Sun, Wind And Pedals: How To Charge An Electric Car In An Unusual Way

The daily operation of a modern electric vehicle is fraught with an important problem: where and how to charge it? Of course, the network of public charging stations is constantly growing - primarily in developed countries and metropolitan areas. And in a private cottage, you can install a charging module or use an ordinary household outlet. But this is somehow too commonplace, or something. After all, human ingenuity has no limit! Here are some examples of unexpected and even bizarre ways to replenish the power reserve.

Solar battery on a trailer

The owner of TeslModel 3 built a mobile charging station for his car, consisting of an ordinary car trailer and powerful solar panels. He spoke about this device on his youtube channel. The design, including batteries and a homemade mount for them, cost the blogger $ 2,500 (about 170 thousand rubles). Tests have shown that the installation produces about 800 watts of power. In sunny weather, the Tesl can be charged with it in about 40 hours. On cloudy days, charging can take 80-100 hours. At the same time, the idea of traveling in an electric car without stopping was not implemented. It turned out that a heavy trailer with poor aerodynamics greatly reduces the Tesla's range.

Cyclists are charging

An experiment with muscle strength charging TeslModel X took place in Finland. 20 bicycles connected to generators were installed right in the local TV studio. After 20 minutes of effort by professional athletes pedaling, the electric vehicle's range increased by 2 kilometers. Given that the TeslModel X has a range of 490-565 kilometers, it would take cyclists at least 82 hours to fully charge the battery.

Gas generator with you

The widespread transition of cars to electricity is intended to reduce harmful emissions, but in some cases, an electric car can also cause exhaust gases from a conventional gasoline engine to appear in the atmosphere. For the prudent electric car owner who does not want to stay on the road in an immobilized car, Blink Charger offers portable gas generators. The mobile charger is compatible with all types of electric vehicles and provides power up to 9.6 kW - in ideal conditions, it gives an increase in the range of up to 1 mile (1.6 km) per minute. The manufacturer expects that its device will find demand from companies providing roadside assistance services. But thrifty car owners can also purchase it. The cost of the standalone charger is $ 6,500.

Replaceable batteries

The idea of using replaceable batteries was actively promoted by some manufacturers of electric vehicles, but gradually faded away. For example, in the design of the TeslModel S sedan, the ability to quickly replace a dead "battery" with a charged one was originally laid down, and in the summer of 2013, the head of the company, Elon Musk, showed this system in action in front of journalists and numerous clients. Such an operation took only one and a half minutes, and its cost was $ 60. At the same time, it was planned that when replacing the battery, the difference in its "age" will be taken into account. If the car received a fresher one, an additional fee was assumed. However, the idea was not widely adopted, and the first stations offering such a service were soon closed. The Better Place company also went bankrupt, having built stations for quick battery change of electric vehicles in several countries - including Israel and Japan. She offered a battery replacement service for Renault-Nissan vehicles, including the electric Renault Fluence Z. E.

The sun and wind will help

An unusual giraffe-like design is offered by Innoventum from Sweden. The frame of the eco-friendly electric car charger is made of wooden beams. A small wind generator is mounted on top of it, and 24 solar panels are located below. According to the manufacturer's specification, the Giraffe 2.0 is capable of generating about 38 kilowatt-hours of energy per day, depending on the strength of the wind and the intensity of sunlight. Its annual capacity is up to 13.8 megawatt-hours. Such a "giraffe" costs about 55,000 euros.

Roof turbine

Stationary windmills for generating electricity in large quantities can be seen in Western Europe. But what if you install compact wind turbines on the car itself? Of course, we are not talking about attempts to invent a perpetual motion machine - but the idea of using the force of the wind for auxiliary purposes is being developed. In particular, the American inventor Robert Yost plans to operate compact wind turbines of his own design in a hybrid car in order to obtain additional energy to recharge the battery. Such compact windmills will also come in handy on a hike - for powering compact power consumers.

Power generating tires

Tires are also expected to be used as an additional source of energy for electric vehicles. When driving on the road, the tire heats up a lot due to friction and deformation - so why, as they say, good to disappear? In particular, GoodYear presented an experimental BH03 tire at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show, which is capable of converting thermal energy into electrical energy through the use of thermo- and piezoelectric material and a heat-absorbing tread in the structure. True, such a design has not yet gone into production.