Diesel Generators Charging E.V.’s Defeats The Point
Image Source Soy Motor
Using Diesel To Charge Your E.V.
Many posts, photos and rumours are popping up about using Diesel to charge your new electric vehicle. We already shed some doubt on the sustainability of EVs in a prior article Electric Car Batteries, Are There Enough Resources.
However there seems to be a more direct contradiction going on now, and that’s mainly in places with shoddy power connections. Often seen as either a charging station directly connected to a diesel generator or a small generator being towed by roadside assistance with connections for EVs so they can charge your car on the side of the road should you run out. It doesn’t stop here though. On the outskirts London there are rumours of towns with unreliable energy and the council decided using a large diesel generator would be the correct solution.
The Disappointment Of The Populace
To set the scene, imagine you’ve just spent over a hundred thousand pounds or euros on a brand new shiny electric vehicle. After all that time of hearing how awful diesel is and we should be eliminating it, you decide to pick up an EV and help contribute to the future of the planet. Only to find out that you have to charge it using diesel power, the element you was told you’d be avoiding. Now to be fair, there has been talks about some generators using vegetable oil rather than diesel which is a step in the right direction.
Conclusion
The conclusion is hard to reach, EVs are a step in the right direction but so far we’ve had very poor execution. Whilst the vehicles themselves are great, fast and look fantastic (they could sound better) the technology either just isn’t here yet or we’re being incredibly inefficient. We should’t be relying on fossil fuels to fuel the new tech that’s supposed to free us form fossil fuels, and we shouldn’t have to produce such pollution to fabricate batteries that have a relatively short lifespan for the price, effort and pollution.
When looking to why anyone would use this method the following was discussed.
People are using generators to power electric cars as a way to extend the range of the vehicle or to recharge the battery when a charging station is not available.
One of the primary limitations of electric vehicles is their range. Depending on the model, an electric car’s range may be anywhere from 100-300 miles on a single charge, which can be a concern for drivers who need to travel longer distances. While there are an increasing number of charging stations available, it may not always be convenient or feasible to stop at a station during a long drive.
By using a generator to power an electric car, a driver can effectively create their own charging station wherever they are. The generator can be used to recharge the car’s battery while it is parked, or it can be used to power the car’s electric motor directly. This can significantly extend the range of the vehicle, making it possible to travel longer distances without needing to stop at a charging station.
While using a generator can be a useful solution for some drivers, there are also some drawbacks to this approach. Generators can be noisy, produce emissions, and are not as efficient as charging the vehicle from an electric grid. Additionally, using a generator may not be practical for all drivers, especially those who primarily drive in urban areas where charging stations are readily available. Despite these justifications they seem silly and go against the entire premise of electric vehicles.
