Business trips...

[Satt]

Hey everyone, I love this website and can't wait to get my hands on this wonderful vehicle!!! I have one question. I go on a lot of long-distance business trips (over 350 miles) in which this vehicle might be perfect. My only concern is mileage. On the website the V1 is said to go 300-350 miles for the 2 hybrid models. I have never noticed if the hotels I stay in have outside outlets and even if they did I would worry about people stealing my chord. So here's my question...is the hybrid V1 going to be able to run purely on gas if the battery is depleted? I really hope so. Thanks in advance for your time.

Satt

p.s.- I wanted to add that my wife drives a Toyota Prius and her car never has to be plugged in. It recharges it's own batteries with the motor when the battery gets low. It also uses the wheels to help recharge the battery when the car is slowing down or coasting. I was also wondering if this is impossible with the V1?

[cpaddock]

Howzit SATT! Short answer....the ICE (Internal Cumbustion Engine) powers a generator
which charges the batteries which feed the electric drive motor. No motive force comes from the ICE. It will run intermittantly as battery charge level requires. Plugging in minimizes gas use but is not a prerequsite. REGEN system was mentioned when hub motors were being considered, but now that has changed to a central drive motor transfering power thru axles, so REGEN may be out. Some else may know for sure.
Jonesing on Maui....
Alooooha!

[Satt]

Thanks cpaddock. I appreciate the info. BTW, I used to be stationed at Pearl Harbor on Oahu. So alooooohaaaaaaa to you too!!!

Satt

[Miracleman89]

I think it might not be a bad idea to have an option that would lock the cable on the vehicle for when you are away from it! Also If I remember correctly(it was a long while back but)I thought Ian said that they were shooting for a full recharge to take about an hour! Of course I could be confused with something else I will see if I can find the info tho!

[Heraclid]

That's something I've been wondering - even if it can basically pay for itself in gas savings, what will it do to my electric bill?

An hour for a full recharge would be really nice. I hate to be the skeptic, but when I think about how long it takes to recharge, say, a remote control car, it's just hard to wrap my mind around this only requiring an hour for us. Of course, my understanding of the available technology may just be very lacking.

Again, not trying to be a downer, but it looks like several idealistic parameters have had to be adjusted due to real world factors, such as the mpg estimates and cost to the consumer, and I'm just afraid this is one of those areas that could go the same way.

[RAN]

Up near the top of this page, click on FAQ, then go to design and you'll find the answers to some of your questions. Of course, since things aren't finalized yet, this info is subject to change.

[Heraclid]

Thanks - hmmm, looks like the tranny part needs updating, as I believe I've read that there is going to be a transmission now.

[WarpedOne]

REGEN system was mentioned when hub motors were being considered, but now that has changed to a central drive motor transfering power thru axles, so REGEN may be out.

REGEN is NOT out, it will be there. Though we'll se how strong.

If you have differential and too strong regen a wheel may block. That should not happen in the middle of a corner for example.

[Mark Tomlinson]

I'm looking at the hybrid version because I, too, take the occasional business trip that doesn't involve airports.

What's cool about the V1 is that I can beat the system, so to speak. Our company has the typical per-mile amount that I can expense. It's targeted at 20 mpg sedans, with a little padding for insurance and maintenance. If I can get 100+ mpg, I'll feel like I'm cheating!

Some of the other comments in this thread have brought some thoughts to mind. First, technically, a transmission just 'transmits' power between the motor and the wheels. It doesn't matter if there is shifting involved or not. The V1 will probably have some reduction gear that is fixed. I think the term "automatic transmission" is used in a couple of surveys and on the site in order to convey an idea of not having to shift without getting into the details of why.

Regen is definitely in. The question is how will it be implemented. Will it be attached to the brake pedal only? Will it only engage when the accelerator is let up (like the Tesla)? Maybe slight regen on accelerator let up and aggressive regen on the brake? Or maybe it will be completely dynamic, with power moving either direction depending on the speed you are going and the desired speed.

Electric bills will go up. But the cost of electricity per mile will be dramatically lower than the cost of gas for the same mile. And if you've got evening rates in your area, it will be even cheaper since most of us will charge at night. And it will be cleaner than burning gasoline, even if your power comes from coal fired power plants (a recent article in USA Today was seriously flawed). Will it pay for the car? No. But great mileage is only one reason to buy a V1.

I doubt they will be able to accomplish a full charge in an hour unless they are using an electric dryer plug (or a camp ground hook up). I'm not an electrical engineer, but I frequent forums where electrical engineers talk about charging electric cars. The sense that I get is that most house current can not supply energy fast enough, and most battery technologies can't absorb it fast enough.

[RAN]

The FAQ page says that charging the hybrid will take about an hour and a half on 110, and around 20 minutes on 220. Bear in mind the hybrid can only go 20 miles on a charge, so those figures are probably close. I'm still hoping Ian will be able to get 30-40 miles on a charge for the hybrid, but we'll have to wait and see. Also, there's still the possibility of having a modular genset and battery packs, which IMO would be the ultimate way to market the V-1.

[rogwild]

Well I know that Ian has NOT discounted the earlier 'modular genset' ideas, (nor has he mentioned or 'endorsed' it lately); but if you look at the size/weight/bulk of the current rotary engine/generator (used on the 'sandrail mule' along with the 'plumbing' (radiator, gas tank, hoses, 'black boxes') it would seem that it would be 'NEAR IMPOSSIBLE' to make a 'modular genset' that would be user exchangeable. Stranger things have happened, but I wouldn't 'hold my breath'.

[RAN]

I know... it doesn't look like it's going to be feasible, especially for the first models, and I'd rather not see the V-1 delayed another 6 months (on top of all the delays we've had already) or more to try and engineer a modular genset.