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      03-02-2015, 05:11 PM   #1
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Self Charging i3 Possibility

My father purchased an i3 recently and I've been trying it out for the last couple of weeks. He has the one with the gas generator to charge the battery and I keep wondering why wouldn't it be possible for the cars spinning wheels spin the generator instead of gas and keep the car charging eveytime the car is in motion. Does anyone know the science involved in the generator that can explain if it's even possible. I don't see why it wouldn't be possible if there is a correct gear system connected to the spinning wheel and the generator.

Luigi
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      03-02-2015, 05:40 PM   #2
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Ever heard of a perpetual motion machine? Whenever you convert energy from one form to another, it can never be 100% efficient. IOW, no, you can't power the car by having it also turn the generator unless there is some other energy there to aid it. That is what happens when the car goes into regeneration mode...the speed you paid for with energy use from the batteries has kinetic energy...that is converted to electricity when you then slow down instead of making heat by squeezing the brake rotor, but you never get out as much as you had to put in to get the car up to speed.

Conversion processes can vary in their efficiency, but you'll never get 100%...you always lose some in the process.
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