Hybrid Discovery Unlikely - but it's coming

I've always wondered why there hasn't been a vehicle with individual electric motors on each driving wheel and a separate highly tuned " stationary " engine to generate the electricity for the driving motors . Less moving parts - less loss of energy through friction & other inefficiencies. Much greater fuel efficiency from a motor designed to operate only at the "sweet spot" rather through a wide range of revs. The engine could generate electricity that is stored in the short term by a small "battery" more like a capacitor to smooth out the ups & downs of the load from the electric motors ??

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Originally Posted by Meken

I've always wondered why there hasn't been a vehicle with individual electric motors on each driving wheel and a separate highly tuned " stationary " engine to generate the electricity for the driving motors . Less moving parts - less loss of energy through friction & other inefficiencies. Much greater fuel efficiency from a motor designed to operate only at the "sweet spot" rather through a wide range of revs. The engine could generate electricity that is stored in the short term by a small "battery" more like a capacitor to smooth out the ups & downs of the load from the electric motors ??

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Like for example the Couplegear truck, manufactured 1910-1918. And they were not the only one. Some electric transmissions continued being made into the 1930s, but they lost popularity as drivers became more accustomed to conventional gearboxes, and those who wanted something easy to drive bought cars and trucks with fluid flywheel and preselector boxes that were a lot cheaper and more efficient than electric transmission.

John

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Originally Posted by ak

Sorry Stray Dingo I made a mess of trying to quote your post.

Anyway good post.

Also fuel 100 years ago was almost as cheap as water. But not today as we all know.

Who knows in a couple of decades batteries just might save the car industry.

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Bottled water is now 3 times the price of fuel!

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Originally Posted by discojools

Bottled water is now 3 times the price of fuel!

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It wasn't 100 years ago.

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Originally Posted by ak

Who knows in a couple of decades batteries just might save the car industry.

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That will make for some ****ty expeditions! Even if they have fast charging, how are you supposed to go off the beaten track for days at a time...?

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Originally Posted by MR LR

That will make for some ****ty expeditions! Even if they have fast charging, how are you supposed to go off the beaten track for days at a time...?

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It's amazing to think that people actually managed to cover much of the globe before the invention of the infernal combustion engine. Perhaps there's time for you to learn camel handling skills for a future sans oil burners?:p

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Originally Posted by bee utey

It's amazing to think that people actually managed to cover much of the globe before the invention of the infernal combustion engine. Perhaps there's time for you to learn camel handling skills for a future sans oil burners?:p

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I'd resort to that horrible bio-diesel stuff before then :p

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Originally Posted by MR LR

That will make for some ****ty expeditions! Even if they have fast charging, how are you supposed to go off the beaten track for days at a time...?

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The supercapacitors I mentioned can be fully charged in under 20sec, although at this stage they're only the size of phone batteries. Still, a large lightning conductor and some copper wire ......... what could possibly go wrong?
:oops2:

Cheers,

Gordon

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Originally Posted by gghaggis

The supercapacitors I mentioned can be fully charged in under 20sec, although at this stage they're only the size of phone batteries. Still, a large lightning conductor and some copper wire ......... what could possibly go wrong?
:oops2:

Cheers,
Gordon

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https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...013/11/421.jpg

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Originally Posted by Meken

I've always wondered why there hasn't been a vehicle with individual electric motors on each driving wheel and a separate highly tuned " stationary " engine to generate the electricity for the driving motors . Less moving parts - less loss of energy through friction & other inefficiencies. Much greater fuel efficiency from a motor designed to operate only at the "sweet spot" rather through a wide range of revs. The engine could generate electricity that is stored in the short term by a small "battery" more like a capacitor to smooth out the ups & downs of the load from the electric motors ??

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Excellent question, Meken. 500,000 Diesel-electric locomotives can't be wrong! If the process was not fuel efficient, I am sure the train makers would not have gone that way.

With modern electronics, just imagine the algorithms that could be used in off-road vehicles! It would be the ultimate in efficient traction control. Much better to apply power to the wheel with best traction rather than applying a brake to the wheel with least traction.