EEVblog #1337 - I Bought An Electric Car

[David Hess]

The "missing link" is some way to convert the 300V - 400V main battery power directly to 115VAC, rather than going via the 12V system like I did, which is much more limited!

Some hybrid vehicles can be purchased with a high power inverter for exactly that application.

[SilverSolder]

The "missing link" is some way to convert the 300V - 400V main battery power directly to 115VAC, rather than going via the 12V system like I did, which is much more limited!

Some hybrid vehicles can be purchased with a high power inverter for exactly that application.

I will be keeping a lookout for that, the next time I'm HEV or PHEV shopping.

[ober]

If you want to learn how to pronounce Hyundai (hint: it's not Hi-on-die :-), Wikipedia is your friend:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyundai_Motor_Company

(search for "listen").

[Ed.Kloonk]

If you want to learn how to pronounce Hyundai (hint: it's not Hi-on-die :-), Wikipedia is your friend:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyundai_Motor_Company

(search for "listen").

This is how it was launched 30+ years ago. TV ad.

[ober]

This is how it was launched 30+ years ago. TV ad.

Being German, I'm quite aware you would probably laugh your socks off on how we pronounce Colgate, Maggi, Dash, and other international brands in Germany (with the interesting exception of "Milky Way").   We also call projectors "beamers" and other stuff like this.  In an international audience, you generally try to avoid those Germanisms, so people actually understand what you are talking about. 

I would expect the same for the pronunciation of "Hyundai".  Except that English speakers are maybe less used to the idea that their popular pronunciation of something is very funny to people who have been around a bit.

[Lord of nothing]

  Germans...

[coppice]

If you want to learn how to pronounce Hyundai (hint: it's not Hi-on-die :-), Wikipedia is your friend:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyundai_Motor_Company

(search for "listen").

This is how it was launched 30+ years ago. TV ad.

Interesting. They are saying it as 3 syllables, which is completely wrong. In the early 90s I saw other ads for Hyundai cars on US TV, where they pronounced it Hun-D. Still not very accurate, but at least its 2 syllables. Couldn't they agree how they should present their own name to the US public?

[Labrat101]

Dave are you going to stand to your Moto .
  Do a tear Down video .  .   
Just joking  enjoy   

[schmitt trigger]

I second the tear down video idea!! 

Just kidding.
But when the warranty finally runs out I am sure Dave will be tempted to do one.

Having said this, there is this guy at  the Weber State University (WSU) - Department of Automotive Technology which has done some fantastic tear downs of the Chevy Volt's powertrain. Make sure to check these:
He doesn't get as excited as Dave does when performing the tear downs, but one can easily see that this guy is beyond knowledgeable.

[timelessbeing]

63% of electricity in the USA comes from fossil fuel power plants.

[Labrat101]

 Look on the bright side .
  Now that they have this huge hole .
    It can be use as parking Lot for all the Dead Electric powered Cars .
      The Electronics will fail for sure after about 7 years. (or sooner) 
  If the OS is MS software .. controlled  .. Press any Key for Brakes   

[mikeselectricstuff]

63% of electricity in the USA comes from fossil fuel power plants.

So EVs in the US use at least 37% less fossil fuels than ICE ones. It's a start.

[timelessbeing]

At least I can put the fuel directly in and drive away seconds later.

It's a weak start.

[EEVblog]

At least I can put the fuel directly in and drive away seconds later.

Got a fuel pump at home?
I do!

[timelessbeing]

In fact, there is a gas station about 50m from my home.

Charging at home certainly is helpful, and having solar (and plenty of sun) is nicer still, but I'll wait until hydrogen fuel cells or standardized swappable batteries are common. Electric cars are still immature technology.

[mikeselectricstuff]

In fact, there is a gas station about 50m from my home.

Charging at home certainly is helpful, and having solar (and plenty of sun) is nicer still, but I'll wait until hydrogen fuel cells or standardized swappable batteries are common. Electric cars are still immature technology.

Hydrogen will never be a thing for normal cars.
Might work in situations like fleets using a small number of bases  where filling can be done, but it's a non-starter for everyday use.
Apart from the poor efficiency (ISTR about 30% electron to wheel), the infrastructure costs are not viable - think about the relative costs of installing  a hydrogen filling station compared to a rapid charger to en existing electricity supply.

[mikeselectricstuff]

On The Amp Hour, Dave mentioned the ioniq charge curve & using a camera to monitor it - there's a much easier way - get a cheap ELM327 bluetooth OBD2 dongle and install Torque pro on your phone - this can be used to log battery charge/discharge power directly

[coppice]

Hydrogen will never be a thing for normal cars.

It really puzzles me why anyone even wants to try to make hydrogen the fuel of the future. Right now hydrogen is terrible from an ecological point of view, but you need to look beyond that to a future where hydrogen is produced from a clean energy source. The thing is hydrogen is a PITA to store and use, and its really hard to imagine any new technology changing that. If you are going to produce a large scale fuel from a clean source of abundant energy, why not make it an easy to work with fuel, that is a liquid at human temperatures?

[Labrat101]

There was a fuel that's liquid at human temperature.  Water . H2O
There was a patented engine that ran on water, the water was chemically broken down to its base gases.  The patient was bought out by the petroleum groups as it  threatened their hold of power on the world.
No not the steam engine!
Nor was it done by electrolysis...

[Ed.Kloonk]

There was a fuel that's liquid at human temperature.  Water . H2O
There was a patented engine that ran on water, the water was chemically broken down to its base gases.  The patient was bought out by the petroleum groups as it  threatened their hold of power on the world.
No not the steam engine!
Nor was it done by electrolysis...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ralph_Sarich

The biggest sell-out after The Clash signed their record deal. 

[timelessbeing]

Doesn’t splitting water require more energy than you get from oxidizing it?

[timelessbeing]

hydrogen is terrible from an ecological point of view

why?

The thing is hydrogen is a PITA to store and use, and its really hard to imagine any new technology changing that. If you are going to produce a large scale fuel from a clean source of abundant energy, why not make it an easy to work with fuel, that is a liquid at human temperatures?

We have (or had?) buses here powered by Ballard fuel cells (proton exchange membrane). It ran on natural gas.

[timelessbeing]

why not make it an easy to work with fuel, that is a liquid at human temperatures?

well in the case of gasoline, diesel, propane etc., the energy required to vaporaize them takes away from your energy output.

[timelessbeing]

Got a fuel pump at home?

Also, I don't see dependence on the electrical grid as a good thing.

[EEVblog]

Got a fuel pump at home?

Also, I don't see dependence on the electrical grid as a good thing.

Err, you do realise that everything in modern society relies on the electrical grid, right?
FYI, Australia has 2 weeks worth of fuel supply.