crazy question for extending range via rear wheel generator

[Klaus2018]

My neighbor and I had the question of this possibility (if at all)...

Could the rear drivetrain from an AWD Golf swapped into the rear on an e-golf to recharge the battery via an electric motor as a generator setup?

Does anyone think this is physically possible? Being each generation golf has same platform, ultimately, the rear suspension, I assume, would be interchangeable and with the battery pack location, it appears there would be enough physical room to accommodate the rear drivetrain swap. The next hurdle would be to mount the rear diff/electric motor config and then find a way to tap into the brake recuperation system to circumvent the "charging while driving lockout" feature? If all this were even possible, would it be efficient enough to even be practical? oh and, bring on the troll comments! lol :mrgreen: :lol:

 

[RonDawg]

Disclaimer: I dropped out of engineering school.

However, it seems like you're trying to make energy by expending battery energy to cause propulsion, only to use that propulsion to put energy back into the battery. At best that's a zero-sum scheme, as you cannot create energy, only change its form. However, generating energy is not a 100% efficient thing, as we know from regen braking. While better than just wasting it in the form of heat and noise (via friction brakes), you gain considerably less than 100% of that energy back. So you'll actually be losing range, as some of your battery energy will be needed to overcome the load from having to turn a generator (the back axle).

Your proposal would make more sense if the car's main propulsion fuel were gasoline, diesel, or even hydrogen; any excess energy not needed to propel the car and run things like lights, HVAC, etc. can then be diverted towards battery charging. But we already have hybrid cars for that.

 

[forbin404]

Yes it can be done.

Will it give you any more miles? Only in a downhill. All uphill driving will then eat more energy than before. Unless the Generator has the ability to decouple during acceleration. But then that 'decouple' should be taking up energy in a stop n go situation.
So basically, you wasted whatever money you put into it.

Someone on the Fiat board posted about how they went to Pikes Peak in a 500e ended up at the top with 1%, then coasted all the way down and ended up with 80% or more. He mentioned that his car then threw a fault because it couldn't believe you can recharge a car that much.

With your idea, he would end up probably 75% of the way up (Because of the extra load) and probably with the same 80% on the way down (Due to the extra regen).

 

[Klaus2018]

yeah....that's what I was kinda figuring :roll: :lol: ....gahhh oh well. Thanks for the reply guys!

Side note....does anyone have any real world experience with the EV Chip range extender?

https://evtun.com/evchip-for-e-golf-e-up.html

 

[msvphoto]

Tow a lightweight trailer with a gas generator and call it a "Rex."

 

[forbin404]

saw this at walmart

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Sportsman-Gasoline-4000W-Portable-Generator/46542324?wmlspartner=wlpa&adid=22222222227034047996&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=72454860032&wl4=pla-140395468112&wl5=9031539&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=8175035&wl11=online&wl12=46542324&wl13=&veh=sem

10 hours at 2000w load for 3.6 gals of gas.

On the 110 I get 5 miles per hour. So 50 miles for 3.6 gals of gas.....ugh. That's really inefficient. (That's 14 miles per gallon)

 

[Exter1]

thanks a lot for answering as i was having similar quesitons. could i ask other questions if i would have any? i was starting to think that it it a tire thing :lol: A Traditional Greek Salad Recipe