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Old 11-14-2018, 05:25 PM   #61
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I found this while kicking around out there...
Has anybody hooked up a setup like this yet?


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Old 11-14-2018, 05:47 PM   #62
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Chance View Post
Idea sounds good on the surface, but IMO numbers don’t support it, so I seriously doubt it will happen that way.

The thing about hybrids is that there is very little middle ground regarding battery capacity. A hybrid that relies mostly on gas/ICE needs very little battery capacity to achieve most of the MPG benefit. Batteries in cars like Prius are tiny and would be next to useless for RV application. Many store under 1 kWh of energy, which is less than RV lead batteries.

If we step up to plug-in hybrids, the goal is to operate like an electric vehicle for a significant distance — let’s say 40 or 50 miles. Beyond that an engine takes over to supply energy, but fuel economy while cruising on highway is no better than a normal hybrid, so all that battery weight and cost doesn’t help much on 500~600 mile days after you exceed the first 40~50 miles.

I expect the most likely combination I will see in mass production will be a plug-in hybrid van converted to Class B camper. As a second vehicle, daily city driving will help justify battery costs, and on weekends and vacations, those same batteries will power the house. After that I expect the same technology will filter down to Class Cs and As at a slow rate — it’s harder to justify costs due to low driven miles per year. We are all guessing though.
Actually, at least on the Ford hybrids, the hybrid powertrain does increase efficiency at highway speeds (and for long distances).

The system allows the gas engine to run at its most efficient speed and load regardless of vehicle speed. Our C-Max when going down the highway on cruise control would run the engine at its most efficient RPM until the battery was charged up a bit and then run on battery for a while until it was depleted, and repeat. This allows the C-Max to get higher mpgs than an equivalent Ford with the same 2.0L engine in it (in this case a Focus--about 40mpg vs 30mpg or so highway).
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Old 11-14-2018, 09:49 PM   #63
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Actually, at least on the Ford hybrids, the hybrid powertrain does increase efficiency at highway speeds (and for long distances).

The system allows the gas engine to run at its most efficient speed and load regardless of vehicle speed. Our C-Max when going down the highway on cruise control would run the engine at its most efficient RPM until the battery was charged up a bit and then run on battery for a while until it was depleted, and repeat. This allows the C-Max to get higher mpgs than an equivalent Ford with the same 2.0L engine in it (in this case a Focus--about 40mpg vs 30mpg or so highway).
I was refering to a hybrid versus plug-in hybrid, where a battery 20 to 40 times larger doesn’t buy much fuel economy once you get past the initial discharge. I expect that for most motorhomes, the first <50 miles is a small percentage of typical trip.

I’m not sure which models you’re comparing, but highway gasoline MPG for hybrid versus plug-in hybrid isn’t that great for Toyotas and Hondas.
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Old 11-27-2018, 06:47 PM   #64
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Ford also makes Announcement

Ford betting on autonomous and electrified vehicles.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ford
Strong investments in Autonomous and Electrified Vehicles: Ford’s fitness actions are freeing up capital to invest in emerging businesses. Ford expects to invest $4 billion in its AV efforts through 2023, including its $1 billion investment in Argo AI. In addition, Ford is investing $11 billion in electrification from 2015 to 2022 to deliver a total of 40 vehicles globally. The company remains on track to deliver a full battery electric performance SUV that offers at least a 300-mile range in 2020.
https://media.ford.com/content/fordm...formation.html



At same time Ford is planning on a 300-mile battery SUV, auto industry is announcing various plant closings including that of GM Volt. Perhaps as batteries become more affordable, plug-in hybrids that rely on expensive mechanical drivetrains may give way to primarily electric drivetrains with ICE range extenders; at least until 100% electric vehicles replace them.
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Old 11-27-2018, 06:52 PM   #65
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Ford betting on autonomous and electrified vehicles.



https://media.ford.com/content/fordm...formation.html



At same time Ford is planning on a 300-mile battery SUV, auto industry is announcing various plant closings including that of GM Volt. Perhaps as batteries become more affordable, plug-in hybrids that rely on expensive mechanical drivetrains may give way to primarily electric drivetrains with ICE range extenders; at least until 100% electric vehicles replace them.
Ford has been planning on that vaporware 300 mile SUV for quite some time now with nothing to show for it--I'll believe that when I see it.

In the meantime there are the Tesla like startups that are producing things (and shocking the automotive world) like this:

https://insideevs.com/rivian-r1t-ele...k-world-debut/
https://insideevs.com/see-rivian-r1t...ic-truck-live/
Actually they are un-Tesla-like in that they have been around a long time, have funding, have a plant (the former Mitsubishi plant in Normal, IL), and are taking deposits already for that truck... (well ok all that sounds very Tesla like...we'll see if they can deliver by 2020).

Although that front end..not sure I could get used to it ! LOL
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Old 11-27-2018, 07:46 PM   #66
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Hopefully these all turn out to be more real than the Elio...
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Old 11-27-2018, 08:37 PM   #67
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Ford has been planning on that vaporware 300 mile SUV for quite some time now with nothing to show for it--I'll believe that when I see it.

......cut......
In fairness to Ford and other already-well-established manufacturers, they tend to keep new products close to vest so as not to lose too much competitive advantage. For example, when introducing new Diesel engines recently, they didn’t share much info on power and torque ratings until they had to.

That electric truck seems properly named for “adventures”. If used as a work truck I’m not sure 800 kg of payload will go far. Towing (weight) and power ratings seem adequate, but whether it can pull a large RV trailer, as an example, remains to be seen.
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Old 11-27-2018, 10:46 PM   #68
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I'd also be concerned about it's range, when you're putting a hefty load on it...
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Old 11-27-2018, 11:32 PM   #69
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800kg = 1763 lbs very comparable to the F-150/1500 line of pickups (depending on configuration).

Range when towing: Its not like conventional pickups have a huge range when towing. Our F-350 would go about 200 miles or so when towing our 5er.
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Old 11-28-2018, 12:11 AM   #70
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They just announced an SUV to go with the pickup:

https://insideevs.com/rivian-debuts-r1s-electric-suv/
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