3 ms·

The battery converts from chemical energy to electrical energy and the motor of the vehicle converts from electrical to mechanical energy.

2OEH8eoCRo0 3y ago
Ah. My point was more that there are losses assocated with these conversions and you can't move all of it to the upstream power plant. ICE vehicles burn fuel and create rotational mechanical energy which other than gear reductions doesn't require conversion. Electric does chemical -> electrical and then electrical -> mechanical with losses at each step here right?
- sidewndr46 3y ago
  Not entirely true, most transmissions have a system of torque converters and clutches. The torque converters convert rotational energy into fluid pressure to gain a kind of mechanical advantage. The clutches slip and make heat, usually to allow other parts of the transmission to interact without destroying gears. Once you get to cruising speed the transmission usually engages something called a "lockup" that bypass all that to get as close to the 100% number for energy transfer as possible.
- nayuki 3y ago
  Note how almost every diesel locomotive has electrical generators and motors as an intermediate step because they decided that it's cheaper, more efficient, and/or lighter than having a huge gearbox. Electrification has some real advantages. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diesel_locomotive https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diesel_locomotive , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diesel%E2%80%93electric_powertrain https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diesel%E2%80%93electric_powert...
  - rootusrootus 3y ago
    Efficiency is important, but I'd bet the diesel electric design was mostly about simplification of the drivetrain and performance. An electric motor develops maximum torque at zero RPM and is very easy to modulate the amount of torque applied. A reciprocating engine has a minimum speed, so getting an extremely heavy train moving from a dead stop is tricky. Remember how old steam locomotives tend to spin the wheels regularly as they get up to speed.

2OEH8eoCRo0 3y ago

Ah. My point was more that there are losses assocated with these conversions and you can't move all of it to the upstream power plant. ICE vehicles burn fuel and create rotational mechanical energy which other than gear reductions doesn't require conversion. Electric does chemical -> electrical and then electrical -> mechanical with losses at each step here right?

sidewndr46 3y ago
Not entirely true, most transmissions have a system of torque converters and clutches. The torque converters convert rotational energy into fluid pressure to gain a kind of mechanical advantage. The clutches slip and make heat, usually to allow other parts of the transmission to interact without destroying gears. Once you get to cruising speed the transmission usually engages something called a "lockup" that bypass all that to get as close to the 100% number for energy transfer as possible.
nayuki 3y ago
Note how almost every diesel locomotive has electrical generators and motors as an intermediate step because they decided that it's cheaper, more efficient, and/or lighter than having a huge gearbox. Electrification has some real advantages. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diesel_locomotive https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diesel_locomotive , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diesel%E2%80%93electric_powertrain https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diesel%E2%80%93electric_powert...
- rootusrootus 3y ago
  Efficiency is important, but I'd bet the diesel electric design was mostly about simplification of the drivetrain and performance. An electric motor develops maximum torque at zero RPM and is very easy to modulate the amount of torque applied. A reciprocating engine has a minimum speed, so getting an extremely heavy train moving from a dead stop is tricky. Remember how old steam locomotives tend to spin the wheels regularly as they get up to speed.