Top 5 Themes in EREV/Hybrid Discussion
1. EREV (Extended-Range Electric Vehicle) Concept Appeal
Many commenters praised the idea of electric cars with gasoline generators as range extenders, where the engine runs at constant RPM to charge batteries.
"I'm surprised there isn't more effort to create hybrids in reverse--an electric car with optional gas generator. The gas generator could run at constant speed, never changing RMP, while the battery handles constant changes in acceleration." - jostmey
"bmw I3s were this type of hybrid as far as I remember. the ICE extender was an option." - serf
2. Charging Infrastructure Limitations
Significant debate centered on whether charging networks are sufficient for real-world use, especially for apartment dwellers and road trips.
"I own and drive an EV. I know what they are really like and you are trying to wand wave away things as not a big deal that are a big deal." - bluGill (countering optimism about charging ease)
"I think there's a common miscepton by non-EV drivers that every charge you have to wait until the battery is full - you don't. You just have to charge enough to get to your next stop." - lostapathy
3. Technical Comparisons Between Hybrid Systems
Discussion contrasted series hybrids (EREVs) with parallel hybrids (like Toyota's system) and plug-in hybrids, focusing on efficiency and complexity.
"The Chevy Volt (and it's predecessor the GM 2-mode hybrid, and the Allison power-split hybrid) was a work of art. It is fundamentally a planetary gearbox, with 2 motor-generators." - sam1714
"EREVs aren't magic. They make sense for some applications but less efficient than mechanically coupling the engine to the wheels." - nradov
4. Real-World Ownership Experiences
Personal anecdotes highlighted both enthusiasm for vehicles like the Chevrolet Volt and frustrations with limitations of early EREVs.
"I've yet to meet a Volt owner who wasn't fanatically obsessed with theirs (myself included)." - lukifer
"People claim the EREV i3 won't do extended highway but I did Boston MA to Wichita KS in one shot in my 2014 with a hurt battery using Hold State Of Charge mode..." - 100percentjake
5. Market Forces and Business Decisions
Commenters analyzed why certain EREV/hybrid technologies succeeded or failed in the marketplace, often citing automaker strategy and consumer behavior.
"GM will go down in history as the auto maker that had nine lives and blew them all on canceling EV and high efficiency products." - ak217
"I think they just didn't do a good enough job at advertising it. Even the salesmen at the dealers didn't seem to really understand the Volt" - emdash