Since the gas engine connects to the wheels only through electricity, doesn’t this waste energy?
First, the idea of the Volt is not to use gas that much. More than 80% of the U.S. population drives 40 miles or less. But to answer the question, there are several reasons why the indirect connection of series hybrid works efficiently. 1) Transmission Losses: Electric motors have high power and torque across a wide range of RPMs, so there is no transmission required in a series hybrid. This eliminates transmission losses. 2) Gas Engine Efficiency: The series hybrid allows for a much more efficient ICE design. This is because: – When you step on the “gas”, the electric motor provides all the peak horsepower. The gas engine only has to deliver average horsepower, which is 1/3 to 1/2 of peak. – In series hybrids, the ICE doesn’t need to have much power and torque at low RPMs, so the engine design can be optimized to take advantage of this. 3) Electric Motor Efficiency: As I understand it, larger electric motors are both more powerful and more efficient. This is the opposite of gas engine
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