Extending Electric Car Mileage

Sounds interesting and fun to pursue.

How about doing the trailer but instead using a solar photo-voltaic system? (DC power straight up without an inverter.)

Or a combination of both?

lame idea, if you dont want to recharge just use this

I saw a blog somewhere stating Toyota is now offering H2 powered Hybrid vehicles.

Maybe a trailer with a light weight H2 fuel cell powered generator on it would work for extending the range of any regular hybrid?

Range extenders are not new and are sold or rented at many locations....we have discussed them many times on here....

http://www.technologicvehicles.com/en/green-transportation-news/2530/a-trailer-as-range-extender-for-your-electric-car#.VbrV_vlViko

http://ev.com/1000-mile-ev-range-extender-now-available/

http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1072412_kspg-to-test-clever-v-twin-range-extender-in-electric-fiat-500

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/wrightspeed-announces-new-electric-vehicle-range-extender-300076398.html

And you get to pay more than double the cost at the tolls as an added bonus.

If it were "only" double! Towing anything with a single axle behind a car on the NJ Turnpike puts you into the three axle truck category. The full passenger vehicle rate through NJ is $13.85, the Class 3 truck rate is $35.55, the delta buys a lot of gas.

I know the pain well.

We have frequently traveled that corridor with a double-axle travel trailer. From the Annapolis area, I cross over to the Eastern Shore on US-301 to avoid the nasty tolls on I-95 in Maryland and Delaware and never mind I can't take the trailer through Bal'more's tunnels because of the propane. I pay the Bay Bridge toll but that is much less than the Key Bridge, Maryland I-95 and Delaware I-95 tolls all combined.

I will take the Delaware Rip-Off Memorial bridge northbound (free-direction) then to I-295 to avoid NJTP up through Princeton, then surface streets and state roads to I-287 in NJ then to the NY Thruway to Tapaan-Zee. It adds an hour and some change to to the trip but with four axles it's definitely worth it. Plus avoiding Cross-Bronx expressway or Garden State Parkway reduce trailering stress tremendously. Not worth going up to I-84 around Newburgh so I pay the freight at the Tappan-Zee.

Then it's I-287 towards White Plains, I-684 north to I-84. That coastal I-95 corridor is a nightmare on holiday weekends or rush hours. I avoid that all costs.

Coming home is pretty much the reverse except when I leave Princeton, NJ southbound, I get on I-95 south through Philly to avoid the Delaware Rip-Off Memorial Bridge then veer off I-95 at Exit 1 before the Delaware tolls to get back on the Eastern Shore via Del-896 to US-301 and back over the Bay Bridge in the free direction. My home is only five miles from the William Preston Lane (Bay) Bridge.

And our governor Larry Hogan made good on his campaign promise and rolled back the tolls on our bridges and tunnels from the crazy increases instituted by Gov. Martin Owe'Malley. Whoo-hooo !!!! There is hope.

By the way, at the Delaware bridge, the toll for my Suburban is $4.00. When I pull my double-axle trailer, it's $20. WTF over?

Muy funky.

Dang, at least humor the guy.

Sounds like the sports bar i use to frequent in Federal Way WA. The owner gave solar powered calculators to the waitresses but the bar was too dim to work so he gave them all small flashlights to aim at the solar cell.

If you have to have an ICE why not just put it in the car?

It's only for the occasional long trip you might need to take.....you could just rent a car, or Uber your way across the country...but if the rental of the range extender is cheaper, then it might have a good chance of becoming a niche product....

Stick it on the roof rack. No extra axle to attract tolls.

I personally would not buy an electric car, even if I had the money.....so I would not need the trailer anyway!!

Proper hybrids are far more interesting and useful today, to my mind. They generally have a long range, are very economical and use current fuels.....also quickly "recharged!"

Maybe electric cars will eventually become really viable, but I will probably not live long enough to see that!!!

Range extender, like the 44 gallon drums of diesel in the back of the pickup.

Thousands of kms without stopping at a station. Gerry cans for shorter trips.