2007-04-16
The first web-log entry I made was about my wish that the automobile industry would take more interest in serial hybrids. I expressed the wish again in a subsequent web-log entry, almost a year later. Two years later, is there hope for this wish?
Chevrolet Volt concept car is a serial hybrid, and in fact GM claims to be building a serial-hybrid platform. However, GM is also the company that came out with EV1 and then dumped it quite unceremoniously. In any case, Volt is just a concept car.
Also, I wished there would be a focus on performance cars with electric power train, rather than on savings. Tesla Roadster emphasizes performance. Tesla Roadster is not a serial hybrid, but the focus on performance is the key. I hope more such products come out, and they include serial hybrids so that the electric power-train can become more ubiquitous.
Having the electric power-trains in use as early as possible, and in as high numbers as possible will help power-train technologies mature, to let the standards evolve, and to create the infrastructure needed to support electric power-trains.
As an update I would like to point out that I am not enamored with cars like this not because it is economically viable, but because I hope it will help foster technologies for more practical ones later. For instance, the Tesla Roadster is only good if you have too much money to burn and plan to use this car only for 6 months (you will probably have to spend almost the same amount to get it working again).
In any case, if filthy rich people could help finance the development or push mainstream car manufacturers to push electric power-trains, it will give us a platform on which we can use with many of the possible energy sources or rather energy transportation sources like hydrogen.
Labels: electric powertrain, serial hybrids
Posted by FiniteState42i @22:53
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