Quote:
Originally Posted by juicius
I'm not sure what good a plug-in would do, given the battery capacity. Even a fully charged battery (wouldn't charge over 80% anyway) and some sort of bypass to retard engagement of ICE (right down to 30% remaining battery juice), the car would be hobbled by distance and speed, unless you drastically increase the battery capacity and type. Additionally, power rating and kWh don't make for a very usable vehicle (though I forget the exact ratings). You do add the plug, upgrade the battery, and maybe upgrade the motor, but at the end, you would be trying to do an automaker's prototype program without an automaker's prototype budget.
I don't think HSD system will make a good plug-in system precisely because it was not designed as a plug-in system. You really need a plug-in system designed from ground-up, like Chevy's Volts. Oh, and some battery breakthrough.
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hence, my comment:
Battery placement and type. You do want to go farther than 2 miles on battery alone right? Current battery is too small for such a drive. Also enough NiHD battery would eat almost all the trunk, but LiIon or such would reduce the size considerable.
And I do feel there would be a benifit to a bigger battery that could be charged. Even if the engine still runs, you could reduce the amount it needs to run and how much it contributes IF you have more usable battery capacity that can be used without the engine recharging it.