Road trip capable?

[Crissa]

Recharging a Cybertruck with a portable generator is probably going to add back miles at a rate of 2-3 miles per hour! How much gas are you bringing along for that generator? How many hours are you planning on sitting on the side of the road?

(I think this is the right one)

You just need the right size generator. The running power just needs to match your use. My current generator would be like a 11kW Destination charger, which is about 33miles an hour.

And if Tesla allows dynamic charging, like from solar or RVs, you wouldn't have to stop.

-Crissa

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[Ogre]

You just need the right size generator. The running power just needs to match your use. My current generator would be like a 11kW Destination charger, which is about 33miles an hour.

And if Tesla allows dynamic charging, like from solar or RVs, you wouldn't have to stop.

How much do those weigh/ cost again? Seems like that is a pretty heavy/ expensive security blanket.

 

[ajdelange]

This is getting a little ridiculous
He can charge at superchargers
He can charge at CHAdeMO chargers
He can charge at J1772 chargers
He can charge at campgrounds
He can charge at gas stations
He can charge anywhere someone will let him plug into an outlet

How much security does one need?

 

[John K]

It is also about the wait time while charging extending the total trip time.

 

[BillyGee]

How much do those weigh/ cost again? Seems like that is a pretty heavy/ expensive security blanket.

Looks like about 35lbs a piece and you can link up to 6 of their kits. So for 200lbs and whatever the inverter kit weighs you can have a trickle charger outlet to plug in your 120v plug. They max out at 6.8 amps, so 40.8 amps max, which is well beyond what a home wall outlet provides. That is a 600 Watt system.

A 1400 watt rec generator on their site is about 33lbs, but that's not including fuel.

 

[ajdelange]

You could get a 6 kWh Yeti, hook it up to an autotransformer and charge at 2 kW. Take 3 hrs to load in the 6 kWh and get you 12 miles range. Not to mention that you can use it to power your ARB fridge when not it dire straits!

 

[Ogre]

Looks like about 35lbs a piece and you can link up to 6 of their kits. So for 200lbs and whatever the inverter kit weighs you can have a trickle charger outlet to plug in your 120v plug. They max out at 6.8 amps, so 40.8 amps max, which is well beyond what a home wall outlet provides. That is a 600 Watt system.

A 1400 watt rec generator on their site is about 33lbs, but that's not including fuel.

I think I’ll just stick with making sure I have enough range to make the next charger. It’s what I’ve been doing with gas cars on road trips for 30 years and it works pretty well.

 

[BillyGee]

I think I’ll just stick with making sure I have enough range to make the next charger. It’s what I’ve been doing with gas cars on road trips for 30 years and it works pretty well.

Pretty much, only reason I have even bothered looking it up was for extended camping in the wilderness, but if the solar tonneau manifests in a good way it'll be a moot point.

I guess wind turbines might be lighter and less fragile, but I've seen very mixed reviews for them.

 

[FutureBoy]

(I think this is the right one)

You just need the right size generator. The running power just needs to match your use. My current generator would be like a 11kW Destination charger, which is about 33miles an hour.

And if Tesla allows dynamic charging, like from solar or RVs, you wouldn't have to stop.

-Crissa

I just found an example of @cybertrucktruckguy Todd's fabled dynamic charging!! It's the new Audi RS Q E-Tron Off-Roader for the 2022 Dakar Rally. Article below.


Audi RS Q E-Tron Off-Roader Breaks Cover For 2022 Dakar Rally

Jul 23, 2021

By: Adrian Padeanu

The DTM-spec gasoline engine doesn't drive the wheels. Instead, it acts as a range extender to charge the battery.
Shortly after introducing the R8 LMS GT3 Evo II, Audi Sport's motorsport division is unveiling another race car. The RS Q E-Tron is of an entirely different nature compared to the mid-engined V10 supercar as the first Dakar Rally challenger from the Four Rings was conceived to tackle grueling terrains rather than the perfect asphalt of a conventional track.

For its electrified motorsport activities planned for the upcoming 2022 motorsport season, Audi is ditching Formula E to tackle the Dakar Rally with the RS Q E-Tron. Aside from looking incredibly rad (and rocking a faux singleframe grille), the off-road beast is making the headlines thanks to an interesting powertrain.

Gallery: 2022 Audi RS Q E-Tron

It's fully electric, courtesy of front and rear motors adapted from the 2021-spec Audi e-tron FE07 Formula E car. However, there's a TFSI gasoline engine borrowed from DTM that serves as an integral part of the energy converter system to charge the battery on the go. The internal combustion engine serves as a range extender and works at 4,500 to 6,000 rpm.
Audi says the gasoline mill operates at a "particularly efficient range" to lower emissions to fewer than 200 grams of CO2 per every kWh fed to the battery. The 2.0-liter, four-cylinder turbocharged engine gets its necessary juice from a 295-liter gasoline fuel tank positioned at 1.1 meters (3.6 feet) behind the front axle (and also behind the driver).

Video of the vehicle being built and in action here.

The energy converter also contains a third motor-generator unit (MGU) to recharge the battery while the RS Q E-Tron is being pushed hard. Audi Sport has developed the high-riding racer with a 50-kWh pack that weighs 370 kilograms (815 pounds) and with support for an energy recovery mechanism during braking.

According to the peeps from Ingolstadt, the total output delivered by the electric drivetrain is rated at 500 kilowatts or 670 horsepower. As per Dakar Rally regulations, the vehicle weighs at least 2,000 kilograms (4,409 pounds).

Audi says the RS Q E-Tron had its first outing earlier this month in Neuburg and will undergo a comprehensive test program until the end of the year which will include entries at cross-country rallies.

 

[Crissa]

Yeah, I've heard it mentioned a couple times this year.

I think he should get credit for coining the term ^-^

-Crissa

 

[FutureBoy]

I just found an example of @cybertrucktruckguy Todd's fabled dynamic charging!! It's the new Audi RS Q E-Tron Off-Roader for the 2022 Dakar Rally.

<snip></snip>


It's fully electric, courtesy of front and rear motors adapted from the 2021-spec Audi e-tron FE07 Formula E car. However, there's a TFSI gasoline engine borrowed from DTM that serves as an integral part of the energy converter system to charge the battery on the go. The internal combustion engine serves as a range extender and works at 4,500 to 6,000 rpm.
Audi says the gasoline mill operates at a "particularly efficient range" to lower emissions to fewer than 200 grams of CO2 per every kWh fed to the battery. The 2.0-liter, four-cylinder turbocharged engine gets its necessary juice from a 295-liter gasoline fuel tank positioned at 1.1 meters (3.6 feet) behind the front axle (and also behind the driver).

Video of the vehicle being built and in action here.

The energy converter also contains a third motor-generator unit (MGU) to recharge the battery while the RS Q E-Tron is being pushed hard. Audi Sport has developed the high-riding racer with a 50-kWh pack that weighs 370 kilograms (815 pounds) and with support for an energy recovery mechanism during braking.

According to the peeps from Ingolstadt, the total output delivered by the electric drivetrain is rated at 500 kilowatts or 670 horsepower. As per Dakar Rally regulations, the vehicle weighs at least 2,000 kilograms (4,409 pounds).

OK, it is weird to hear the engine at a constant even sound as the whirring of the motors accentuates as the accelerator gets pushed. But I like the sound better than a straight ICE vehicle like the trophy trucks that run in races like this.

Now Elon has said that the Cybertruck should do well at the Baja race. I'm wondering if the racing version would have a loaded engine and gas tank to dynamically charge the CT like is being done for this Audi.

I also wonder how much of a difference it makes for range. The added weight of the engine plus the extra drag of what I assume is the air intake for the engine above the cabin would cause the battery-only range to drop. But with the engine charging the batteries, I'd be curious how much extra range beyond that loss they end up getting.

 

[FutureBoy]

Yeah, I've heard it mentioned a couple times this year.

I think he should get credit for coining the term ^-^

-Crissa

He should definitely get credit for coining the term. And I do hope that the feature would be possible. I know it is somewhat contrary to Elon's goal of getting rid of carbon-based energy. But even if it just meant that we could rent a large extra battery to be put in the bed for those extra long off-road trips through the middle of nowhere for extended periods of time.

And yes, I get that with 500+ (or 610?) miles of range, the use case for such a feature is very much an edge case. But imagine if it could enable the ability to run the full Baja 1000 without the need for a charging stop.

 

[tmeyer3]

A lot of these off-road, overlanding types are going out in the middle of no-where to tackle difficult trails, I can see the range anxiety concern. But then again, before the super charger network, there was concern too.

What the CT truck dude failed to point out is the efficiency difference when moving at lower, off-road speeds. When moving slower, the EV efficiency will shine. When you go off-roading with an ICE car, you expect to get a third to half your mpg while off-road--as an off-roading enthusiast myself, we normally plan about a third of our mpg while going through slow trails. My Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon gets about 15 mpg. On trail, I get around 6mpg. This is because of a TON of idle time, lots of rpms to get over challenges, tons of wasted energy in braking, down-shifting, etc etc. EVs don't have any of these inefficiencies and will get VERY near their advertised range even when doing these kinds of activities.

So, you tell me! Assuming CT3 goes 500 miles, what off-road capable vehicle can get a similar range while operating at (optimistically) half the city mpg rating?

But, of course, you can always bring gas cans!

Just some perspective.

cheers!

 

[Crissa]

He should definitely get credit for coining the term. And I do hope that the feature would be possible. I know it is somewhat contrary to Elon's goal of getting rid of carbon-based energy. But even if it just meant that we could rent a large extra battery to be put in the bed for those extra long off-road trips through the middle of nowhere for extended periods of time.

If the system is decent enough, it would be agnostic to the energy source. Which would mean batteries or solar or whatever, which wouldn't at all be contrary to Elon's goal.

-Crissa

 

[Ogre]

I know this is a bit out there, but imagine for a moment that Tesla did the Baja 1000. Don’t they have support checkpoints? Why wouldn’t Tesla just put a way point every 300 miles en-route to stop for charging and other maintenance? A couple support trucks with big arrays of solar panels and a battery bank. Charge up would be longer than other pit stops for certain.

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