Harvester EREV analysis & predictions: 3 cylinder gasoline engine, HP output, EV battery pack size, fuel tank location, approach departure angle

[GarageMahal]

150 miles of EV range comes from Scout. Jamie@Scoutmotors has posted it on their forums. That doesn't mean it's written in stone. Those are just their projections right now. There's an awful lot of engineering that has to occur.

Thats when the generator kicks on which will be well before the battery is depleted. My bet is the battery size will match the standard EV only config.

 

[Lucky Logan]

Will the EREV have no FRUNK due to the engine?
And the non ER - BEV only have a FRUNK ??

In its current configuration shown by Scout, the Harvester engine is at the back of the vehicle

 

[Chuckles]

Thats when the generator kicks on which will be well before the battery is depleted. My bet is the battery size will match the standard EV only config.

I'm only passing along information Scout has given out. At the release presentation they said the battery would be smaller. The fuel tank has to go somewhere.

 

[Ehninger1212]

I disagree with them using a VW 3cyl. Engine size maybe makes sense. But its not American made. I'd be very much willing to bet they source something from an existing American manufacturer... or.. they make it themselves!

Lets call up briggs and stratton

 

[ROMRCasey]

Thats when the generator kicks on which will be well before the battery is depleted. My bet is the battery size will match the standard EV only config.

Does anyone have a link to exactly what Jamie said?

 

[Scout4wd]

I disagree.
If they want to put this engine under the bed where a spare tire would normally be it creates a packaging challenge. A traditional I3 or I4 would be too tall. But inside the VW portfolio there is the 4 cylinder boxer engine used in the Cayman. I would expect Scout to use a modified version of that engine designed to be cheaper, optimized for a narrower RPM range, without a turbo, and without any accessories (alternator, power steering, etc). That would be my bet.

But I think the big question is what is the design objective of this engine? I hope they are sizing it to power the vehicle under towing conditions (up hill, highway speeds) without any degradation of performance. And not some sort of condition where it will only recharge the battery when parked at a camp site.

 

[timmyhil]

Will the EREV have no FRUNK due to the engine?
And the non ER - BEV only have a FRUNK ??

The engine/generator is under the rear trunk but makes no impact to storage.

 

[Yamapro]

A diesel generator would be more fuel efficient and have a much better lifespan. If they use gasoline it will just be another poor decision on powering this thing

 

[Beach_Bum]

Small nitpick, but is anyone else bothered with the fuel door for the Harvester on the passenger fender? I don't want to drag the gas pump hose across the hood and be concerned if I pulled close enough. Also don't want to be That Guy who messes with the flow of the gas station traffic by pulling into the gas pump contrary to the majority of customers. It's all FUBAR.

 

[Ehninger1212]

Small nitpick, but is anyone else bothered with the fuel door for the Harvester on the passenger fender? I don't want to drag the gas pump hose across the hood and be concerned if I pulled close enough. Also don't want to be That Guy who messes with the flow of the gas station traffic by pulling into the gas pump contrary to the majority of customers. It's all FUBAR.

All of my vehicles have the gas door on the passenger side soo.... I dont see what the problem is. Why would you need to drag the gas pump hose across the hood? You can just pull up with the pump on the passenger side..

 

[BahamaTodd]

If this is going to be a robust design, the engine needs to be powerful enough to maintain the battery charge in ALL situations. That includes towing at its max 10k lbs up a grade. That is the reason the Ram EREV has a big V6. I am very concerned about having a tiny engine in the rear. Not only does the engine need to have enough power to move that weight, it needs to have enough to account for all the power losses in energy conversion.

These are the SAE J2804 towing requirements:
SAE J2807 Tow Tests - The Standard

Making the Grade

To simulate some of the toughest conditions a truck and trailer combination will face, the J2807 “Highway Gradeability” tests take place on a well-known stretch of Arizona highway, the 11.4-mile-long Davis Dam Grade. If trucks are not tested on this specific stretch of steep road, they can be run in a simulation using a “climactic” wind tunnel. Ambient temperature plays a significant role in this test with a minimum temperature of 100 degrees required at the base of the grade. In addition to a hot climate outside the truck, the test requires the air conditioning system to be set at maximum cold, with outside air selected (not recirculating) and the fan running at full blower speed.

Once those criteria are met, the evaluation can begin on the famous stretch of SR 68 between Bullhead City and Golden Valley, Arizona. To pass this test, a truck-and-trailer combination must be able to drive at 40 mph (35 mph for dualies) and never drop below that speed until the end of the test segment at the peak of Union Pass. Testdrivers are allowed to go faster than the minimum speed requirement in the sections of the grade where posted speed limits are 55 mph and 65 mph, but there are other requirements the vehicle must still meet. Under “drivetrain system performance,” the J2807 standard requires there be no component failures, along with no “check engine” lights or any other alerts or warnings for the driver. The “cooling system performance” requirement also requires zero part failures, no error codes, no driver warnings of any other kind, and no loss of coolant fluid during the test.

 

[Trailguide79]

If this is going to be a robust design, the engine needs to be powerful enough to maintain the battery charge in ALL situations. That includes towing at its max 10k lbs up a grade. That is the reason the Ram EREV has a big V6. I am very concerned about having a tiny engine in the rear. Not only does the engine need to have enough power to move that weight, it needs to have enough to account for all the power losses in energy conversion.

These are the SAE J2804 towing requirements:
SAE J2807 Tow Tests - The Standard

I agree that a larger and naturally aspirated engine “should” go into a Scout. While turbo/super charging will almost certainly have a greater energy output if it’s hot…..regardless of intercooler.

My prediction is that the VW juggernaut has a proven design in the arsenal, but the naturally aspirated engine will be engineered elsewhere, but designed in South Carolina.

That could be true for a BMW and Volvo engine, but I am not familiar enough with those platforms to know what’s in the South Carolina parts bin.

In my Mind I would like a VW diesel or small 5 cylinder. Engineering is already done, along with proven reliability. Just a matter of it not sounding like garbage at 3,000-5,500 RPM that it would likely be “idling” at to ensure that the electric fuel cell is charged properly, yet not sound like a manual transmission vehicle stuck in 1st gear revved out when generating electricity.

That’s why I think diesel would work, as more power would be on tap from low RPM’s…..generally diesels “when well maintained”…..last forever, especially since a turbo is nothing new, but it generally fails long before the engine does.

Frankly, we are all speculating, if my home had a stand-alone generator that runs on propane/natural gas, I would be looking at that…..as propane is available at nearly all fuel stops, and it could power a grill

I would have to see where Generac home generators are built, because if they are within 200 miles from Blythewood…… ladies and gents, we may not be even looking in the right direction for harvesting electricity right?

 

[Efthreeoh]

I don't see how a 3-cylinder and generator fit between the rear axle and bumper and keeps a flat pickup bed floor/cargo floor in the Traveler. Even laid on its side it's still a packaging challenge.

I'm hoping Scout goes for a clean-sheet engine design tuned for generator duty rather than an over-built repurposed gas engine.

It's going in the front is my bet, with an integrated EV motor/generator design and a smaller frunk. It would be too hard to cool an engine if it's in the rear.

 

[Beach_Bum]

All of my vehicles have the gas door on the passenger side soo.... I dont see what the problem is. Why would you need to drag the gas pump hose across the hood? You can just pull up with the pump on the passenger side..

Traditionally, American cars have the fuel fill door on the driver's side. Scout is the one to be so proud of building an American vehicle. When owners of foreign built vehicles pull up to the pump near the passenger side, it disrupts the normal flow of traffic. Congrats, you are That Guy.

 

[Bender]

I read that BMW reduced the size of the range extender fuel tank on the i3 in the US (vs Europe) because if the gas range exceeds the all electric range, it gets reclassified as a PHEV. I don't have a source, so take with a grain of salt