Ok so i was reading up on the volt a little and i had an idea.
say you have an EV with a range of 50 miles, its great for most trips but every now and then you need to go the extra mile.
could you put an onboard charger and a gas powered generator (with proper exhaust) in your car to extend your range?
I haven’t seen anyone do it, but I don’t know why. 
Here is something like you are proposing. It’s a motorcycle but the same Idea.
nice,
now , if only i had the time, money, and skills to do it,
or just set it up like another turbo… making exhaust pressure and spin the turbine the turbine would basicly be a mini plane engine and you should be set with making power off that.
By definition that would make it a hybrid (not a bad thing). I forget which type. But the VOLT would be of the same type.
yes thats why i mentioned the volt in my post.
and the idea would be that most of the time it would be purely electric, unless you had to do an extra long trip once in a while , then you’d add the genertor.
Another option might be a small trailer(assuming generator is just for long trips). That would avoid all the dead weight when the generator is not needed. No worries about exhaust, fuel storage, etc. They make small trailers for kayaks that would be perfect for this type of thing. Low weight, tall thin motorcycle tires, designed for sub 200 lb payloads so they pull nice.
[QUOTE=Lazlow;635]Another option might be a small trailer(assuming generator is just for long trips). That would avoid all the dead weight when the generator is not needed. No worries about exhaust, fuel storage, etc. They make small trailers for kayaks that would be perfect for this type of thing. Low weight, tall thin motorcycle tires, designed for sub 200 lb payloads so they pull nice.[/QUOTE]
even if you have them designed to be part of the body that would be nice… like an attatchment to the back of the vehicle… so its like a truck with 2 sets of back wheels… or even have the suspension automatically adjust to coupe with the added payload…
yeah, i was kinda thinking i’d throw it in the boot.
I’d have to get a like a station wagon.
The problem with having it within the body of the vehicle is that you have all the safety issues to deal with. Exhaust fumes, fuel vapors, and other gases, all contained in a small area is not the best situation. This will be further aggravated by the hydrogen gas that may be present from the charging batteries.
Yep, you need a radiator and an exhaust. You can’t just throw an ICE in the trunk.
I’ve seen generator trailers at construction sites. Usually hoisted up in the air by a crane so people don’t steal them 
I have no idea what the specifications on those are. There may be suitable ones available. Why go through all the trouble modding when what you need is already out there?
Jack
The ones you see at construction sites are a little overkill(220v@150amp+) for a small one. Most of those could easily run a house (or two) and weigh a ton(literally). They usually cost more than most of us will spend on our entire conversion.
There are much smaller air cooled generators available that weigh less than 100lbs. They are meant to run just small thing 20 amp 110v.
I’m just using it as an example. For all I know there are smaller ones - it’s a lead for anyone who wants to do the research.
[QUOTE=Paul51480;616]Here is something like you are proposing. It’s a motorcycle but the same Idea.
Electra Cruiser[/QUOTE]
Hello First post here.
This is almost exactly what I was thinking (or at least as he describes for his future project). I think both a trailer option as well as a side car option are excelent platforms for motorbikes and 3 wheeled EV’s.
Trailers are great for hauling additional equipment and are a bit easier to remove and move around.
Side cars are great because you can store extra juice undernieth and still have room for a small passanger if you design it well.
I think he is right on though with the diesel genset. Even though I think a 6HP would be a bit small for a 4K genset but it would work. In a way it is almost the same concept of the volt. Only difference is good Americans are just going ahead and doing something about it instead of just talking about it.
I got to test drive a 1.6 million dollar prototype for the miltary that is the same idea as the volt but of course is a buggy for the military and off road use. Used a 40HP Perkins and each wheel had its own motor. Cool stuff and a range of approx 400 miles but only about 5 on silent mode.
There’s someone here in Québec that used a similar concept with a 96’ Chevrolet S-10 (http://www.austinev.org/evalbum/122.html) and with a 15kw generator, he gets the same range as a conventional automobile and it hooks up to the system in the truck bed. The beauty of his conversion is that he doesn’t need to attach a trailer to have the generator, and it can be removed for reduced weight on shorter trips, giving extended range.
I have been playing around with low wind windmills for several years and have had good success. I completely agree with the idea of adding a small generator to an EV to increase the drivable range.
The idea is to use two permanent magnet alternators and a small diesel engine. The diesel would run the two alternators when additional power was needed. As a side benefit you could run the diesel on vege oil
This link has a good picture of what I am talking about. you will need to scroll down the page to see a bigger picture: http://hydrogenappliances.com/powerpmas.html
Joe
I don’t want to become a post whore here. I am new though.
I did a 91 Geo EV conv. and I wanted to buy one of those little trailers that motorcycles pull, put in a 5hp generator, and paint it to match the car. Just in case I had a long trip I could always fire up the generator. I even went as far as drawing up schematics for a wiring harness and controls so the generator would run on demand bassed on pack voltage. I sold the car and never had the chance to try it but it’s a great idea.
[QUOTE=lazzer408;1007]I don’t want to become a post whore here. I am new though.
I did a 91 Geo EV conv. and I wanted to buy one of those little trailers that motorcycles pull, put in a 5hp generator, and paint it to match the car. Just in case I had a long trip I could always fire up the generator. I even went as far as drawing up schematics for a wiring harness and controls so the generator would run on demand bassed on pack voltage. I sold the car and never had the chance to try it but it’s a great idea.[/QUOTE]
I was thinking about something like that too but building it onto the car so it doesn’t look like a trailor but more of an extention…
gents, (and or ladies)
i am a fabricator and want to pose this to you… i can do a small trailer, or even a receiver mounted platform. both are relatively easy to attach, remove, and store. i can get the vtwin diesel punsun (22hp or so) delivered to my door for around $1500 usd. will couple well to a 12kw generator head (ebay at $400 usd + shipping). 12kw petro diesel, biodiesel, svo, whathaveyou. trailered, or add on via receiver hitch. the punsun is aircooled, and seems quite the smallish powerhouse. i work with metals (mig, tig, oxyacetaline, etc etc.) as well as fibreglass. email me your designs, and i strongly believe i can create the added power you may be looking for. should your requirements be less than 12kw, we can most assuredly do that as well. choose the style, colour (as i paint as well), size, shape, whatever. match the car, bike, 3 wheeler… hell, have it sit near your house with a transfer switch when everybody else loses power. email me (or even addicted) to see some of my work if you wish, or just to bs about possibilities. just sitting here thinking before i go out to the shop and get lost…