Re: Diesel electric vans?
Diesel electric has been around for decades.... most of our locomotives are diesel electric. I think there are also diesel electric buses.
We own both an electric vehicle and a hybrid vehicle.
I have wondered about the same sort of vehicles you are thinking about.
The biggest issue remains energy density for the batteries that power locomotion.
This next year there are patents that expire for the highest energy density batteries that have yet to be designed. The problem is that after the US Taxpayer paid for the design, GM bought the technology, then it was sold to Texaco two weeks before Texaco became Chevron, and since then the battery technology has only been allowed for very large format use like commercial buses. There were a couple of companies with grandfathered contracts to use the technology, but they haven't been willing to. There are companies ramping-up in preparations of the patent expiration.
Hopefully this will open the door for some new applications of the high energy density battery technology.
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Greg in Austin
2008 Ford 6.0PSD EB/E-PH SMB 4X4 Aluminess f/r bumpers (13.5mpg avg, 15mpg hwy) 52k miles [Texas McBeast]
2006 Toyota Prius (48 to 68 mpg) 120k miles [Penelope]
2013 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon (15 to 18 mpg) [Johnnie]
2012 Mitsubishi MiEV (no gas required) ($.50/day in electricity) [Evie]
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