Toyota Embraces Fuel-Cell Cars for Post-Gasoline Future

Re:Toyota Embraces Fuel-Cell Cars for Post-Gasoline Future by sliverstorm on Friday December 19, 2014 @08:25PM (#8775505)

I think you are confused. Gasoline drive is perhaps 30% efficient. Electric drive is perhaps 80%. Charging batteries I don't remember, but let's call it 80%.

So what you've proposed is:

    Burn gasoline (30%) * Charge batteries (80%) * Drive e-car (80%) = 19% efficient

It works better if you have a very high efficiency gasoline-powered generator (a 60% efficient generator gets you 38% efficient) but that can't really be done at the homeowner scale.

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Re:Toyota Embraces Fuel-Cell Cars for Post-Gasoline Future by revelation on Friday December 19, 2014 @09:00PM (#8775594)

I guess you are underestimating just how terrible internal combustion engines are and overestimating charging + driving losses.

Consider that hybrids or HEVs can improve substantially on the efficiency of just a pure ICE. I guess the problem with using an ICE for driving directly is that you are often forced to run it at RPMs and states where it is nowhere near that hypothetical 30% efficiency, simply to get the acceleration the user demands.

[ Parent | on HN ]