Toyota just has to extend the range of the various plug-in hybrid "Prime" models to 100+ miles on EV, which is totally doable. Right now it's already 25-40 miles. In the US in particular that's going to be a good compromise for a lot of people.
FYI, 40 miles is not plucked out of a hat. Scientists specifically mention that number because it exceeds the daily average driving distance of >90% of people. It is basically the point where any further increases in range becomes unnecessary cost.
That's interesting. Yeah, I know it's probably a more complicated drivetrain, but PHEV to me are the absolute sweet spot for US drivers. Enough to electrify most of the time while enabling longer commutes if needed. Too bad there doesn't seem to be one with 40 mile range under $50k.
A 24 kwH pack (or less) along with a https://www.liquidpiston.com/ engine could provide for an amazing hybrid platform. I think these large battery packs are an obscene waste. Even the 24 kwH pack should be running in 24 electric assist bicycles. Anything over 50 kwH is waste and preventing someone else from going electric.
The average person is extremely concerned about their ability to take that 1,000 mile road trip they’ve never even considered before. This waste also makes cars heavier than they need to be which requires special tyres (more expensive, of course), does more road damage, results in worse braking performance, and more impactful in accidents. And for people who care about driving, the added weight makes the driving experience worse. No driver has ever wanted a heavier car.
Once we collectively get over range anxiety a whole new world is going to open up in EVs.
1,000 mile road trips actually happen, and until recently it was never a problem we had to deal with.
I very much doubt we will ever get over it. We are specifically asked to abandon a feature we enjoyed for a century. We will likely only get over it when there are EVs that simply do not have this sacrifice.
I never said they don’t happen. I said it isn’t average to take one, and the average person is concerned about their ability to do something they’ll never do.
The average person doesn’t need hundreds of miles of range on a single charge assuming the charging infrastructure is there, and it’s getting there.
I’m not sure what your point is. You are in favour of wasting limited non-renewable resources because you personally take road trips?
"Never" is a strong word. People do need it every once in a while. You are taking the idea that people don't drive that much too far.
The point is that the convention BEV is not that desirable, and that people will never accept its limitations. The solution is simply producing another kind of zero emissions vehicle without this problem. That is something we can easily do now. The only opposition at this point seems to be BEV fanatics who have basically closed their minds to this fact in the same way ICE car fanatics closed their minds to EVs a decade ago.
Those Liquid Pistons are probably the most interesting engine design to come a long in a long time, but they're still unproven technology. I haven't kept up on it but I think they've been working on figuring out how to get the engine to survive any significant length of time.
I agree that huge batteries are a waste, but I think there's basically no future in fossil fuel ground transportation. Hybrids are a transitional technology we might use for awhile because we don't have the EV production capacity.
In the long run I think we're better off electrifying our major highways so cars and trucks can charge without stopping. There are several ways to do it, of which induction is the least practical and most expensive.
We should be open to manufacturing liquid fuels or growing them. Esp if they are used sparingly as a backup source. They are energy dense, portable and transferrable.
