On 31 Mar 2004 12:58:57 -0800, Michelle Vadeboncoeur wrote:
Actually, your "Intermediate design" sounds just like the Prius. The
Prius can be driven on just electric, just by the ICE, or by both,
depending on the power requirements. Unfortunately, the Prius is not
grid-chargeable.

http://www.toyota.com/vehicles/2004/...syn_drive.html

perfect. Apart from the fact you can't grid recharge it. ARRRRGGGHHH for the
love of god WHY NOT stick a couple of batteries in it, enough for a twenty
or thirty mile journey, and let me use the (expensive) petrol when my
(cheap) electricity has run out???

--
u n d e r a c h i e v e r

u n d e r a c h i e v e r wrote in message news:slrnc6nib7.buc.takeme2yourNOMORESPAMPLEASE@s cratch.garylaw.net...

ARRRRGGGHHH for the
love of god WHY NOT stick a couple of batteries in it, enough for a twenty
or thirty mile journey, and let me use the (expensive) petrol when my
(cheap) electricity has run out???

Hmm. Petrol has a calorific value of 48,000 kJ/kg, a density of 0.7
kg/litre and a price of 0.7 pounds/litre. Conveniently, the latter two
mean that a quid buys you pretty close to 1 kg of petrol, yielding
48,000 kJ.

I pay 7.694p per kWh for electricity, so the same quid would buy me
13kWh, which is just under 46,790 kJ.

As incoming energy, there is therefore practically no difference
between buying electricity and petrol.

Of course, you have to take account of various storage and conversion
efficiencies. Not to mention the cost of upgrading domestic wiring, as
the 3 kW available from a 13A plug will take ages to charge any
appreciable batteries and be pretty inefficient as a result.

In short: using a small petrol engine to charge the batteries of a
hybrid car is just as sensible and cost-efficient as using mains
power.

Ian

In article ,
Ian Johnston wrote:
I pay 7.694p per kWh for electricity

That's an awful lot for a unit. Are you including standing charges too?

Dave
--
Email: MSN Messenger:

In article ,
Ian Johnston wrote:
In short: using a small petrol engine to charge the batteries of a
hybrid car is just as sensible and cost-efficient as using mains
power.

Think you're assuming that the calorific value of petrol gets transferred
completely into electricity. Even with the best of engines running at
optimum speed, I doubt that even 50% does. Of course, charging a battery
is very little better.

--
*Why are a wise man and a wise guy opposites? *

Dave Plowman London SW 12
RIP Acorn