Electric Vehicles

[Martinjlm]

Originally Posted by snizzle

We don't need electronic doors/handles just as we don't need to surf the touchscreen to move the air vents. Don't overthink this stuff.

Just a bit of "history" on this. Didja ever notice that dating back to the '70s practically every concept vehicle displayed had no door handles and many had cameras instead of mirrors? That is because automakers liked to brag about how aerodynamic their concept vehicles were, even though they knew they could never get vehicles into production without door handles and mirrors. Turns out door handles and mirrors add significant drag for the vehicle.

Then we started getting more clever ways of integrating the door handles. Corvette is a great example. Since C6 you actually reach into a pocket to activate the door handles and open the vehicle. Other companies put them on the B-pillar and/or C-pillar. And they started focusing on design of mirror covers to minimize drag effects. Corvette is another excellent example. The passenger side mirror is actually placed further away from the car than the driver's side mirror, purely to reduce drag.

Now, add EVs to the mix. Since most EVs have a single gear transmission, the single biggest impact to range is aerodynamics. And, front end design aside, the biggest contributor to drag is the door handles. So making them flush while the car is moving is a big deal. It also happens to contribute to a clean styling look, but the real reason is aero.

Not defending, just explaining "why".

[Capricio]

Originally Posted by Martinjlm

The difference between the first generation of EREVs and the upcoming second generation of EREVs (Ram 1500 REV, Scout, Ford's upcoming Lightning replacement) is that the new generation will be engineered to maintain battery state of charge (SOC) in an optimal range. When EV batteries get low on SOC they also have reduced capability (system hp, towing / hauling capability). So by engineering the ICE generator to turn on when they approach the optimal breakpoint, the vehicle can maintain optimal towing capability and/or acceleration capability for much longer. In my personal opinion, this is a killer app for towing.

https://www.autoblog.com/news/scout-...-could-drop-50

Not sure if this counts as a "second gen " EREV or not. Pretty much relegated to "lifestyle vehicle" status if they can't tow more than this.

Electric pickup and SUV maker Scout Motors recently drew the ire of potential customers with the announcement that its pickup truck’s advertised tow rating could drop by 50 percent when equipped with a gasoline-powered range-extender. While this system increases overall range from 350 to 500 miles, the announcement that the Scout Terra pickup’s tow rating could drop from 10,000 lbs to about 5,000 lbs has not gone down well with prospective buyers, especially those with hauling or towing requirement

[Martinjlm]

Originally Posted by Capricio

https://www.autoblog.com/news/scout-...-could-drop-50

Not sure if this counts as a "second gen " EREV or not. Pretty much relegated to "lifestyle vehicle" status if they can't tow more than this.

That's pretty weird. It does seem as though they are working to correct this, but I wonder why they would release it that way to begin with. Maybe the range extender requires too much fuel to maintain 10,000 lbs for any duration. That's my only guess.