High MPG electic raving

[Christopher G. Moog]

Richard W. Cowan wrote:

> <delurk>
> Yes, ICEs are incredibly inefficient, and probably no amount of tweaking
> will ever make it as good as electric.  Turbines are excellent compared to
> ICEs but they suck for stop-n-go.  That's why they make great airplane
> engines and lousy auto engines.

Besides steady power requirements turbines don't size down well.  Clearances
along the edges remain the same size in large units as small so the small units
are less efficient.  This is while in small power generation (less than tens of
kW diesel rule).  Also why in trains and ships diesels are still the most popular
power plant.

> This is probably [nc], but IMO the words "automobile" and "efficient" are
> never going to go together until they are all switched to electric sometime
> (before you can say dead oil lobby).  Then we'll have to change the list
> from DYIEFI to DYI(more amperage!).  (Of course the electricity to charge
> the batteries will still be generated by coal-burning plants until we
> switch to nuclear).  Hopefully by then we will be beyond the days of the
> electric-golf-cart-with-a-sloop-rig-for-windy-days.
>
> I had the opportunity to drive the GM EV1 and a Rav4 EV.  The batteries are
> still friggin huge, range sucked, its still expensive, but the power output
> at the wheels was far beyond what I expected.  The future doesn't look
> quite so dim anymore.
>
> Sorry for the rambling
>
> Richard BME '96, GA Tech.  Go Jackets!
> http://www.prism.gatech.edu/~vap1rc

  As far as electric goes they use more energy per mile than an efficient ICE
automobile.  The EV1 uses 248 watt-hrs/mi (measured at the charger)  The RAV4
uses 412 watt-hrs/mi (again at the charger)  This electricity is produced at a
fossil fueled plant (the energy used by EVs should be counted against the
incremental generator not the base plants since they represent a new load).
These plants need approximately 10,000 btus of fuel to produce 1,000 watt-hour of
energy.  So the EV1 uses the equivalent of 2480 btus to travel a mile.  Since
gasoline has 114,000 btus per gallon the EV1 is getting the equivalent of 46
mpg.  The RAV4EV is getting the equivalent of 28 mpg.  Neither of these figures
beats a good ICE vehicle with the same performance.

To reduce oil use with electric vehicles will require a nuclear based electrical
system.  Until that happens we should save fuel by using mass transit (where
available), efficient ICE (vehicles not inefficient EVs and not SUVs), and by
cutting wasted travel.