[Cinderocka1989]

Originally Posted by Vikingdad

There are a number of ways to store energy, a flywheel being one of them, but that is difficult to implement both cheaply and easily. The problem you run into is how to get that energy to the wheels as efficiently as possible. Quite honestly the "best" (IMHO) way to configure things would be to run a gas or diesel powered generator that both charges batteries and powers the electric motor to drive the wheels. With electric controllers these days you can do away with the transmission entirely (except for reverse unless you are running a reversible motor = $$$$$). If you calculate things right, you can get away with a generator that provides only part of your peak desired power and batteries that do the same. The combination of both provide the peak power, but while cruising and just putting around you can run off of either the generator or the batteries, the other one kicking in only when needed.

Sounds pretty simple, eh?

Here is a project that I really enjoyed reading about- http://www.rockymountains.net/~m38mike/electrowillys.html

Go confuse someone else. I like transmissions. Reverse is also very useful, trust me

[cgersty]

One of my favorites from the tree stand.

[cgersty]

One of my favorites from the tree stand

[AleksiR]

Originally Posted by Vikingdad

There are a number of ways to store energy, a flywheel being one of them, but that is difficult to implement both cheaply and easily. The problem you run into is how to get that energy to the wheels as efficiently as possible. Quite honestly the "best" (IMHO) way to configure things would be to run a gas or diesel powered generator that both charges batteries and powers the electric motor to drive the wheels. With electric controllers these days you can do away with the transmission entirely (except for reverse unless you are running a reversible motor = $$$$$). If you calculate things right, you can get away with a generator that provides only part of your peak desired power and batteries that do the same. The combination of both provide the peak power, but while cruising and just putting around you can run off of either the generator or the batteries, the other one kicking in only when needed.

Sounds pretty simple, eh?

Here is a project that I really enjoyed reading about- http://www.rockymountains.net/~m38mike/electrowillys.html

Yes, range extender technology is the way to go in my mind also. Although I hate the idea of one day driving an (all) electric car, unless someone comes up with a proper alternative to petroleum based fuels that is where we are headed in the future. Range extenders first and when the battery technology gets efficient enough, all electric. Hydrogen fuel cells might be one solution but only time will tell...Meanwhile, I'll keep filling my tank with gas as long as I can afford it I'll read through that Willys conversion when I have more time, thanks for the link.

[Cinderocka1989]

Originally Posted by AleksiR

Yes, range extender technology is the way to go in my mind also. Although I hate the idea of one day driving an (all) electric car, unless someone comes up with a proper alternative to petroleum based fuels that is where we are headed in the future. Range extenders first and when the battery technology gets efficient enough, all electric. Hydrogen fuel cells might be one solution but only time will tell...Meanwhile, I'll keep filling my tank with gas as long as I can afford it I'll read through that Willys conversion when I have more time, thanks for the link.

*raises hand* Can I just keep my diesels? I like they way they sound, I like the way they smell and they just make sense to me. Drive hybrids, I need your fuel.

[Vikingdad]

A couple of years ago I had the opportunity to ride in a Tesla Roadster. This was a pre-production car- a friend of mine is a Tesla engineer and the company had a fleet of prototype cars that the engineers could drive for 12 hour stints- the waiting list was quite long to get your turn. Anyhow, he gave me a ride in it as I (conveniently) live very near to a "destination road". That car is one of the most impressive cars I have ever ridden in or driven, which is a pretty impressive list- though I won't go into that here. The acceleration is staggeringly fast and the remarkable thing is that as you are accelerating, faster and faster and faster- there is no shifting. There is no gearing, the electric motor drives the wheels through a single-speed direct drive transmission. Reverse is obtained by reversing rotation of the electric motor. The car I rode in had the two-speed transmission. It also has traction control, so in the wet conditions we were in there was no wheel slip (though you can turn off this feature if you so desire.)

Transmission

Starting in September 2008 Tesla Motors selected BorgWarner to manufacture gearboxes and began equipping all Roadsters with a single speed, fixed gear gearbox (8.2752:1) with an electrically actuated parking pawl mechanism and a mechanical lubrication pump.[13]

The company previously worked with several companies, including XTrac and Magna International, to find the right automatic transmission, but a two-gear solution proved to be too challenging. This led to substantial delays in production. At the "Town Hall Meeting" with owners in December 2007, Tesla announced plans to ship the initial 2008 Roadsters with their interim Magna two-speed direct shift manual transmissions locked into second gear, limiting the performance of the car to less than what was originally stated (0 to 60 mph (0 to 97 km/h) in 5.7 seconds instead of the announced 4.0 seconds). Tesla also announced it would upgrade those transmissions under warranty when the final transmission became available.[53][55][94] At the "Town Hall Meeting" with owners on January 30, 2008, Tesla Motors described the planned transmission upgrade as a single-speed gearbox with a drive ratio of 8.27:1 combined with improved electronics and motor cooling that retain the acceleration from 0 to 60 mph (0 to 97 km/h) in under 4 seconds and an improved motor limit of 14,000 rpm to retain the 125 mph (201 km/h) top speed.[95] The upgraded system also improved the maximum torque from 200 to 280 lb·ft (270 to 380 N·m) and improves the Roadster's quarter mile times.

[Shade]

Originally Posted by Threetango

Just finished installing an Aries Brush Guard and tubular sidesteps on the Gecko.

Keep parking that in the sun it should ripen to a nice red...

[AntiNRA2013]

At 9,000ft altd, 2,430 m (2,657 yd). Cpl.Rob Furlong 3PPCLI taken in the Shah-i-Kot Valley during Operation Anaconda using a McMillan Tac-50 (C15) Long Range Sniper Weapon (LSRW) Hornady A-Max .50 (.50BMG) in March 2002.

[Shade]

from a few years ago, I made the mistake and cut up his fruit...

[kytowboater]

Is the frenchy back?

I smell maple syrup.