Author Topic: The Leaf's gas-turbine range extender trailer  (Read 1779 times)

Brammofan

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The Leaf's gas-turbine range extender trailer
« on: December 16, 2011, 09:57:07 AM »
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1070677_2012-nissan-leaf-gets-unofficial-jet-powered-range-extender-quick-charger

Some interesting stuff in this article besides this guy's propane-powered Capstone generator.
Quote
The man responsible for designing the highly-popular unofficial aftermarket modification to enable a stock Level 1, 110-Volt Leaf charging cable to also charge a Leaf twice as quickly from a suitable 240-Volt outlet, Sadow’s latest creation effectively turns his 2012 Nissan Leaf into a range-extended electric car.
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860

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Re: The Leaf's gas-turbine range extender trailer
« Reply #1 on: December 16, 2011, 06:44:48 PM »
That's pretty cool, but it seems way too big and powerful for the task.  All it has to do is provide a charge that sustains the battery level, and this one recharges the battery pack from 0 to 80% in just 30 minutes.  That's Pike's Peak hill-climb type of power for a Leaf.

protomech

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Re: The Leaf's gas-turbine range extender trailer
« Reply #2 on: December 16, 2011, 07:13:54 PM »
ER trailers are a neat idea. I don't think they make sense to purchase - if you use an ER trailer regularly, you're probably better served by a plug-in hybrid. Rental might be an option - which means an interface has to be standardized, and the rental fee of course has to be significantly less than the rental fee for a conventional gas car.

Basically the same as my thoughts on saddle battery packs. You're better served by an integrated solution if you need the extra range often, and they will likely be too expensive if you only use them infrequently.
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FreepZ

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Re: The Leaf's gas-turbine range extender trailer
« Reply #3 on: December 16, 2011, 10:22:35 PM »
That might be a good solution for roadside assistance. 30 minutes recharge time is probably less that it takes to get your car towed to the nearest charging station and then juiced up to 80%.

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“If it isn’t obvious by now our mission is to see the Electric Vehicle succeed,” wrote Sadow. “We will do anything we can that furthers this cause!”

Looking forward to more cool user generated ideas!
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Re: The Leaf's gas-turbine range extender trailer
« Reply #4 on: December 19, 2011, 02:08:28 PM »
ER trailers are a neat idea. I don't think they make sense to purchase - if you use an ER trailer regularly, you're probably better served by a plug-in hybrid. Rental might be an option - which means an interface has to be standardized, and the rental fee of course has to be significantly less than the rental fee for a conventional gas car.

Basically the same as my thoughts on saddle battery packs. You're better served by an integrated solution if you need the extra range often, and they will likely be too expensive if you only use them infrequently.



Zip ER Trailer, supplied by Zip Car?