Opinion - I had a thought yesterday. I was doing some research on future green technologies and something occurred to me. One of the limiting factors today in greener, battery-powered automobiles is their limited range. Another is expense. Most battery-only vehicles will get you about 75 miles, and hybrid solutions are very pricey. Still, 75 miles is enough to commute back and forth to work each day even with some extra driving thrown in. But, it's not really good for much else. So what's the solution? I think it might be an external, auxiliary source of power.


External power source

Battery powered vehicles operate on electricity. It doesn't matter if that electricity comes from batteries or a rod sticking up like in the movie Back to the Future. As long as electricity's flowing at the right levels, the car goes.

Hybrid vehicles provide the balance allowing them to operate even when the batteries are depleted. But, their greener solution also comes at the expense of a lot of green (cash). This makes it not a desirable solution for most.

So what's needed? It occurred to me the obvious answer is a hybrid solution that's only there when required. This would make the up-front cost of the battery-only vehicle considerably less, while at the same time providing all the benefits of hybrid power when extra power is needed.


Trailer source

I believe auto makers should begin building battery powered vehicles that are specifically designed to allow a type of trailer hook up. The car itself is entirely electrical (no hybrid parts). The trailer contains a small, efficient diesel or gasoline powered engine hooked up to a generator (diesel engines are more efficient and last longer, thus better mileage).




Such a design would provide enough to power the vehicle at highway speeds, plus a little more for charging - just like hybrid cars are today. However, when not needed the trailer can be detached and stored. In addition, I believe properly designed aerodynamic shape would reduce drag enough to compensate for the additional wheel drag, making it essentially a zero-loss on level ground.


Solution requirements

Now, such a solution would hardly be of benefit if everyone had to buy and store not only their battery powered car, but also the trailer. As such, I propose that for the sake of the greener, less carbon-producing society our government is trying so hard to sell us on, that tax incentives be offered to companies willing to establish a type of U-Haul like economy for these trailers.

New facilities would be created in major cities, perhaps alongside gas stations today, which allow the battery-powered car owner to go to that facility and, for a small governmentally regulated fee, essentially "rent" a trailer for the duration of their journey.

Need to visit the relatives in another state? Get a trailer for the duration. Need to go on a vacation with your family for two weeks? Get a trailer for the duration. Need to move to another town and power your vehicle only one way? Get a trailer in your old city, drive to the new and drop it off. They're all connected through the same system, just pick one up where it's needed and drop it off when you're done.

And of course, once home again and the trailer's back at the facility, just continue driving your green, battery-powered car as before.


Conclusion

TG Daily regularly reports on upcoming battery technologies that will greatly improve efficiency in the years to come. These will even allow the "day car," a battery-powered car capable of driving 8-10 hours without auxiliary power sources, one also capable of being recharged in just a few hours.

Until then, if our society can grab hold of the idea of battery-powered cars (rather than fuel-based), then the goals of our politicians could be met. At the same time we'd be producing cars that are cheap, safe, reliable and green, and all with lots of available replacement parts which could easily be made available by standardizing on the expensive parts of the design across car makers (no reason to have 50 different designs for the same functioning part, like the way alternators or fuel injectors are today).

The technology is here. We just need to apply it in real ways that make sense for consumers. After all, we aren't in this to make a huge profit on going green, are we? I mean, we're really in it to save the environment and help people, right? Well this would necessarily mandate that corporations change their attitudes and goals. But, I do believe the external auxiliary power source is an idea to kick around, and possibly even a step in the right direction. Peace.


UPDATE:  November 21, 2008, 5:35pm CST
A reader posted a comment about a car called tZero which was built as my idea suggests. Costing over $100,000, the high performance electric vehicle has a 0-60 speed of 3.6 seconds, and uses a pull-behind trailer for long hauls. While this vehicle is an extreme version of that which I suggest, it does prove that it can be done and at least one other company thought enough of the idea to build it. The tZero was manufactured in the early 2000s. See a recent article about the technology here on FutureDrive.com.

In addition, future battery technologies could be easily integrated into such a design. Replace the old with the new and potentially double the battery-only range.




The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the writer.

dude, seriously?

Nov 21, 2008 08:40     

This is a lot more work for not a lot more benefit than the Chevy Volt provides. Good job.
Ben report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +1

Idiotic!

Nov 21, 2008 08:42     

The most idiotic suggestion I have ever seen!
Paul report abuse vote down vote up Votes: -4

How would this be cheaper and get you better gas mileage?

Nov 21, 2008 08:47     

I respect your opinion and believe as you do that there is a better solution to this problem. However, I really think that you are approaching this like an 8 year old child would. I begin my argument by quoting you, "...hooked up to a generator (diesel engines are more efficient and last longer, thus better mileage)." Because a diesel is more efficient and lasts longer I get better mileage? How does this begin to make sense? Where does your logic, engineering analysis, or 3rd grade math skills get you this conclusion? Also, how does pulling a trailer with its increased drag, friction forces, extra tires to buy, expensive generators, expensive diesel, etc., help solve a fuel economy problem? This is why hybrids are made as they are. The motor, generator and batteries are nicely packaged into one neat compartment that seats 4 comfortably. I end with this: A lot of us that read the articles at TGDaily are scientists, engineers, teachers, and clever hobbyists. Quit feeding us the dregs of hand-sketched trailer magic, and bring us some real tech news, not third grade theory.

Sceptical... report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +6

When I look at that picture...

Nov 21, 2008 08:52     

...I just want to smack you. Really? Do you really think this is a good idea? I feel like I'm in some strange dream where this article is posted for the sole intent of giving me an aneurysm and I could wake up any minute and have it not be real at all. What are you thinking, "Hey, the morning commute already sucks, you know what we need, a trailer hitch on every vehicle out there towing a separate power generator. And when I get home I have to make sure not only to remember to plug in my car, but also to make sure I fill my separately attached tank - which I need to remember to disconnect and pull around so I can close my garage door. You've got to be kidding me. You act as if the only reason people do not buy electric cars is because they cost too much. Whereas there are a lot more technicallities to iron out before they can become mainstream. For instance, the fire hazard of having millions of cars plugged in typically overfilled garages overnight all over the country, and now you want to put an external fuel tank next to that. Also, there are those who do not want electric cars because they have read that it makes just as much if not more pollution than todays cars to make the batteries (byproduct waste) for those cars. Argh, I cannot believe how much reading this article has frustrated me, and on a typically computer savvy tech site. Final note: I do not know much about the pollution created by making hydrogen cars, but to me, those sound like the best bet if we can figure out the logistics of hydrogen distribution.

Nick B. report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +5

Drill here, drill now!

Nov 21, 2008 09:02     

And look for alternatives as well, but nobody wants these alternatives until they are as good as a good ol' gas-powered vehicle. That is about as cool and practical as the windshield wiper sunglasses or the beer helmet...
eclypse report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +1

Alternative suggestion

Nov 21, 2008 09:08     

Here's another idea for your consideration :- http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/10/13/gas-bag-on-roof-holds-bus-fuel/
Ian Phillips report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +1

same problem as all other electric cars

Nov 21, 2008 09:10     

Electric cars aren't green - unless the power production facilities are green. Towing a diesel generator behind your car as an auxiliary power source a) is less efficient then just having a diesel engine power your car and b) more polluting than a regular gasoline engine. Change over the electric utilities to green production and then electric cars will be "green" (though there are still issues of highly toxic batteries to be resolved). What we really need for electric cars to be practical is a) higher capacity batteries, b) rapid charging batteries, and c) a network of charging stations similar to the current network of gas stations.

Andrew report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +5

Interesting idea but

Nov 21, 2008 09:16     

Very interesting idea, and the socioeconomic implications are intriguing, however, your calculations are incredibly off unfortunately. The Addition of a generator, which is basically what you are suggesting, creates much more than air drag and wheel drag, it also has inertia which plays a huge part in acceleration and efficiency. [So, on those trips where you need extra power to drive however far, your fuel efficiency is reduced by 10%. Considering the fact that the rest of the time you're operating on battery power, it doesn't sound like a big enough detractor to me. -Rick] Its an interesting concept, but unfortunately I believe ben is correct. This is just a compartmentalized version of the volt. [The Volt is a very small car by comparison. I'm talking about having vehicles which are many passenger and much larger. -Rick]

Honest Joe report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +2

It's not all bad

Nov 21, 2008 09:21     

The modularity of it is quite cool. The car stays the same, but you can extend your range virtually at will. It has some merit.
Trutheriser report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +1

Why not have a battery trunk with easy replaceble battery pack?

Nov 21, 2008 09:41     

Why not have a battery trunk with easy replaceble battery pack? You could pull up to a Charging station and just replace your battery pack with a standardized battery pack. Even better figure out how to recharge the batter vary quickly so you could charge up in 5 minutes or less. Added batter storage could be increased by filling the body cavity of the vehicale with extra storage form fitting battery packs. The answers are there, No one wants to implement them. What is the answer to 99 out of 100 questions? Money..... If this is going to get off the ground we are all going to have to get used to the idea that cars will be more expensive. Add to that longer lasting and greater reliability custumers will sse the added value and pay the extra. Greedy, short term profit thinking will have to be replaced with smart long term thinking. This is really an opertunity to displace the Oil Companies and maybe even the hydro companies in the long term. We need real business men willing to investment in a world full of Corporations.

Shark report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +4

Standard Battery Modules

Nov 21, 2008 09:55     

I would rather see a standard battery module, and automated exchangers at our current gas stations. This would be an automated switch of the secondary battery in a vehicle much like the propane tank exchange at your local store. This system wouldn't change the way a vehicle drives like a trailer would, and could allow car manufacturers to have more than one module in larger vehicles. Furthermore the system wouldn't care if it were hybrid or pure electric systems.

Cary report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +4

not the way to go !!!

Nov 21, 2008 10:07     

this "in between" idea really has no future. when the 100 % electric vehicle will be the norm, its price will drop, and its technology will improve even more. It is a matter of time and willpower from the governments. If the governments of the world do nothing, the electric car technology will only improve slowly because of petrol-money and powerfull lobby-groups...
LionHell report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0

The answer has been obvious for a long time but is initially very expensive.

Nov 21, 2008 10:10     

The answer is to have a electrical power plate running above all the nations major roads (like the some electric powered railways) which cars would have an aerodynamic connector to connect to. You would then not have to carry heavy batteries (just enough to get to and from the main road). You would get power as you went along and that could be made initially from carbon sources but later totally from renewable source i.e. electricity can be made from a variety of sources. This, like the eisenhower freeways did would cost a fortune to install but is the best long term solution but the government as with most big projects would need to build the infrastructure and force auto makers to make car compatible. A method (meter) to charge for the power used would also be needed. I am not sure why no one ever comes up with this solution as America is definitely capable of doing this given the political will.

Chris, Georgia report abuse vote down vote up Votes: -5

a couple more problems

Nov 21, 2008 10:37     

Towing a trailer raises your insurance rates and I wouldn't want to have a hassle getting stuff in and out of my trunk with a trailer in the way. [I've never heard of that before. In such cases as I propose in this article, it would be an officially created trailer for the vehicle. It wouldn't be a generic trailer. That might affect insurance company's outlooks. -Rick]
Stew Pidd report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +1

trailer with a team of illegals that pedal really fast

Nov 21, 2008 10:59     

I think they should pull a trailer with a team of illegals that pedal really fast to generate power for the car. :P
Me report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +1

how bout

Nov 21, 2008 11:08     

using monorails, there used in some other countries, they go really fast and can travel long distances in short amounts of time, it would be easier for commuters to get to work faster without using their car, making less emissions and less traffic on the highways
bob report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0

not bad, but we suck so this won't happen

Nov 21, 2008 11:17     

I think this is a very interesting idea and there are a lot of pros to it, I'd go for it! But I bet I'm one of few who would, which is probably why the above are calling this idiotic. That, or I'm an idiot as well. But, I think that's what the two people above meant, just guessing, is that there's no way this would work, at least in America: 1. We are an EXTREMELY lazy nation! People want convenience and typically don't care what it costs. a. No matter how simple it is, they wouldn't want to have to hook up a trailer at all. b. We definitely wouldn't to have to go somewhere to rent it. While the nice part is we wouldn't have to store it, no one will give up that time or want to deal with the inconvenience of renting one. 2. We are vain. That alone is probably the biggest reason we get WORSE gas mileage today than we did 15 years ago. Not because of emission controls, but because all we care about is how flashy or cool our cars look, so we didn't require the auto makers to improve the MPGs. I really don't see some Caddy or Hummer owner driving one of these.

damon report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +3

suprised

Nov 21, 2008 11:25     

I am suprised to read such crap on TG daily.... Who's the editor?? [Wolfgang Gruener is the editor. This is an opinion piece. -Rick]
Ois report abuse vote down vote up Votes: -2

LOL

Nov 21, 2008 13:03     

assuming your being sarcastic... (i hope)... that an 8 year old could have thought of it better. Basically, battery powered vehicle with a power generator on demand (of course you don't need some giant generator trailing behind). Just a little internal engine to power a generator to charge the battery when the battery is low.
nev report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +1

If a train can move 2000lbs, 400 miles on a gal of fuel then...

Nov 21, 2008 13:17     

Why can we move a 1 ton car that far?
Big Bill report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +1

Maybe bad idea, but

Nov 21, 2008 13:47     

sometimes the best inventions come from the worst ideas. It may not be that pratical, but it could lead to something new, even revolutionary. And I bet everyone up here would throw stones at eletric cars ten years ago, so keep up on imagination!
salgado18 report abuse vote down vote up Votes: -1

It's been done: http://evnut.com/rav_longranger.htm

Nov 21, 2008 14:21     

It's actually a great idea, regardless of all these naysayers. First off, none of them have an EV, so they don't know what they are talking about. Second, battery swaps are only good if everybody has the same design to swap (this is what Better Place is proposing). I have a Ford Ranger EV and it gets about 40 miles to the charge. Because of the way the electronics are built, I cannot drive it while is is being charged. But if I could, the trailer option would be a great solution. I only own a gas car in addition to the EV because of those few times I need to go more than 40 miles. If I had the charger trailer, I would sell my Escape Hybrid in a heartbeat. I love driving my EV. An additional note, gas (or diesel) engines work at their best efficiency at a particular RPM. If the generator is running in the engine's sweet spot, it is much more efficient than having to be able to run from 0 to 75 mph (or 700 to 3000 rpm). So even with all the conversion losses added up, the gas mileage of this combo is comparable or BETTER than the pure gasoline version of the same vehicle.

Eletruk report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +4

who killed the electric car?

Nov 21, 2008 14:28     

Has anyone seen the movie 'Who Killed the Electric Car?'. They showcase pure battery powered cars that can go 300 miles on a single charge. Unfortunately, the oil companies took the cars away.
billybob report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0

Chevy Volt

Nov 21, 2008 14:36     

I can't believe only one other person mentioned the Chevy Volt. 40-50 mile range on electric-only power, then a small gas engine kicks in to recharge the batteries for longer trips. This is exactly like his trailer idea, just without the trailer. [This is the basic idea of the hybrid car. It's self-contained, always present, and therefore increases the initial expense. The Volt will sell for $40K. I'm talking about a $15K or less vehicle, with a trailer one can rent for $30 per week (due to governmental regulation on pricing). -Rick] Obviously the author wasn't aware of the Volt(or maybe just how it specifically worked), but he was on the right track. It's awfully lame to pick a guy apart for sharing his ideas to better the world. Maybe it's not a perfect idea, but we've all had failed ideas before. We obviously have a problem that nobody has fixed yet. We need more people voicing their ideas, not juveniles trying to feel better about themselves by cutting down everyone who has the courage to propose beneficial change. The holy grail of electric cars would have to be the fuel cell. Once we get a reliable and safe fuel cell, our problems are solved(on the tailpipe side of things anyways). Until then we need stop-gaps, and the Volt is a fine attempt.

Thunderdome report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +2

LOL Rick C. Hodgin is an idiot

Nov 21, 2008 14:42     

this article reminds me of a half-arsed mathematics project I did in 2 hours the night before it was due, in which I drew conclusions from thin air and backed them up with other conclusions extracted from the depths of my bowels. [How so? Care to elaborate? -Rick]
James report abuse vote down vote up Votes: -1

T-Zero and trailer

Nov 21, 2008 14:54     

There is a photo of the T-Zero electric vehicle towing a trailer like the one you mention. It extends the range of the vehicle. Perhaps one could have a small trailer with a portable electric generator to recharge the batteries or give an extra boost when needed. :)
TomLeeM/BigWarpGuy report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0

Added weight means more power required...

Nov 21, 2008 16:29     

...and the point of eliminating the engine and fuel is to reduce the weight and increase the capacity. Electric cars are for commuting. Yeah, I suppose a generator and gasoline to support it can be added, and the people that build their own RVs out of plywood will certainly do that to theirs; and add a portable toilet and beer can holder too.
Kayo report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +1

T-Zero website, see the thing in operation

Nov 21, 2008 17:28     

http://www.evworld.com/article.cfm?storyid=571 0-60 in 3.6 seconds: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pm6gD6r3-cw See! Someone actually built my idea. :)
Rick Hodgin report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +2

Here you can see the trailer being fueld

Nov 21, 2008 17:33     

The tZero car itself runs on electricity, but the trailer needs fuel for those long hauls. http://futuredrive.wordpress.com/
Rick Hodgin report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0

trains don't work in large countries.

Nov 21, 2008 19:51     

Some people have said to use trains. Well trains don't work in small countries the Canada or the USA or Russia. Remember Canada is only a bit smaller then ALL of Europe. Trains don't work for that kind of a country. Every day I go about 50-200 km of driving(I work in construction) Some days if you go on a vacation or do a lot of driving we can do a whole lot more then 200 km of driving. In Canada every thing is spread apart because we have so much space. What if I have to work out in the country? Or live in the country 2 hours away from a city? Goo idea for countries in Europe though where it takes the same amount of time to go from city to city in Canada as it takes to cross the whole country in Europe. Anyways I like the idea of the author and would make electric cars feasible for large countries.

Name? report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0

Honestly?

Nov 21, 2008 23:21     

Honestly, this is one of the stupidest ideas I've ever heard. Thank you for sharing it though. [You're welcome. :) -Rick]
honestly? report abuse vote down vote up Votes: -2

The Volt

Nov 21, 2008 23:47     

Thats what it is. its an electric vehicle that when the batteries die it runs on a generator to recharge the batteries. No link between the engine and the wheel. Now go get a job. [The Volt costs $40K and has all of that equipment built in to the one vehicle. I'm suggesting a vehicle in the $15K price range that doesn't have that extra, unnecessary equipment built in. You buy a battery-only vehicle and then when you need the extra stuff you rent it for the duration. Most drivers may never need it but one or two weeks a year. So, they rent it during that time. How is that not an advantage? -Rick]

David report abuse vote down vote up Votes: -1

fine, crap all over a good idea

Nov 22, 2008 00:28     

Geeze, some of you people are a rude kind of grouchy. I liked the picture, and I'm a teacher as well as a talented hobbyist. I thought it was cute. I think the purpose was to point out how simple the idea is. I suppose Occam's razor applies here. If I could afford to convert my car, I would try this. It looks like a fun project. Oh, and God forbid we add an iota of inconvenience to our lives just to forestall the end of humanity.

Josef Hoffman report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0

What about wireless electric?

Nov 24, 2008 12:03     

Wireless electricity is in the works and has been demonstrated and reported on recently... In the future I see these power emitters under the roads sending electricity wirelessly to electric cars. Maybe under highways for long driving while recharging. Even better might be charging pads under driveways and garage parking spots for rechanging while parked without plugging into anything. Who knows. One thing is for certain, something has to change.

so4getful report abuse vote down vote up Votes: -1

Why not Air power?

Nov 25, 2008 09:17     

"Planet Mechanics" (TV science show) built an air powered bike, and visited a company producing an air powered car. It's unclear how the energy density compares with batteries, but the recharge time from a master tank which could be pressurized using green energy, is impressively quick. Two drawbacks of air power: 1. Rupturing the pressurized tank will result in an explosion. 2. They are a lot noisier than electric, with the air motor sounding more like a diesel, though that does avoid the need for artificial alerting noise from an electric.

Matthew report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0

Too expensive

Nov 25, 2008 19:55     

Way too expensive. Tires. Axles. Chassis. Body. Way too much. It would be a lot better solution simply to have all the auto manufactururs agree on a standard to accept a *completely modular* plug-in generator that can be mounted under the hood. It *must* be completely customer serviceable, ie, easy to install and remove, like a normal car battery. Once this standard is in place, all you'd need to do is buy an electric car like the Volt, then order a compatible generator from one of a number of different competitors. You pop the hood, plug in the generator, plug in the cable and the exhaust hose, and you're good to go. By making it modular, we let competition control the prices of generators. Otherwise it becomes an expensive proprietary option costing many times what it should. (Like most car parts.) And it will likely need to be installed by a professional for even more money.

Shadowmaster625 report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0

Volt modularity and real world usage

Nov 26, 2008 14:39     

There have been many discusions on the Volt blog page about interchangeable 'power packs' diesel, fuelcells or even addtional batteries in the existing space where the gas engine will live. So even if not from GM it seems clear that interchangeable power modules are very possible in a real world car. Standard replaceable battery packs are not a terrible idea, the main issue I see being infrastructure costs. The idea of an external power source is sound but logistics would prevent wide implementation of the idea. The issues being safety (lets face it most drivers are really not very good, adding a trailer to their car is asking for trouble), not to mention the parking issues that your now long car would face. (backing up a small trailer is a hard thing to do!)Logisticly speaking you have to either store the the thing or go to 'u-haul' to rent one. Terribly inconvenient so therefore people will just fire up the old Land Rover (insert whatever gas powered car you may have in that spot) and use it instead. Time is of course the root issue, and I certainly don't have any it seems these days. So when I'm driving the kids from piano to band to whatever after being at work all day going over 40 miles on that day. This happens quite often in my world meaning for me to not be dead at the side of the road I would need to drag the 'damned' trailer (it WOULD become a thorn in my side) around the city several days a week. As I said at the beginning the idea is sound, but to work in my world it needs to be integrated into the car. I realize there may well be people whom this could work for but I truly think for most people the 'volt' approach is better. My vote is for the Volt when it hits the ground.

MuddyRoverRob report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0

out of bigger better

Nov 27, 2008 09:14     

here's my solution to getting americans to accept battery powered vehicles: most americans seem to think light cars(such as hybrids) are more risky, not true. a light car accelerates better, uses less energy and has a much shorter stopping distance than a big heavy SUV that needs lots of fuel and weighs too much to stop in time. plus SUV's have higher kinetic energy in an accident, resulting in far more damage. americans need to get out of their "bigger=better" attitude and realise bigger=more consuming and dangerous. it's the incompetent leader they re-elected in 2004 that got them into this economical crysis in the first place.

JohnnyricoMC report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0

electric cars soon, or water cars

Dec 03, 2008 13:01     

guyz, there is a water cars, but not so much as needed. Check out panacea-bocaf site. You can attach water battery by urself, u just need a manual http://www.carpartsbuy.com/parts/
John report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0

seajo

Dec 20, 2008 09:01     

antalya pension sea
hops report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0