Enter your username:
Do you want to login or register?
  • Forgot your password?

    Login / Register



    Page 1 of 2 1 2 LastLast
    Results 1 to 20 of 35

    Thread: E-crate engines

    1. #1
      Join Date
      Feb 2013
      Posts
      799
      Country Flag: United States

      E-crate engines

      It's coming:
      https://www.roadandtrack.com/car-cul...c-crate-motor/



    2. #2
      Join Date
      Feb 2013
      Posts
      1,414
      Country Flag: United States
      Yeah... I just can't get on board with that...


      Ridetech Suspsension
      Tech Specialist
      Phone: 812.481.4734

      Project Fox
      1979 Trans Am

    3. #3
      Join Date
      Apr 2001
      Location
      The City of Fountains
      Posts
      15,971
      Country Flag: United States
      " $60,000 for the parts alone..." LOL

      Andrew
      1970 GTO Version 3.0
      1967 Cougar build
      GM High-Tech Performance feature
      My YouTube Channel Please Subscribe!
      Instagram @projectgattago
      Dr. EFI
      I deliver what EFI promises.
      Remote Holley EFI tuning.
      Please get in touch if I can be of service.

      "You were the gun, your voice was the trigger, your bravery was the barrel, your eyes were the bullets." ~ Her

    4. #4
      Join Date
      Jun 2016
      Location
      Upstate NY
      Posts
      44
      GMs hinted at similar options. When these take-off, ICE of the past will be a joke.

    5. #5
      Join Date
      Aug 2005
      Location
      Hamilton, NJ
      Posts
      4,293
      Country Flag: United States
      The copo gm had at sema a few years ago was electric with a th400, wasn't it?
      Scott from NJ.

      Vent Windows Forever! ...

      Feather-light suspension, Konis just couldn't hold
      I'm so glad I took a look inside your showroom doors

    6. #6
      Join Date
      Feb 2013
      Posts
      799
      Country Flag: United States
      Yes the first one is expensive like anything else. My daily driver is electric and I can't justify buying another gas burner for every day use.

      At some point, probably after we're dead a while, gasoline will be a novelty item that powers museum pieces and relics for the wealthy.

    7. #7
      Join Date
      Nov 2018
      Posts
      642
      Country Flag: United States
      Quote Originally Posted by Josh@Ridetech View Post
      Yeah... I just can't get on board with that...
      I can totally get on board with it, once the recharge time problem is solved. As long as it takes longer to charge it than it takes to use it, I have zero interest in an electric drivetrain. Once they do though... folks have been building electric cars hitting low 7 seconds in the quarter mile.

    8. #8
      Join Date
      Feb 2013
      Posts
      799
      Country Flag: United States
      Strictly out of wanting to know your perception of this, what do you see as an acceptable recharge time? I plug in to 220 every night when I get home to be topped off in the morning. At 30 minutes for a supercharger station, yeah that's an inconvenience for driving cross country, which I don't do in this car.

      When people ask me how often I have to charge my car, like visiting my outlet in the garage is an extra trip, I'm always surprised and usually rephrase the mileage question to time in the car. With an i3 like mine, it's a little over 2.5 hours before I use the range extender. Most months I just run the engine for 15 minutes to keep it lubricated.

      Quote Originally Posted by Vimes View Post
      I can totally get on board with it, once the recharge time problem is solved. As long as it takes longer to charge it than it takes to use it, I have zero interest in an electric drivetrain. Once they do though... folks have been building electric cars hitting low 7 seconds in the quarter mile.

    9. #9
      Join Date
      Apr 2001
      Location
      The City of Fountains
      Posts
      15,971
      Country Flag: United States
      Quote Originally Posted by JustJohn View Post
      Y....

      At some point, probably after we're dead a while, gasoline will be a novelty item that powers museum pieces and relics for the wealthy.
      I actually agree with this completely. I fact, I fully understand how an electric only drivetrain is vastly superior to internal combustion engines. Once the battery technology catches up, there is zero reason to have internal combustion powered cars.

      I have actually been thinking about doing an EV conversion on an older VW bug. My wife likes those cars a lot and it would be a fun project. EV West offers kits already, but I am waiting for the Tesla motor powered VW kits.

      Andrew
      1970 GTO Version 3.0
      1967 Cougar build
      GM High-Tech Performance feature
      My YouTube Channel Please Subscribe!
      Instagram @projectgattago
      Dr. EFI
      I deliver what EFI promises.
      Remote Holley EFI tuning.
      Please get in touch if I can be of service.

      "You were the gun, your voice was the trigger, your bravery was the barrel, your eyes were the bullets." ~ Her

    10. #10
      Join Date
      Aug 2004
      Location
      NJ
      Posts
      1,293
      Country Flag: United States
      I think it's a cool idea and would even attempt to build one some day, once prices come down and battery technology advances.

      I remember when Chevrolet introduced the ECOPO concept and they talked about a crate kit to fit in your older car, but that seems to have fallen by the wayside. There's been no talk of it at all, they even sold the ECOPO!

    11. #11
      Join Date
      Aug 2004
      Location
      Crown Point, Indiana
      Posts
      1,107
      Country Flag: United States

    12. #12
      Join Date
      Feb 2013
      Posts
      799
      Country Flag: United States
      You could probably package the i3 driveline a lot easier. It's closer to the right size car and probably more readily (cheaply) available.

      Quote Originally Posted by andrewb70 View Post
      I actually agree with this completely. I fact, I fully understand how an electric only drivetrain is vastly superior to internal combustion engines. Once the battery technology catches up, there is zero reason to have internal combustion powered cars.

      I have actually been thinking about doing an EV conversion on an older VW bug. My wife likes those cars a lot and it would be a fun project. EV West offers kits already, but I am waiting for the Tesla motor powered VW kits.

      Andrew

    13. #13
      Join Date
      Nov 2018
      Posts
      642
      Country Flag: United States
      Quote Originally Posted by JustJohn View Post
      Strictly out of wanting to know your perception of this, what do you see as an acceptable recharge time? I plug in to 220 every night when I get home to be topped off in the morning. At 30 minutes for a supercharger station, yeah that's an inconvenience for driving cross country, which I don't do in this car.

      When people ask me how often I have to charge my car, like visiting my outlet in the garage is an extra trip, I'm always surprised and usually rephrase the mileage question to time in the car. With an i3 like mine, it's a little over 2.5 hours before I use the range extender. Most months I just run the engine for 15 minutes to keep it lubricated.
      10 minutes tops. I should be able to pull into a charging station on electrons (otherwise known as fumes,) top up and be back on my way with full range in that time. And before you say it can't be done, here's a couple of promising breakthroughs being worked on.

      https://www.design-engineering.com/r...es-1004033965/
      https://www.hybridcars.com/mits-liqu...minutes-30157/

      So far as charging at home, that's nice until you have an overnight storm that knocks your power out. If it's out long enough, you're stranded until power comes back on long enough to recharge. I can also get into any car I own and drive coast to coast at a moment's notice, can't do that in an electric. It's not an ability I wish to give up, and I do occasionally have the need to drive further one way than an electric car can manage on one charge. If I need to haul people I take the SUV, if I need to go for work I take the truck, if I'm going to a show I'll take my project when it's done. Gasoline allows me to go there and back in a day, electric requires an overnight stay at a motel where I can charge the car, if that's even possible. Might require a 2 night stay, so I can go find a place to recharge the car enough to make it home. EVs are not ever going to be anything more than a curiosity or a city commuter until the 10 minute recharge is a thing, and infrastructure is put into place to support it. And consider, I'm a PRO-EV person. Imagine trying to convince an anti-EV person without the above in place.

    14. #14
      Join Date
      Jan 2011
      Location
      Jefferson City, MO
      Posts
      240
      Achieving less expensive buy-in, easy access to quick charging, and weight are the prime impediments. I'm on board once that happens.

    15. #15
      Join Date
      Sep 2006
      Location
      Southern Indiana
      Posts
      4,699
      Country Flag: United States
      When it's takes 5 minute or less for charge, doesn't cost arm and a leg to repair and such I might get on electric bandwagon BUT if you run out of juice on road, your hauling it to charging station or home.
      Lee Abel
      AFTERMARKET PERFORMANCE

      1977 Chevy Monza 2+2:Project "Cheap Trick"
      1978 C10 Long bed , On air and trailer puller
      2006 Buell Blast ,Just a bike to ride and for mileage
      1966 Caprice 4dr Sports Roof fact.327/now 350/SOON 454???? Project "II Old,,,ZERO BUDGET OR LESS CAPRICE!"

    16. #16
      Join Date
      Sep 2007
      Posts
      424
      Electric drivetrains "just need to improve the weight, range, charging times" in the same way that space travel "just needs to improve the speed, safety, and cost problems." These problems are not minor hiccups, they are the whole story. Researchers have been struggling with this stuff for 100 years.


      That said, electric cars are probably the future for short/medium commutes. They are simpler & cheaper than IC cars if range is not an issue. Lately the battery tech has gotten good enough that the price math starts to make sense.

      I'm guessing EV vs IC will develop into an urban/rural difference. Nobody is gonna be plowing snow in the backwoods with an electric F250 any time soon. It's just not practical to carry the battery equivalent of 30 gallons of gas. Current EV cars are carrying more like 3 gallons worth of stored energy.

    17. #17
      Join Date
      Nov 2018
      Posts
      642
      Country Flag: United States
      Quote Originally Posted by mikedc View Post
      I'm guessing EV vs IC will develop into an urban/rural difference. Nobody is gonna be plowing snow in the backwoods with an electric F250 any time soon. It's just not practical to carry the battery equivalent of 30 gallons of gas. Current EV cars are carrying more like 3 gallons worth of stored energy.
      And in the coming split between the urban EV and the rural F250, the F250 will burn wood.



      http://www.driveonwood.com/

    18. #18
      Join Date
      Nov 2007
      Location
      Melbourne FL
      Posts
      20
      ive been reading around quite a bit the past week about tesla drivetrain swaps. Its a very cool idea, but its still a lot of money and you need about 1000lbs worth of batteries, and range is less than 100 miles.
      I dont mind the range, its not like a tesla swapped chevelle or whatever is going to be what i build to drive across the country anyway.

    19. #19
      Join Date
      Mar 2015
      Location
      Baton Rouge, LA
      Posts
      106
      Country Flag: United States
      Quote Originally Posted by mikedc View Post
      Electric drivetrains "just need to improve the weight, range, charging times" in the same way that space travel "just needs to improve the speed, safety, and cost problems." These problems are not minor hiccups, they are the whole story. Researchers have been struggling with this stuff for 100 years.


      That said, electric cars are probably the future for short/medium commutes. They are simpler & cheaper than IC cars if range is not an issue. Lately the battery tech has gotten good enough that the price math starts to make sense.

      I'm guessing EV vs IC will develop into an urban/rural difference. Nobody is gonna be plowing snow in the backwoods with an electric F250 any time soon. It's just not practical to carry the battery equivalent of 30 gallons of gas. Current EV cars are carrying more like 3 gallons worth of stored energy.
      People seem to wrongly assume that Moore's Law will apply to all of these problems (like they did for computers), and conclude that in ~20 years or so batteries will have orders of magnitude more storage than the batteries of today. Problem is that it doesn't apply, as batteries are physically limited: https://blogs.scientificamerican.com...ology-no-dice/

      As you said, batteries have been the subject of intense research for going on 40 years, and are still a very long way from even coming close to matching the range of an ICE w/o 1000+ lb of dead weight.

    20. #20
      Join Date
      Nov 2018
      Posts
      642
      Country Flag: United States
      Quote Originally Posted by ICrombie View Post
      People seem to wrongly assume that Moore's Law will apply to all of these problems (like they did for computers), and conclude that in ~20 years or so batteries will have orders of magnitude more storage than the batteries of today. Problem is that it doesn't apply, as batteries are physically limited: https://blogs.scientificamerican.com...ology-no-dice/

      As you said, batteries have been the subject of intense research for going on 40 years, and are still a very long way from even coming close to matching the range of an ICE w/o 1000+ lb of dead weight.
      You're correct that Moore's law does not apply, however research will advance the cause. To me, this is the most promising solution (see link below) for EV recharging, provided the electrolyte could be recharged and is not a one-use kind of thing. It wouldn't matter how long it took to recharge the electrolyte, so long as the process to replace the electrolye in the car didn't take more than 10 minutes. The electrolyte could either be recharged on-site, or taken to a refinery for recharging. If the car itself could recharge the electrolyte via a plug-in charger, even if that part did take overnight, bonus. You'd only need to drain and fill if you travel.

      https://www.hybridcars.com/mits-liqu...minutes-30157/

    Page 1 of 2 1 2 LastLast




    Advertise on Pro-Touring.com