France in Focus

I've just been reading an article about the new DS 9 E-Tense 4x4 360 car.
It's a hybride with a 1.6 litre 200ch engine plus electric motors giving a combined 360ch. it's battery is 15.6 kWh giving a stated autonomie of 62km.
The bit that gets me is the stated CO of 35gm/km & fuel consumption of 1.5 l/100km.Yeah right! For how many km?
One of our boules crowd is the proud owner of a Renault hybrid, tells all & sundry how fuel efficient it is, but goes quiet when I challenge him as to for how many km this lasts & will admit that overall consumption is not much better than my 23 year old Pug 806.
Presumably a lot of folk buy these cars expecting overall consumption to be as advertised & get a shock when the things run out of leccy on the first real non shopping trip & reality kicks in with the 'proper' engine.

I have never understood the logic of having a combustion engine to charge a battery to run a vehicle. Seems a bit silly to me.

Char wrote: ↑Sat Jun 17, 2023 5:05 pm I have never understood the logic of having a combustion engine to charge a battery to run a vehicle. Seems a bit silly to me.

WW2 submarines did it. Come up at night, charge batteries and move with diesel engines running and submerge to hide during the day and run with batteries.

Wilbro wrote: ↑Sat Jun 17, 2023 5:44 pm

Char wrote: ↑Sat Jun 17, 2023 5:05 pm I have never understood the logic of having a combustion engine to charge a battery to run a vehicle. Seems a bit silly to me.

WW2 submarines did it. Come up at night, charge batteries and move with diesel engines running and submerge to hide during the day and run with batteries.

Well I can see the logic in that - I should have perhaps said cars/ bikes rather than vehicles shouldn't I.

Wilbro wrote: ↑Sat Jun 17, 2023 5:44 pm

Char wrote: ↑Sat Jun 17, 2023 5:05 pm I have never understood the logic of having a combustion engine to charge a battery to run a vehicle. Seems a bit silly to me.

WW2 submarines did it. Come up at night, charge batteries and move with diesel engines running and submerge to hide during the day and run with batteries.

Probably done this way to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning when running diesel engines way below snorkel level.

Yes, apparently the air could be a bit foul if closed up too long. Daylight on the surface not a good idea with German spotter planes on the lookout for them.

It is a long understood basic principle of physics. Every time you convert energy you lose a bit. No such thing as 100% efficiency. Burning coal (stored energy) to heat water to create expansion by steam to creat movement is one of the least efficient conversions. Burning fuel of any sort to create movement to generate electricity to charge a battery to then produce movement again illustrates lack of efficiency.
And believing the claims made for any new product illustrates a lack of awareness of something more basic.

I agree Char. Hybrids are the worst of both worlds in that one is lugging around a 300kg battery charger.

rabbit wrote: ↑Wed Jun 21, 2023 12:02 pm I agree Char. Hybrids are the worst of both worlds in that one is lugging around a 300kg battery charger.

My bro-in-law has a Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV.
It works fine for him as he lives on Hoy where the longest trip is to the pub & shop which he achieves using leccy only charged from his own wind & solar powered systems. Proper engine power is used for occasional long distance trips to mainland & further which are sometimes required in mid snowy winter.
Works fine for him but otherwise I'm in agreement they're a bad idea.