So, I just purchased 2900 lbs of carbon fiber and aluminum...

will the Scotter motor charge the batteries enough to keep the  car going until you run out of gas ?

What would be the plan if you wanted to go on a 200 mile trip ?  (other than take the other car :) )

californiamilleghia said:

will the Scotter motor charge the batteries enough to keep the  car going until you run out of gas ?

What would be the plan if you wanted to go on a 200 mile trip ?  (other than take the other car :) )

Start with the battery fully charged and the gas tank full, then turn the REX on once battery is discharged to at least 75%.   Exactly when you turn the scooter motor on requires a little thought-- if you want to arrive at your destination with as much charge remaining in the battery as possible (likely to depend on what charging facilities may be available) you'll want to turn the motor on as close to the 75% value as possible, and then be stopping for gas every 60-70 miles or so. 

If you're able to spend enough time at your destination to recharge the battery (3-4 hours Level 2, 14+ hours on a 120 V plug), I'd probably wait until the battery is down to 20-25% before turning the REX on -- that will let you leave some more miles behind you before stopping for gas.

All of this is highly dependent on weather (temperature, winds) and grade along the route.

When I purchased the car, I drove the car home 120 miles.  Stopped twice for gas, probably could have got by with once, but part of the route was a long way between gas stations.  That was with standard coding where the REX comes on at 6%.  Turning the REX on sooner gives you more margin to keep you running at 70+ mph, as the 34 hp REX can't necessarily make enough power to keep you going at that speed on an extended basis.  Appears it can keep up with 55-60 mph though.

Just validated an electric advantage—

It’s raining cats and dogs here, and you can’t hydro lock an electric motor