Re: ihc-digest V5 #119 Electric vehicles

[Steve Stegmann <stegmann@domain.elided>]

Ok.  Electric motors are 95% efficient.  They do indeed put out max 
torque at zero rpm (correct windings).  And most anyone can put an 
electric motor in most any car and it will work ok.  

Actually if you had a power source, a motor in each wheel would be a
kick-ass 4x4.  Think of all the driveline problems that go away.  That's
why mine haul trucks 300,000 lb class are built that way.  

Hmmm.... replace the tranny with an alternator and put hub mounted motors 
in each wheel.

This isn't the issue.

A lead acid battery can't store much energy.  How did these guys get the 
honda to run 300 miles on one charge??  I would like to see the test 
protocol.  
	What sort of acceleration was used from stops?  
	What crusing speeds?  
	Distance at each speed?
	How many stops in 300 miles??  
	What kind of tires?
	What tire pressure?
	How many and what grade and height of hills climbed?  
	Start on hills?  
	How deeply were the batteries discharged?  This 
		*seriously* effects the life of the batts


I remember the "Mobil Economy Run"  back in the 50's and 60's.  These guys
(engineers from the auto companies) would get 40 mpg from a "stock"  Ford,
Chevy, or Plymouth of the time.  They really did get that mileage.  They
were given a fixed amount of fuel (by weight) and then measured on how far
they got.  Did this actually have anything to do with the cars in the real
world??  No!...

It wasn't done with secret mods to the carb or ignition.  It was mostly 
driving technique. The cars were hand assembled to make sure everything 
was as perfect as possible.  These engineers were competing with each 
other.  It was a game.  They had a lot of fun.  But they really did get 
two or three times the mileage these things got in the real world.

Smokey Yunick (I can't spell) had a small car converted to his diesel 
power which would get rediculous mileage.  It really worked.  But would 
you like a two cyl Perkins marine diesel running 100 psi manifold 
pressure.  Sure it worked but you wouln't dare try to actually drive it 
to work every day.

The physics of the battery are pretty simple.  I'll try to find out the 
exact killowat-hours a lead acid battery can store per pound of weight 
without seriously compromising the life of the batt.

The other thing nobody talks about is that a battery car is just a remote
pollution vehicle.  And where is the power going to come from??  Cars
would add serious loads to our national power grid.  And where are the
power plants going to be built?  Assuming they can get past the Sierra
Club, and NIMBY (not in my backyard)

BTW  would you want your family to be in a Honda small whatever carrying 
800 lbs of lead acid batterys involved in an accident???  Does anyone 
seriously believe the Honda structure, or even a custom one you could sort 
of afford, could control these batteries in an accident???  What would 
happen to 800 lbs of batteries bolted to the back bed of a Scout in an 
accident?  I'd bet my life they'd move.

Sorry this is a touchy subject. I've overreacted. Must calm down.

Fuel Cells now.  There may be something here.

Steve


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Steven A. Stegmann
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