Who here actually drives an EV/HYBRID?

Anything to do with the electric or hybrid world

Moderator: Team

Kevin Johnson
HotPass
HotPass
Posts: 9365
Joined: Tue Nov 22, 2005 5:41 am
Location:

Re: Who here actually drives an EV/HYBRID?

Post by Kevin Johnson »

gruntguru wrote: Sun Jun 14, 2020 6:39 pm Yes a big lump of foam and some tape. My money says it will make no difference.

There is a list of drag coefficients here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drag_coefficient no side-on coefficients for cars unfortunately but a parachute (i3 side panel?) is about 1.3, same as a flat plate.

Another thought. This car has a very low centre of gravity so it is likely the suspension has quite low roll stiffness and low roll centres. This would allow the body to roll more in the presence of cross winds.

The BMW i3s sits lower, runs lower profile tyres and stiffer suspension. You could investigate upgrading to some of these parts. IMO stiffer sway bars would be the best option.
There are NUMEROUS journal articles on crosswind stability for all manner of vehicles; unfortunately the vast majority are pay-walled (~ $30 each to read them) and my interest does not extend that deeply. I agree with the points you make.

My "feeling" or hypothesis is that if the concavity was changed to an even surface or (better) a curved convex surface that the stability would improve. It is something that "jumps out" to the observer. I suspect that breaking or disrupting the surface of the paneling was a marketing or styling move to avoid a panel van or SUV look.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-speed_rail You can see many high speed rail coaches and, flat panels yes, concave panels no.
Driving Force Online: BREAKING NEWS—Ohio Governor Signs SEMA-Supported Vehicle Freedom Bill Into Law!
gmrocket
Guru
Guru
Posts: 7622
Joined: Wed Nov 12, 2008 6:40 pm
Location: Grimsby Ontario

Re: Who here actually drives an EV/HYBRID?

Post by gmrocket »

My Escape hybrid blew an a/c line...the battery isn’t much good now when it’s hot.

Do the newer EV’s and hybrids have battery cooling provided by the a/c , or are the batteries less susceptible to heat?
HDBD
Expert
Expert
Posts: 864
Joined: Sun Jun 01, 2008 4:32 pm
Location: Northwest

Re: Who here actually drives an EV/HYBRID?

Post by HDBD »

2015 Chevy Volt, good for 42 miles on battery, $1.75 a night to charge then 45mpg
Car is everything I need and not a lot of what I want.
PackardV8
Guru
Guru
Posts: 7619
Joined: Sun Jul 30, 2006 2:03 pm
Location: Spokane, WA

Re: Who here actually drives an EV/HYBRID?

Post by PackardV8 »

HDBD wrote: Sun Jul 12, 2020 11:05 am 2015 Chevy Volt, good for 42 miles on battery, $1.75 a night to charge then 45mpg
Car is everything I need and not a lot of what I want.
Agree, the Volt is the most-cost-effective hybrid out there. It does everything right. If GM had made it as an SUV instead of a sedan, it would have been twice as popular and still in production.
Jack Vines
Studebaker-Packard V8 Limited
Obsolete Engineering
Kevin Johnson
HotPass
HotPass
Posts: 9365
Joined: Tue Nov 22, 2005 5:41 am
Location:

Re: Who here actually drives an EV/HYBRID?

Post by Kevin Johnson »

gmrocket wrote: Wed Jul 01, 2020 9:40 pm My Escape hybrid blew an a/c line...the battery isn’t much good now when it’s hot.

Do the newer EV’s and hybrids have battery cooling provided by the a/c , or are the batteries less susceptible to heat?
https://louisvillefuture.com/archived-news/all-new-2020-ford-escape-employs-radar-aerodynamics-liquid-cooled-battery-for-safety-efficiency/ wrote:... Ford reduced the size of the hybrid battery by two-thirds by changing its cooling system. The previous battery was air cooled, which required air pockets between the battery cells. The new battery is liquid cooled, which means the system runs a cool liquid over an aluminum plate that cools the battery by contact.
https://avidtp.com/what-is-the-best-coo ... ery-packs/
Driving Force Online: BREAKING NEWS—Ohio Governor Signs SEMA-Supported Vehicle Freedom Bill Into Law!
gmrocket
Guru
Guru
Posts: 7622
Joined: Wed Nov 12, 2008 6:40 pm
Location: Grimsby Ontario

Re: Who here actually drives an EV/HYBRID?

Post by gmrocket »

Kevin Johnson wrote: Sun Jul 12, 2020 5:53 pm
gmrocket wrote: Wed Jul 01, 2020 9:40 pm My Escape hybrid blew an a/c line...the battery isn’t much good now when it’s hot.

Do the newer EV’s and hybrids have battery cooling provided by the a/c , or are the batteries less susceptible to heat?
https://louisvillefuture.com/archived-news/all-new-2020-ford-escape-employs-radar-aerodynamics-liquid-cooled-battery-for-safety-efficiency/ wrote:... Ford reduced the size of the hybrid battery by two-thirds by changing its cooling system. The previous battery was air cooled, which required air pockets between the battery cells. The new battery is liquid cooled, which means the system runs a cool liquid over an aluminum plate that cools the battery by contact.
https://avidtp.com/what-is-the-best-coo ... ery-packs/
That’s interesting how the later generation Escapes were air cooled , then liquid. Mine is first generation 2005 which is different again, it has a rear A/C evaporator and a fan that is ducted out the drives side rear window

The a/c line on mine that blew is in the Exterior of the left rear wheel well ...

It has gone into Limp mode a few times now
PackardV8
Guru
Guru
Posts: 7619
Joined: Sun Jul 30, 2006 2:03 pm
Location: Spokane, WA

Re: Who here actually drives an EV/HYBRID?

Post by PackardV8 »

nithlock wrote: Wed Jul 29, 2020 10:58 amI've driven my wife's 2016 Toyota Prius Four. To be honest, I still prefer my fuel-powered vehicle.
The Prius is a wonderful personal transportation module for those who don't like real cars.
Jack Vines
Studebaker-Packard V8 Limited
Obsolete Engineering
pdq67
Guru
Guru
Posts: 9841
Joined: Thu Mar 04, 2010 8:05 pm
Location:

Re: Who here actually drives an EV/HYBRID?

Post by pdq67 »

Got to ask??

If the Volt was such a good alternate vehicle car, why did GM quit making them?

My bought new in '87, Chevy Sprint ER corn-popper 1,000 cc, 3-banger, 5-speed hatch car got over 50 MPG for years.

I would buy another one new if I could tomorrow...

OH, I guess they quit selling them, right???

pdq67
Chris_Hamilton
Pro
Pro
Posts: 316
Joined: Sun May 24, 2015 11:50 pm
Location:

Re: Who here actually drives an EV/HYBRID?

Post by Chris_Hamilton »

As a teen my girlfriend's first car was a new Honda CRX. Little thing would get 50+ mpg if you babied it, 40+ if you drove it normal. That was 30 years ago. Even with the added weight of todays cars OEM's should be able to do that now. I wonder why not?
Engineer friend told me current battery tech has advanced about as far as it can go. So barring completely new battery tech what we got is what we got. Another question that doesn't get asked is when does an EV or hybrid vehicle reach "carbon neutral"? (my brain can't think of a better way to put it ATM #-o )
How many miles does a EV have to go before it get's out of the red in terms of carbon and fossil fuel required to make it? Pure EV vehicles still only have limited range, especially in real world driving and the time required to recharge them makes taking any sort of long trip in one, untenable to me. Not to mention the lack of true infrastructure for re-charging. Many of you may disagree but they are still a Eco Pipedream IMO.
To me the real future will be hydrogen fuel cells. More range, much less expense in building a re-fueling infrastructure. And the only byproduct of combustion is water.
High quality metal, body and paint work
http://www.spiuserforum.com/index.php?t ... inia.9030/
PackardV8
Guru
Guru
Posts: 7619
Joined: Sun Jul 30, 2006 2:03 pm
Location: Spokane, WA

Re: Who here actually drives an EV/HYBRID?

Post by PackardV8 »

Chris_Hamilton wrote: Sun Aug 02, 2020 4:30 pm Pure EV vehicles still only have limited range, especially in real world driving and the time required to recharge them makes taking any sort of long trip in one, untenable to me. Not to mention the lack of true infrastructure for re-charging. Many of you may disagree but they are still a Eco Pipedream IMO.
Chris, what may be untenable to you is just you; that BEVs are not long trip cars is a straw-man argument. The typical US driver goes 29.2 miles a day. Currently available BEVs are perfectly suited to 99.9% of US daily driving. Only .1% of US POV daily driving exceeds the 250-mile range of the Bolt and Tesla.

For the few trips a year longer than 250 miles per day, rent an ICE.
Jack Vines
Studebaker-Packard V8 Limited
Obsolete Engineering
gmrocket
Guru
Guru
Posts: 7622
Joined: Wed Nov 12, 2008 6:40 pm
Location: Grimsby Ontario

Re: Who here actually drives an EV/HYBRID?

Post by gmrocket »

PackardV8 wrote: Sun Aug 02, 2020 5:03 pm
Chris_Hamilton wrote: Sun Aug 02, 2020 4:30 pm Pure EV vehicles still only have limited range, especially in real world driving and the time required to recharge them makes taking any sort of long trip in one, untenable to me. Not to mention the lack of true infrastructure for re-charging. Many of you may disagree but they are still a Eco Pipedream IMO.
Chris, what may be untenable to you is just you; that BEVs are not long trip cars is a straw-man argument. The typical US driver goes 29.2 miles a day. Currently available BEVs are perfectly suited to 99.9% of US daily driving. Only .1% of US POV daily driving exceeds the 250-mile range of the Bolt and Tesla.

For the few trips a year longer than 250 miles per day, rent an ICE.
Ooooh, 29.2 mile per day,, that’s just awesome 😂

Be honest, is it your only vehicle or could it be?

I do that 29.2 before 10am...and I drive a hybrid.

They are for city short commutes only, if you want to run the a/c or heat to be comfortable...cut that 29.2 down when stuck in traffic..

They are very very rarely your only vehicle...so, now you have two vehicles polluting the landscape...

If you live in the inner city, do a specific route each day, less the than the vehicles max range..and it’s not hilly , or really hot, or really cold, or you don’t need to pick up a piece of wood, or a few passengers, or go off your course because you descided to do something crazy like..visit a friend out of the 29.2 range...

They are PERFECT 👌
gmrocket
Guru
Guru
Posts: 7622
Joined: Wed Nov 12, 2008 6:40 pm
Location: Grimsby Ontario

Re: Who here actually drives an EV/HYBRID?

Post by gmrocket »

I have a funny story about a young guy who bought a Tesla

Be got the basic cheap one,, but still cost him 40 thousand Canadian, he waited almost two years to get it ...ya, two friggin years of being on a list where they took his
Down payment..anyway, hi finally gets it and of course he has to drive around for weeks showing people and visiting them to show off his car that looks so booooooring.


He came to show me, and I said , ok....so this is what you waited 2 years for? He was like so giddy...”ya, isn’t it amazing?” I told him the truth..I said it looks boring, it’s like a taxi...It’s white, and so mundane

Then I hear he parks it at the mall every night so he can get “free” charging, which is about a 10 minute drive from where he lives...it’s his families only vehicle so he calls his mom or dad, or a friend to pick him up at the mall and drive him home and back in the morning to pick it up..

What a cheap guy, after a coupe weeks his parents and friends said screw that, they told him enough is enough

Now he has to spring for a home charging station

Funny stuff...
PackardV8
Guru
Guru
Posts: 7619
Joined: Sun Jul 30, 2006 2:03 pm
Location: Spokane, WA

Re: Who here actually drives an EV/HYBRID?

Post by PackardV8 »

Your guy is actually on the short end of cheap. Go to any BEV forum and there'll be threads about guys who sleep in the car to get free charging. One guy worked 12-hour shifts, lived in his car for two years, showered at the gym and ate at McDonalds; now that's a cheap guy. He bragged without a shelter payment, he saved enough to pay for his Tesla in two years. (Just me, but I'd have found an ugly girlfriend with an apartment.)
Jack Vines
Studebaker-Packard V8 Limited
Obsolete Engineering
gmrocket
Guru
Guru
Posts: 7622
Joined: Wed Nov 12, 2008 6:40 pm
Location: Grimsby Ontario

Re: Who here actually drives an EV/HYBRID?

Post by gmrocket »

PackardV8 wrote: Sun Sep 06, 2020 5:40 pm Your guy is actually on the short end of cheap. Go to any BEV forum and there'll be threads about guys who sleep in the car to get free charging. One guy worked 12-hour shifts, lived in his car for two years, showered at the gym and ate at McDonalds; now that's a cheap guy. He bragged without a shelter payment, he saved enough to pay for his Tesla in two years. (Just me, but I'd have found an ugly girlfriend with an apartment.)

Holy cow... I heard some people who buy them are a little off the wall.

Imagine your spare time not being worth anything but thinking and worrying and planning your cars fill up?

This guy spend an hour out two each day going to and from the mall , waiting around fir a ride....10 hours a week, 40 hours a months... of his life
PackardV8
Guru
Guru
Posts: 7619
Joined: Sun Jul 30, 2006 2:03 pm
Location: Spokane, WA

Re: Who here actually drives an EV/HYBRID?

Post by PackardV8 »

gmrocket wrote: Sun Sep 06, 2020 8:21 pm Holy cow... I heard some people who buy them are a little off the wall.
From the other perspective, how off-the-wall are those who spend their life dreaming and scheming to get a few more horsepower out of an obsolete design sixty-five-year-old Chevrolet V8? I know guys still living in parent's basements to save money to build one. Can't count the divorces I've seen over the years, "You love workin' on them damn motors more than you love me. I'm outta here."
Jack Vines
Studebaker-Packard V8 Limited
Obsolete Engineering
Post Reply