Try stating that on one of the EV or 'green' sites, and rather than trying to absorb it and analyze it, they'll act as if you just told them all their kids are ugly and stupid have dandruff and bad breath, and are bad dancers!
You will be virtually tarred-and-feathered!
And also because they are learning to tweak the ICE for efficiency in this mode (and there are even more opportunities as I mentioned in the other posts). Hybrids are still a small enough % of total, so I think R&D is still catching up. There's inertia in existing tech.
Yes, very interesting thought experiment! Got the brain-juices flowing! So OK, I do think you missed some things, but some of them are positives - let's start there.
Lets call your idea a "remote series hybrid", it's like a series hybrid, but the ICE is remote from the vehicle.
As FIREmenow mentioned, a generator/ICE like that could run at one power/speed point, which simplifies the design, and can be further optimized for efficiency and emissions. And w/o needing to be mobile, you don't have the same weight/size constraints, so cost and efficiency might be improved there as well. And since timing is loose, you can do 'tricks', like say "I'm in no rush, so I will automatically turn on a small electric heater to preheat the catalytic converter for 10 minutes before starting, it won't use much power, but it will lower emissions." Maybe even pump the hot coolant into an insulated reservoir, keep it hot for the next day's run? All sorts of possibilities.
Oh, and if I were to do this, I'd be running that remote ICE on NG, so no trips to get gasoline, so even lower pollution (and lower refining costs, I think).
But...
It means the car is still a full EV, so needs enough batteries for range. Batteries = $$, weight and space.
And as I mentioned in the other post, you have the ICE-generator-generator-motor losses
for every bit of power used. A series hybrid with a drive system between the engine and wheels for cruising modes eliminates those losses.
If the engineers can bring HCCI to market, that's really gonna move the goal posts for EVs. HCCI essentially brings diesel efficiencies to a gasoline engine, with lower emissions than even the gas engine. High efficiency w/o the pollution issues of diesels. Were talking eff% in the 40's instead of mid 20's. And the challenges mentioned in the video (getting the temperature inside the chamber just right), is easier on an engine that can be run in one range, and/or allowed to run in a special 'warm up before applying load' mode for a few minutes, which you can do if you have enough batteries for a few minutes of driving.
from wiki:
And the video explanation:
You'd think they could put this technology at the power plants and gain eff% and lower emissions, but I think a piston engine just cannot compete with the simplicity and long life, low maintenance of a turbine. But turbines just can't achieve these efficiencies (except of combined cycle, but you need to be situated where you can use the lower grade heat).
-ERD50
