What do the new CAFE standards mean for the Z?

wstar · 05-20-2009, 11:57 PM

I really think all-electric cars are the future, or 'hybrids' in the sense of cars that are designed as full electrics, but have a tiny fixed-rpm gasoline engine hooked up to a generator to provide a range boost over the capacity of the battery packs alone. They're way more efficient in terms of energy production and utilization, and we already have the grid to distribute the juice (and gas stations for the long-range generators).

Won't get in the way of performance either. A good all-electric performance car can knock the socks off a gas car. You get 4 electric motors (one in each wheel)... AWD with full torque at any speed (starting at zero), engine braking that pretty much obviates the need for traditional brakes, and capable of much more advance traction and stability control with an advanced cpu controlling the 4 motor controllers (imagine a computer that could choose the engine torque delivered to each individual wheel precisely, on top of what can be done with TCS/launch-control systems today). Oh and did I mention no gearing necessary at all? No driveline losses, no clutch, no transmission, no differential, etc.

The only thing holding back that vision of the future, at this point, is the need for more advanced batteries and/or supercapacitors to be developed, and for the cost of those components to drop drastically. It will happen, it's just a question of when.

05-20-2009, 11:57 PM	#11 (permalink)
wstar A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 4,024 Drives: too slow Rep Power: 3595	I really think all-electric cars are the future, or 'hybrids' in the sense of cars that are designed as full electrics, but have a tiny fixed-rpm gasoline engine hooked up to a generator to provide a range boost over the capacity of the battery packs alone. They're way more efficient in terms of energy production and utilization, and we already have the grid to distribute the juice (and gas stations for the long-range generators). Won't get in the way of performance either. A good all-electric performance car can knock the socks off a gas car. You get 4 electric motors (one in each wheel)... AWD with full torque at any speed (starting at zero), engine braking that pretty much obviates the need for traditional brakes, and capable of much more advance traction and stability control with an advanced cpu controlling the 4 motor controllers (imagine a computer that could choose the engine torque delivered to each individual wheel precisely, on top of what can be done with TCS/launch-control systems today). Oh and did I mention no gearing necessary at all? No driveline losses, no clutch, no transmission, no differential, etc. The only thing holding back that vision of the future, at this point, is the need for more advanced batteries and/or supercapacitors to be developed, and for the cost of those components to drop drastically. It will happen, it's just a question of when. __________________ 7AT Track Car! Journal thread / Car setup details