It's here, it's real--the genset trailer for your Makita powered car...

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67Dart273

67Dart273

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Little Generator Trailer Lets Electric Cars Go the Distance
electric-vehicle-generator-trailer.jpg


The device isn’t meant to be used as an everyday back-up. It was designed to be available for rent, used only periodically for the occasional long(ish) road trip to see a friend or visit a town that’s just a little out of your EV’s range. It can extend the range of some electric cars by as much as 360 miles. Some might say that towing a gas-powered generator behind an electric vehicle is ludicrous, but if the solution is used irregularly and only when truly needed, it probably still impacts the environment much less than driving a gas-powered car every day.
 
67Dart273 said:
Little Generator Trailer Lets Electric Cars Go the Distance
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The device isn’t meant to be used as an everyday back-up. It was designed to be available for rent, used only periodically for the occasional long(ish) road trip to see a friend or visit a town that’s just a little out of your EV’s range. It can extend the range of some electric cars by as much as 360 miles. Some might say that towing a gas-powered generator behind an electric vehicle is ludicrous, but if the solution is used irregularly and only when truly needed, it probably still impacts the environment much less than driving a gas-powered car every day.
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I think it's pretty interesting. Small gas engines are extremely efficient.
 
On a side note..........isn't..............this.............a.......................................hybrid??
 
If you had a car trailer that you towed with a Lightning pickup, I could see this as viable for a long trip. Hit a hill, have the generator kick on to limit charge loss. Allow for extended travel without the charging station stops. Yeah the generator runs on gas or diesel. Not really green LOL

But the whole better for the environment is BS. Those batteries have to go somewhere once dead. See so many cars going through auctions that the pack is dead, car is a throw away at that point. Battery pack more expensive than value of vehicle.
 
crackedback said:
If you had a car trailer that you towed with a Lightning pickup, I could see this as viable for a long trip. Hit a hill, have the generator kick on to limit charge loss. Allow for extended travel without the charging station stops. Yeah the generator runs on gas or diesel. Not really green LOL

But the whole better for the environment is BS. Those batteries have to go somewhere once dead. See so many cars going through auctions that the pack is dead, car is a throw away at that point. Battery pack more expensive than value of vehicle.
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You sound like "me," Rob
 
crackedback said:
If you had a car trailer that you towed with a Lightning pickup, I could see this as viable for a long trip. Hit a hill, have the generator kick on to limit charge loss. Allow for extended travel without the charging station stops. Yeah the generator runs on gas or diesel. Not really green LOL

But the whole better for the environment is BS. Those batteries have to go somewhere once dead. See so many cars going through auctions that the pack is dead, car is a throw away at that point. Battery pack more expensive than value of vehicle.
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Plus, how much petroleum you reckon it takes to make those "green" vehicles? A crapton.
 
67Dart273 said:
You sound like "me," Rob
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I try to make sense every once in a while. It's a struggle. I'm cool with some of the green stuff, but, this car thing is ridiculous. Just cause you don't have to fill up at a gas station, doesn't mean the energy/electricity you are consuming is green. Guess that plug has to be powered by some generator somewhere running on water turbines, nat gas, coal or maybe nuclear. Makes me shrug.

No free lunches.

Another thought. In California, all these greenies would be limited to 55 mph on highway while towing that gen set... LOL that would be priceless to see all those cars pulled over by CHP for blazing at 85+ across the landscape cause they just didn't know. Wel,l they could be charging while stopped, so there is that benefit.
 
I'd rather keep the gas engine under the hood of the car. What that gas engine does for the car, I'm open to practically anything.
 
crackedback said:
I try to make sense every once in a while. It's a struggle. I'm cool with some of the green stuff, but, this car thing is ridiculous. Just cause you don't have to fill up at a gas station, doesn't mean the energy/electricity you are consuming is green. Guess that plug has to be powered by some generator somewhere running on water turbines, nat gas, coal or maybe nuclear. Makes me shrug.

No free lunches.

Another thought. In California, all these greenies would be limited to 55 mph on highway while towing that gen set... LOL that would be priceless to see all those cars pulled over by CHP for blazing at 85+ across the landscape cause they just didn't know. Wel,l they could be charging while stopped, so there is that benefit.
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Let's not forget the trailer in the fast lane of the freeway citations :lol:
 
I'm no Einstein, but why had no one thought about putting like big *** alternators on each wheel to recharge while driving
and solar panels to recharge while parked.
 
"Way back when", I think the 1950's, I read an article in Popular Mechanics. This was in the days when there were pretty much only lead/acid batteries. I think it was one of the Scandinavian countries. They had charging stations in store and business parking lots. Drive to the store/work, park and plug in the electric car, shop, go to your next stop and do the same. The charging stations were solar powered. The cars were small "in town" commuter cars, with limited range, but the frequent charging extended the range. With the technology available today, why wouldn't that concept work, today?
 
If you think you are doing anything positive for the environment by buying an electric car you are kidding yourself.
 
Seems somewhat self-defeating in more ways than one; besides the obvious of using an ICE to charge your EV, the act of towing a trailer will cut down your range requiring more frequent use of the generator...
I see these more as something to be used by AAA roadside assistance when your EV dies in the middle of nowhere.
 
Professor Fate said:
Seems somewhat self-defeating in more ways than one; besides the obvious of using an ICE to charge your EV, the act of towing a trailer will cut down your range requiring more frequent use of the generator...
I see these more as something to be used by AAA roadside assistance when your EV dies in the middle of nowhere.
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If you have enough problems with range, why not just buy a hybrid, instead of an EV?
 
Professor Fate said:
Seems somewhat self-defeating in more ways than one; besides the obvious of using an ICE to charge your EV, the act of towing a trailer will cut down your range requiring more frequent use of the generator...
I see these more as something to be used by AAA roadside assistance when your EV dies in the middle of nowhere.
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Like a 500 pound set of jumper cables
 
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