Lotus Range Extender
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Range extenders, small gasoline engines that produce electricity to run electric cars after their battery packs discharge, will likely see huge innovation in the coming years. While the Chevy Volt and Fisker Karma both use off-the-shelf GM engines as range extenders, many companies are working on tiny, radically more efficient engines to turn generators in battery-powered cars. German parts supplier KSPG showed a novel range extender at last months Detroit Auto Show: a small V-twin engine that uses a pair of generators to counterbalance its uneven firing pulses and inherent vibration...
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Electric-Car Range Extender Engines: OK Now, Can Do BetterElectric cars like the 2011 Chevrolet Volt and 2011 Fisker Karma get around the problem of range anxiety the old-fashioned way: They use gasoline engines. They do it because the battery systems of pure electric vehicles are large, heavy, and expensive, but the range they produce is still...
George Parrott -
Little Lotus Range-Extending Engine For Electric Cars Proves Popular
Most car buyers haven't even heard the term "range extender" yet. But over time, expect it to become more familiar, as electric cars like the 2011 Chevrolet Volt introduce the concept of a gasoline engine that turns a generator to produce electricity to power the vehicle. Tiny, powerful, efficient...
John Voelcker
