DOE: 77%-82% of energy put into an electric car is used to move the car down the road
05 September 2018
Unlike conventionally fueled vehicles, electric vehicles experience a loss of energy during “refueling,” with an energy loss of about 16% from the wall power to the battery during charging.
However, electric vehicles are otherwise highly efficient, delivering 60%-65% of the energy from the wall power to the road even before energy is reclaimed through regenerative braking.
When energy gains from regenerative braking are included, the amount of energy used for traveling down the road can rise to more than 80% in the EPA-combined city and highway driving cycle, according to the US Department of Energy (DOE).
By contrast, only 12-30% of the energy put into a conventional car is used to move the car down the road; the rest of the energy is lost to engine inefficiencies or used to power accessories. (Earlier post.)
Yet we never hear commentators talk about "wasted energy anxiety" or the anxiety, anger or frustration of having to pay $6-7 a gallon for petrol in Europe - especially when two-thirds of the energy in each of those expensive gallons is wasted.
Nope - all we hear about is the fallacious demand-killing negative that's designed to deter the masses from making the switch to EVs: range anxiety. Despite the fact that 90% of drivers cover less than 50 miles 320+ days of the year.
See: "95% of All Trips Could Be Made in EVs Says Study"
https://www.greencarreports.com/news/1071688_95-of-all-trips-could-be-made-in-electric-cars-says-study
...and those trips could be made far more cheaply and energy-efficiently of course.
(Oops - forgot to mention "Unexpected ICE Repair Bill ANXIETY" eg. clutch, exhaust and a few dozen other costly parts that EVs do very well without)
Paul G
Posted by: D | 05 September 2018 at 09:30 AM
Not to mention that a vast majority of internal combustion engines waste energy in the form of heat. All those mini explosions in those cylinders provide thrust to push the cylinders, but explosions also yield a lot of heat, light and infra-red waves. This is wasted.
An additional advantage that EVs have over ICs is that any source of electrical energy can be channeled to the EV's batteries. Whether solar, wind, hydro or wherever the source is as long as it can channeled as electricity it works. If you have severe range anxiety, buy a portable generator to carry in your EV.
Posted by: Ajminhas | 05 September 2018 at 09:33 AM
Yes a portable clean generator (called an FC) could extend the range of EVs, supply essential heat for driver/passengers & defrost windows and reduce range anxiety?
A 40 kWh quick charge battery could be more than enough.
Posted by: HarveyD | 06 September 2018 at 10:04 AM