacture only bolt on different systems that are more or less inefficient because of the added weight. In Formula cars that's a different topic because before moveable aerodynamic parts became a big thing (allowed) that could create and regulate downforce, the hybrid system weight was not so much of a deal, because the cars were lightweight anyways and the systems would be integrated deeper ways than it would be possible for a road car that can not be serviced every few hours.
There are several types of hybrid systems but the main two are
Plug in hybrid
-> Has a small battery that can also be charged from the socket
Original hybrid
-> Only energy source into the battery is recuperation from brakes, engine or transmission
Personal opinion:
Don't buy hybrid. Buy ICE or EV. A good driver with the same non hybridized engine will use less fuel than a mediocre driver in a hybrid. And let's face it, many are just terrible drivers in many ways.
a reply to: Stuey1221
How so? It needs to drive to charge the hybrid system. I highly doubt that the car is capable of running the generator for the hybrid system when it's not driving, as you need load on the crankshaft obviously and every single hybrid system I know, saw or read about has start-stop automatic.
This prevents any kind of long idle and there are several other reasons why modern engines should not be run on load standing still as there is no airflow to the cooling system. I am sure you misunderstood something because it does not work like you run the engine and charge the battery to drive, that's the most nonsensical thing I ever read.
My professional opinion: It's a leftover technology from the days before we had standalone EV. Most developments come from Formula sport to regain energy. However these systems are not light and since 2004 the ICE engine has reached it's full potential in what can be done physical with material science. Since then the manufacture only bolt on different systems that are more or less inefficient because of the added weight. In Formula cars that's a different topic because before moveable aerodynamic parts became a big thing (allowed) that could create and regulate downforce, the hybrid system weight was not so much of a deal, because the cars were lightweight anyways and the systems would be integrated deeper ways than it would be possible for a road car that can not be serviced every few hours.
There are several types of hybrid systems but the main two are
Plug in hybrid
-> Has a small battery that can also be charged from the socket
Original hybrid
-> Only energy source into the battery is recuperation from brakes, engine or transmission
Personal opinion:
Don't buy hybrid. Buy ICE or EV. A good driver with the same non hybridized engine will use less fuel than a mediocre driver in a hybrid. And let's face it, many are just terrible drivers in many ways.
a reply to: Stuey1221
How so? It needs to drive to charge the hybrid system. I highly doubt that the car is capable of running the generator for the hybrid system when it's not driving, as you need load on the crankshaft obviously and every single hybrid system I know, saw or read about has start-stop automatic.
This prevents any kind of long idle and there are several other reasons why modern engines should not be run on load standing still as there is no airflow to the cooling system. I am sure you misunderstood something because it does not work like you run the engine and charge the battery to drive, that's the most nonsensical thing I ever read.