3 ms·
Regen braking will do that. I suspect it’d be a much closer competition at, say, 80mph stead state.
by TylerE 4y ago
Regen braking will do that. I suspect it’d be a much closer competition at, say, 80mph stead state.
- mrob 4y agoGasoline internal combustion engines run at about 30% efficiency. Diesel does somewhat better at about 40% for car size engines, and about 50% for the really big ones. Electric motors easily exceed 90% efficiency. The EV wins even without regenerative breaking, even accounting for the losses in the batteries.
- HPsquared 4y agoIt's somewhat matched if the electricity is generated by combustion. Even then, if the power is generated using an efficient cycle (e.g. CCGT) the EV still tends to come out ahead.
- _0w8t 4y ago40% diesel efficiency is for optimal conditions, like steady cruise on a motorway. For practical driving it is less than 25%. What is also missing here is that it takes 20-30% of energy to refine diesel or gasoline plus there is oil extraction cost. Accounting for that electrical car produces less CO2 when electricity comes from a modern coal plant than a diesel car.
- zelos 4y agoThere are theoretical maximum efficiencies for thermodynamic cycles in combustion engines. I believe the limit in the diesel cycle is around 40%. Petrol engines are lower still.
- 2rsf 4y agoRegen braking is 60-70% efficient, and it also limits your ability to free roll (let go of the gas and let the car use its inertia) for example going downhill or on level highways. Polestar for example recommends to lower the OPD sensitivity on highways to increase efficiency.