Harvester engine options

[jmc]

VW has several 1.5-2.0L turbo diesels that should produce decent charging power at low RPMs burning only 0.23-0.31 gph (0.9-1.2 lph) and a few are pretty small and can be reconfigured. Bump the battery to 80-90kwh giving you 250ish miles with a turbo diesel tuned to 1800rpm. Air intake in the c or d pillar so it’s above the max water depth. Create a hatch in the trunk space for oil and air filter changes. Play with the exhaust to get the right sound while keeping it pretty quiet. Add a small DEF tank (1.5-2.5g) under the trunk hatch as well, DEF for an 1800rpm engine should last several thousand miles. The diesel engine should get enough power to pass through charge to run kitchen appliances while charging your battery. Stable, reliable power and maybe get a bit more than 500 miles per tank. Maybe???

 

[jmc]

Two additional thoughts for diesel… 1. A 250v plug from the truck that you can plug into your house if your house loses power for running a fridge or heater, etc. 2. A heat exchanger quick disconnect hose to bring warm air off the engine with a remote start on the key fob to have warm air into a tent or in the cabin area without draining the battery.

 

[Chuckles]

The chances of seeing a VW-sourced diesel in the USA are zero. Too much baggage from Dieselgate. The average American car buyer doesn't want to pay more for diesel and doesn't want to buy DEF.

 

[Mr._Bill]

The chances of a diesel, or anything with a turbo, are slim to none.

 

[TwoJacks]

They’ve already announced a 150 mile battery for the Harvester. No way that’s going to change all of a sudden to 250. And it won’t be 500 miles from a tank. The harvester adds 350 miles, so it would follow that every tank will only get you another 350 miles unless you also stop to charge the battery off a charger.

 

[colinnwn]

Scott already announced it will be a non-turbo gas engine in the 2.0L range. It will have enough power to support towing, so that means it has plenty of reserve to power other devices in addition to charging the battery. I think he teased a couple of other details but I'd have to watch the podcast again.

They had previously announced bi-directional charging to power your home and options for 120 and 240v convenience plugs.

The heat takeoff idea is cute but I'm sure they won't do it to not add to the engineering requirement and bill of materials expense in order to deliver on time and budget. The same problem can be solved by setting the generator to camp mode and running an extension cord to a space heater in your tent. That also allows the exhaust from the generator to be much further away and the primary energy source to be the battery so the generator can cycle on and off only as required.

 

[slovin]

The chances of seeing a VW-sourced diesel in the USA are zero. Too much baggage from Dieselgate. The average American car buyer doesn't want to pay more for diesel and doesn't want to buy DEF.

100% agree. Went through the Merc version of diesel gate and the DEF hassle. Never again

 

[slovin]

The chances of seeing a VW-sourced diesel in the USA are zero. Too much baggage from Dieselgate. The average American car buyer doesn't want to pay more for diesel and doesn't want to buy DEF.

100% agree. Went through the Merc version of diesel gate and the DEF hassle. Never again

 

[ScoutChamp]

Scott mentioned engine upgrades in his interview with Jay Leno. How about a bit larger battery and a smaller gas tank. 8-10 gallons instead of 15 and something like 85- 90 kw/hr battery intstead of 70 kw/hr. It may effect the overall range but I would rather get more like 200 miles range on battery and only an additional 150 miles with the harvester. That still gets in the ballpark of 350 miles overall. I think that strikes a middle ground that would benefit both camps Bev and Erev better.

 

[PhilA]

The chances of a diesel, or anything with a turbo, are slim to none.

No turbos!

 

[smboogie]

Would be great if Harvester vehicles could be used as a generator for home backup. I would think a 4cylinder engine could produce enough power for some basic backup duties This would save me from having to buy, permit and install one.

 

[Pogeegitz]

Would be great if Harvester vehicles could be used as a generator for home backup. I would think a 4cylinder engine could produce enough power for some basic backup duties This would save me from having to buy, permit and install one.

It sure does - I've done it with my Maverick. 120V outlet in the bed, and I've used it camping, at our hunting shack, and at home during a power outage to keep the furnace running.

 

[smboogie]

It sure does - I've done it with my Maverick. 120V outlet in the bed, and I've used it camping, at our hunting shack, and at home during a power outage to keep the furnace running.

I'm looking to have it wire directly to my panel, similar to how the Ford Lightening can.

 

[colinnwn]

Would be great if Harvester vehicles could be used as a generator for home backup. I would think a 4cylinder engine could produce enough power for some basic backup duties This would save me from having to buy, permit and install one.

They have already said it will support bidirectional charging which is what this means. Of course it's light on details yet. It will have to also work in grid independent mode to be an emergency generator not just V2G, with a proper interface charger at a relatively high amperage capacity with supporting wiring.

A 2.0 L gas engine would make a very powerful no compromises generator, easily 60 or more amps.

 

[smboogie]

They have already said it will support bidirectional charging which is what this means. Of course it's light on details yet. It will have to also work in grid independent mode to be an emergency generator not just V2G, with a proper interface charger at a relatively high amperage capacity with supporting wiring.

A 2.0 L gas engine would make a very powerful no compromises generator, easily 60 or more amps.

This would be a reason to get the hybrid. "Save" on the cost of a back up generator