Further Improving the Technical Level of Range-Extended Vehicles

Currently, range-extended vehicles are favored by consumers in the market. In addition to brands such as Li and Aion releasing several popular models, car companies like Changan, Dongfeng, and GAC are also accelerating the layout of range-extended models. The author has been advocating for range-extended vehicles for many years. Now, while feeling happy for them, I also believe that if range-extended vehicles want to develop further, they still need to continue to work hard on the technical level.

1. Optimize the Range Extender to Improve Fuel Efficiency

1. Take the Range Extender to the Ultimate Level

Range-extended vehicles have good energy-saving effects because they combine battery power supply and on-board power generation in parallel, fully utilizing the advantages of both and making up for their shortcomings. Under the premise of battery parallel, the energy-saving effect of the range extender comes from the following three aspects: First, using a small-displacement engine; second, the engine adopts the Atkinson cycle, operating at a constant power, with speed regulation in the highest thermal efficiency range (the best fuel consumption point); third, the different power required for different road conditions and driving speeds is adjusted by the battery, and the battery recovers the energy from braking.

Some people suggest that the range extender should not be the protagonist of the range-extended vehicle, and its biggest role is just a "power bank". The author believes that this view is one-sided. On the contrary, the protagonist role of the range extender should be fully valued, carefully studied, reasonably designed, and finely processed to take the range extender to the ultimate level, laying the foundation for vehicle energy saving and emission reduction.

2. The Engine Power Should Be Reasonable

Under the technical route of parallel power supply from the battery and on-board power generation, the different power required for different road conditions and driving speeds is adjusted by the battery. When going uphill or accelerating, the battery supplements the power of the generator, and when going downhill or decelerating, the battery receives the excess electrical energy. Therefore, the engine displacement of the range-extended vehicle can be greatly reduced compared to the same level of fuel vehicles, thereby reducing weight, and the "double reduction" factor makes the range-extended vehicle able to save a lot of fuel and reduce harmful gas emissions.

3. Abandon the Power Follower

Some range-extended vehicles now rely on the so-called "power follower" to control the engine's power output to meet the needs of different road conditions and driving speeds. This obviously does not utilize the basic advantage of the range-extended "battery power supply and on-board power generation in parallel", and compared with the same level of fuel vehicles, the fuel saving rate is difficult to exceed 20%. Therefore, the author suggests that those range-extended vehicle companies that are still using the "power follower" should abandon this method as soon as possible, seriously consider adopting the correct control strategy, and improve the fuel saving rate.

4. Improve Engine Thermal Efficiency

The engine uses the Atkinson cycle and naturally aspirated, which not only simplifies the structure and reduces costs but also allows the selection of the most efficient speed to work under fixed conditions, and the engine can have a thermal efficiency of about 45%. The calorific value of gasoline is 44,000 kJ/kg, 1 kg of gasoline can generate 5.5 kWh of electricity (or 1 liter of gasoline can generate up to 4.3 kWh of electricity). Therefore, the electricity generated from 3 liters of gasoline is enough for a compact vehicle to travel 100 kilometers. The laboratory thermal efficiency of domestic internal combustion engines using gasoline compression has reached 51.5%, and 1 liter of gasoline can generate up to 4.9 kWh of electricity. It is hoped that technologies such as compression gasoline will be industrialized as soon as possible and applied to range-extended vehicles. In addition, efforts should be made to innovate and develop engines with higher thermal efficiency.

Americ Energy (CHINA) Co., Ltd. is focused on the import and export business of automobiles and auto parts, serving as a comprehensive auto service platform that provides services around the entire auto industry chain. This includes overseas trade, auto finance, car leasing, overseas import and export business, logistics, and transportation business. We utilize a new model to construct a comprehensive service provider that integrates customers, capital, and vehicles both domestically and internationally.

Our advantages include:

• Provision of overseas capital allocation;
• Establishment of an overseas warehouse in Dubai and an after-sales center in Sharjah, offering consignment, after-sales, and extended warranty services;
• Provision of after-sales service, customs clearance service, pick-up service, storage service, logistics service, and vehicle consignment service in Bishkek, Moscow, St. Petersburg, and other locations;
• Access to high-quality used car resources;
• Provision of some new car special vehicle resources.

Contact Information:

• Website: www.auto-ae.com
• Email: ae@americenergy.com
• Phone: 13521210668
• WhatsApp: 13521210668
• Address: No.298 Fengwei Road, Xishan Development Zone, Wuxi City, Jiangsu Province, China