Question about EREV Extended Range EVs on Long Trips (Harvester Gas Engine)

[DriveAllNight]

It definitely can. The real world example is the BMW i3. With just a small 19kw generator, it can keep the battery at a charge target. The Ramcharger is going to have a 130kw generator. It's HIGHLY unlikely Scout will have that powerful of a generator...I'd guess something like 60-75kw. The engine would likely vary the RPMS and generator output to meet the average demands being asked of the battery.



Watch this:

And then this:

I don't think Scout will be trying to target the same behaviors as the BMW i3, which was more handicapped in the US where you couldn't set a charge target. I sincerely hope Scout does allow us to set a charge target where you're not using the range extender only as a last hope when the battery is nearly fully depleted as this is both bad for the battery and also would have to severely limit your output to keep you from depleting the last bit of charge you have.

That's very misleading - it seems the i3 can within a diminished power band. Not the same thing at all. I believe we are all talking about driving at normal speeds with normal horsepower and torque (or whatever the electric equivalent is ) nobody wants to drive in a limp mode.

 

[KarlT]

Just wondering hoe important others think this is. For me this could be the make or break feature of this vehicle. If you have a 600 mile trip, you need this vehicle to run on gas only for a while. Otherwise it’s stop at a slow charging station which defeats the purpose.

 

[Scooby24]

That's very misleading - it seems the i3 can within a diminished power band. Not the same thing at all. I believe we are all talking about driving at normal speeds with normal horsepower and torque (or whatever the electric equivalent is ) nobody wants to drive in a limp mode.

Well....you said "Drive down the road"....which means only the horsepower and torque necessary to keep it at a reasonable highway speed. But the BMW is doing that with a little 2 cylinder engine and generator that's producing...what..35 hp I think?

The Ramcharger with its generator is capable of producing 175ish HP. That's a whole lot more power available and I would think would be enough to account for the additional torque demands of hills and a brick of a vehicle.

The question is, is Scout targeting the generator size to be more inline with Ram or BMW? If it's a healthier sized generator there may not be as much as a hit and you might have more power available.....especially if you can set a target charge to maintain well above 7%.

But if you're hoping that the range extender would mean that when using it, you should be able to have full access to 1000 ft lbs of torque...don't think that's going to happen.

It's a compromise. I think the BEST we could hope for is that we get full power when using EV only and that by opting for the Harvester option, we aren't limited when using EV only.

But based on their wording, I suspect we might even be handicapped in EV only mode based on the size of the battery...time will tell.

 

[Noplacelikeloam]

Well....you said "Drive down the road"....which means only the horsepower and torque necessary to keep it at a reasonable highway speed. But the BMW is doing that with a little 2 cylinder engine and generator that's producing...what..35 hp I think?

The Ramcharger with its generator is capable of producing 175ish HP. That's a whole lot more power available and I would think would be enough to account for the additional torque demands of hills and a brick of a vehicle.

The question is, is Scout targeting the generator size to be more inline with Ram or BMW? If it's a healthier sized generator there may not be as much as a hit and you might have more power available.....especially if you can set a target charge to maintain well above 7%.

But if you're hoping that the range extender would mean that when using it, you should be able to have full access to 1000 ft lbs of torque...don't think that's going to happen.

It's a compromise. I think the BEST we could hope for is that we get full power when using EV only and that by opting for the Harvester option, we aren't limited when using EV only.

But based on their wording, I suspect we might even be handicapped in EV only mode based on the size of the battery...time will tell.

Interesting take, what wording are you referring to?