I could get that with a steam engine.
Before I even try one, somebody would have to make one that meets my requirements: A large estate car with a 600+ mile range, able to cruise comfortably at over 100mph (not necessarily both at the same time), with full air conditioning, lots of electrical gadgets and capable of being fully refilled in only a few minutes.
You mean like a Prius?
And a small one at that for a car. But AIUI, it's the condenser that's the problem.
Which one. The Prius hybrid is just the same as my Auris hybrid.
With a 24 gallon water tank, the 1924 Doble E had a 1500 mile range and it could move off from cold in under 30 seconds.
Ah. Do you mean a Prius with a charging socket? I am almost sure I have heard of a rechargeable electric with a small IC engine for optional charging (but not a Prius). Maybe it was a prototype.
Theo
Presumably it needed fuel as well as water. What was that, and how much was needed, and how was the boiler kept stoked etc.
A few months ago I went through the EV search, I think the ones with small ICEs are called Range Extenders. I decided on a plug-in hybrid and am very pleased with it - 208HP ICE and 80HP electric motor driving a seven speed auto box with some magic arrangement of clutches that allows one or both to drive, or neither, or to use the motor for regen braking. All very clever but probably a maintenance nightmare when it gets old.
Oh good, I didn't imagine it!
Hmm, I've owned an electric car for over 30 years and I'd say that whilst it has it's merits, it still has too many limitations to be the primary vehicle for many (even excluding the annual holiday etc).
One of it's merits is it's simplicity (not sure it would be the case these days?). When I first got it home (on a trailer behind my IC car) I thought I'd give it a good check over. I checked the brakes, the lights and the battery electrolyte levels ... and that was about it.
Ok, I know most production PEV's can go faster than 30 mph and a range greater than 20 miles but the concept / limitations are still similar.
Now, as it happened I worked only 1/4 mile from the house so one (20p) charge would get me to work and back (and at lunchtime) for a couple of weeks at least (assuming I didn't go anywhere else).
It was also exempt the MOT (at the time) and carried Zero Road Tax (but you still had to have a Tax disk ), was insured at about the same cost as the original BL Mini and obviously ignoring the initial cost / deterioration of the batteries, had hardly any other running costs.
Not sure how many PEVs can tow a trailer or take roof bars?
Cheers, T i m
BMW 3 series? A friend has one and likes it.
This is totally obsolete technology. I remember seeing a few such motors when I was an apprentice fifty odd years ago.
Completely irrelevant for traction.
Most of the above is bollocks too.
That is a very inaccurate explanation. Verging on bollocks
A steam engine is not an ICE.
Few ICE cars can do this.
Drivel. Water is not fuel. It actually did about 3mpg (equivalent)due to the inherent inefficiencies of steam engines and boilers. Maintenence/repair costs were huge too. Dobel was just a rich idiot.
Drivel.
The practical aspects are
It's called a "Plug In Hybrid" They are common Eg Mitsubishi make one called PHEV.
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