Rental cars are cheap in the US. $30-40 a day, $200-300 for a week with unlimited miles. Auto insurance alone in most parts of the US will cost you $1000 a year per vehicle for liability coverage alone.
I’ve known non-EV owners who use rental cars for any long trips just because they don’t trust their cheap commuter vehicle.
So, it has no throttle, but reduces engine output by allowing less fuel/air charge into the cylinders.Isn't that exactly how a throttle normally works?
Effectively, yes. The throttle (on a conventional gasoline engine) controls the amount of air that can enter the intake manifold. This in turn determines the amount of fuel injected into the air immediately prior to entering the cylinder.
Diesel engines on the other hand have no throttle, the power output is controlled by adjusting the amount of fuel injected directly into the combustion chamber.
While the term "throttle" is widely applied to any mechanism of regulating power output, technically the term most accurately describes the butterfly valve or other mechanism used to restrict airflow into the engine. As a verb to throttle is to choke or suffocate.
I'm aware of GDI engines, which is why I specifically mentioned "conventional" gasoline engines. GDI is an interesting technology, I'm somewhat surprised it was not more widespread sooner as it has been around for a long time. Many of the German aircraft engines from WWII were GDI, using mechanical injection pumps similar to older diesel engines.
Interesting system, but yeah. Why do they use nimh in 2018 in the first place ? Why no lithium tech ?
Isn't that exactly how a throttle normally works?
Oh, they DON'T! Mine is a 2009, they went to Li (something) in 2011, I think. My daughter has an old Prius, which always had Li batteries, and hers is still going strong on the original battery.
Jon
They also have a mode where they can shut all 16 valves while running in pure electric mode, and there is zero fuel consumption. Due to the small size of the motor and battery, you can't drive very far like that - like 1/4 mile down a slight hill, maybe.
They also have a mode where they can shut all 16 valves while running in pure electric mode, and there is zero fuel consumption. Due to the small size of the motor and battery, you can't drive very far like that - like 1/4 mile down a slight hill, maybe.
What is the purpose of closing all the valves? Does the engine not disengage from the transmission in pure EV mode? I'd have thought even with the compression acting like a spring that the friction losses of spinning an engine with all the valves closed would still be huge but I don't really know.
What is the purpose of closing all the valves? Does the engine not disengage from the transmission in pure EV mode? I'd have thought even with the compression acting like a spring that the friction losses of spinning an engine with all the valves closed would still be huge but I don't really know.
That was my first thought, but most modern engines are of the interference design so if the valves are left open the pistons crash and that's a really ugly situation. It may be that the valves being closed causes the pistons to behave like a reasonably efficient spring, the energy spent compressing the air is returned to the crank on the downstroke since no pumping is taking place.
Still I think it should read 'all valves open' and probably only the exhaust valves as to not damage the throttle and inlet because the inlet is usually made from plastic nowadays. With the valves closed you'll get compression and thus losses in the engine.
Still I think it should read 'all valves open' and probably only the exhaust valves as to not damage the throttle and inlet because the inlet is usually made from plastic nowadays. With the valves closed you'll get compression and thus losses in the engine.But, the compression is (almost) exactly balanced by expansion, so the only losses are mechanical friction. Anyway, this whole system actually works quite well, and has been rock-solid reliable, which pretty much amazes me.
Jon
It will be with the exhaust valves open. Compressing air 9:1 generates a lot of heat taking energy out of the system.
It will be with the exhaust valves open. Compressing air 9:1 generates a lot of heat taking energy out of the system.
It takes a special kind of EV hater [...] We get it. You are opposed to EVs. This thread was meant to be for people with personal experiences with EVs.