[clug] Canberra electric vehicles group - first contact

[Andrew Janke]

> Other alternatives that have been explored elsewhere involve using a hydraulic motor to drive the wheels. You have one big-arse electric motor powering the hydraulic pump, which then drives the wheels. You then have a closed can full of compressed air with a hydraulic piston, which is used to store the energy from slowing the car down.

Unless things have changed hydraulics do very poorly WRT efficiency of
power transfer. The best ones in ideal conditions (ie: not a car!)
still have losses around 25% before you count the losses to heat
(another 20% or so).

Yes, they are extremely powerful and have a massive torque range but
efficiency is not one of their games.

Unless of course the goal posts have shifted.


--
Andrew Janke
(a.janke at gmail.com || http://a.janke.googlepages.com/)
Canberra->Australia    +61 (402) 700 883