Quote:
Originally Posted by rynosback
I think the next big thing will be an electric pick up. The torque and power of an electric truck would be unmatched. What they need to really do is put a generator that runs on propane to keep the batteries charged giving it a unlimited range. Can you imagine getting 60-70 mpg equivalent towing 30k?
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You can imagine it all you want but physics says no way.
Hybrids work great in situations where the engine/generator only has to support the average power needed by the vehicle. The electric motor/battery pack then buffer the peaks allowing you to run a smaller engine/generator that putting out average power plus a little to recharge the pack from peak demands.
Towing close to max rating is all about average power that is much much closer to the peak demands. Unless you have a massive battery pack to buffer those sustained peaks you need a generator that is much closer to the peak power requirements. Remember state of the art batteries weigh a ton too. Look at the Chevy Volt Gen 1 battery: 440 pounds of battery pack with the energy equivalent of 1 GALLON (6.3 pounds) of gasoline. And yes Gen 2 is a bit lighter and stores a bit more energy.
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