An engineer: We are right and wrong. Dont forget that a massive switch to¨PHEVs and EVs could reduce liquid fuel demand to less than 15% of current consumption.

Alternative fuels (all kinds) could support a drastically reduced demand.

More efficient lighter vehicles and a switch to electric heating and electric trains could further reduce the total liquid fuel demand level.

(Dumb?) Question from a novice...
Does anyone know in terms of watts, how much electrical energy is required of the Prius to drive in EV mode?

I've been curious as most stories mention 1, 2 or 9 kWh electrical needs. I'm a computer guy not an engineer but do understand the concepts in terms of watts (as computer power supplies are rated in those terms) but not watt hours.

Thanks.

Kilowatt hours (KWh) are units of energy. Energy stored in a battery determines is how far the car can go. A car like the Prius gets about 3 miles/KWh. Thus a battery that stores 10KWh can provide power for about 30 miles of travel before the battery is drained.
Watts are units of power. Power is how fast energy gets used, and determines how fast the car can go (and how fast it can accelerate). A car like the Prius can creep along slowly on less than 10 KW; with 50 KW, it can travel moderate highway speed.
Energy and Power are often confused.

Although ethanol has about 75% the energy density of gasoline, it has an octane rating well above 100. The first thing we should do is to get rid of the low octane gas and immediately jump into higher compression ratio engines. Opposite to popular belief, gasoline engines are more efficient than diesel engines (as long as they have the same compression ratio). Having a system similar to the E85 SAAB that "samples" the fuel for octane rating is the easiest and cheapest way to "artificially" increase the compression ratio of a gas engine by injecting more air before the air-fuel mixture is compressed. This results in an net increase in thermal efficiency which translates in more power with the same fuel consumpition, or same power with less fuel consumption.

Although ethanol has about 75% the energy density of gasoline, it has an octane rating well above 100. The first thing we should do is to get rid of the low octane gas and immediately jump into higher compression ratio engines. Opposite to popular belief, gasoline engines are more efficient than diesel engines (as long as they have the same compression ratio). Having a system similar to the E85 SAAB that "samples" the fuel for octane rating is the easiest and cheapest way to "artificially" increase the compression ratio of a gas engine by injecting more air before the air-fuel mixture is compressed. This results in an net increase in thermal efficiency which translates in more power with the same fuel consumpition, or same power with less fuel consumption.

Does anyone know whether using photovoltaic cells could allow some battery capacity reduction? While the power contribution of such cells may be quite small, by having the car parked in the sun while at work or even during shorter periods could allow some recharging... or are such cells too expensive and heavy?

alfredo, the LiX-75 that i linked to above actually employs solar panels for that purpose.
so does this homemade Solarvan
http://www.solarvan.co.uk/
the guy has his building costs listed on the page

I'm going to take the whole issue a step further. Why can't we have EV mode cars in the Prius for example? I don't mean just for a few miles but like for 50-100 miles. An electric car can go up to 300 miles per charge.
And why can't PHEV and hybrids be equipped with optional solar panels on their top roof? Many cars park under the california sun. For most people they leave their cars outside in the sun for at least a few hours during work or classes. That's free electricity.
It's just too bad that the electric cars were destroyed by automobile industry(primary reason) because they were too good and would destroy their oil-vehicle market. If automobile industries were smarter they would have invested in the electric car because just like someone mentioned above they will have different quality batteries a,b,c, in the future and others features just like we do for oil-vehicles. We'd have quieter neighborhoods and more money to spend for christmas gifts.

Highly efficient small diesel engines can get better over all efficiency than gasoline engines and diesel does not cost as much to refine from crude oil. Such engines used in a constant speed mode to charge a battery in a car can have very low emissions. The overall efficiency is better than that of hydrogen produced from any source. Diesel or dimethylether can be made from coal for fuel for such diesel engines. Slightly modified diesel engines can burn corn oil directly, and recent reports state that this is more energy efficient than ethanol from corn. There is a very small diesel generator being built in a suitcase like package for a hybrid military vehicle. Replace your engine by pulling it out with a handle and inserting a new one. If you need more performance plug in two generators or more into your car.

Relatively cheap batteries have been available for a long time for full electric cars. These are called Zebra batteries and are made by MES-DEA who is producing a limited number of cars for Switzerland. These batteries use one fifth the amount of nickel that NiMH batteries use for the same energy and have a longer deep cycle life.

An electric car without at least a small gasoline or diesel generator built into it, is both an engineering and public relations mistake. Even if the small generator is never used it only weighs 20 pounds or less, and five gallons of fuel would take the car 200 miles at slow speeds and only weigh 30 pounds.

Most people don't drive hundreds of miles every day but they need a car that can do so ocasionally. Given that most families have two cars these days I think a pure could be sold as an ideal "second car". Having access to a gas car for long trips considerably reduces the percieved "problem" with electric cars. Of course it's no good if it looks like the car Noddy drives.

Hello- is there anybody out there??
issue is large format ability and guess what? Valence has it nailed down. yes expensive but still cost effective...

Strictly novice... but I have a couple of questions
about batteries. Is it true that big oil bought the battery companies ie: lithium ion companies?
Why do L.I. batteries cost 50k to 100k? This is exactly why electric cars can't hit the street...to much $ for the batteries.
Do all e.v. have to be so ugly? I have seen some beautiful prototypes but nothing that doesn't have a delivery date of 2007. Wouldn't the perfect match be the L.I. battery and the exotic kit car....no rules?

Dear Jim,

About your post on August 1 re: litiium Ion batteries and that the possibility that big oil owns some if not all of these companies.
Well, as you can see from the response generated since that time.....nobody gives a damn. No one has answered you and nobody knows anything, including me.
It is for the above reason that I would delete this web site from all memory in your computer because it is totally worthless with useless members who can't come up with any hope of an intelligent answer.

Horace Mann

Lion batteries don't cost 50k, more like 20k for very large capacity ones (like tesla's 50kWh 250mi ev range), 12k-10k (installed conversion kit)for the phev ones (180lbs 9kWh 60-50 mile ev range) expected to go down to 5k w/ mass production. Battery probably less than 10k for 9kWh now. Its even less for the prius if its only a 9 mile range. I may be mistaken because using the small batteries 9kWh only costs around 3k. About bought patents, I know GM bought up advanced nimh patents for the ev1 project then sold it to Texaco, and Chevron merged, so now it owns the patents. Chevron specifically forbids licensing of the patents for plug-ins or ev use, they only allow it in hybrids.

my 66 volkswagen beetle got 50 miles to the gallon 50 years before this hybrid crap!!! And the beetle was standard internal combustion engine!!! What gives!?!?!?! Hybrids utilize way to much bullshite to gain fuel economy!! why doesn't anyone make a 50 mile to the gallon combustion!!! its a conspiracy !!!

66 beetle cost about $700 dollars
back in the day, new hybrids are about $40,000 come on!!!