this post was submitted on 21 Mar 2025
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Sure, that’s all correct in theory.
In practice, you could make sub-3000lb EV with a backup generator for less than a 4000lb one with decent range, with less material, which is a massive part of the carbon cost. I’m not talking tiny battery ICE cars, I'm talking like 50-100 mile EVs with a mostly unused generator for beyond that.
It would use far less energy overall. It would burn what tiny bit of gas it uses on longer trips with extreme efficiency. It would charge easier, because it doesn’t need as much energy to haul the massive battery around.
Pure EVs will be better in time, but you ignoring the big carbon, and financial, cost of hauling huge batteries around… and as you said, Americans aren’t keen on small, short range EVs.
If you're saying the generator remains mostly unused you could just leave it out altogether, sell the car even cheaper and just let people rent cars with longer ranges for their longer trips once or twice a year. A range extender doesn't make sense if it's "mostly unused". It only makes sense if it's used. And if it's used, it emits.
You can't base your whole argument on just using diminishing words like "tiny" for your gas engines and that way suggest that they're better for the environment. They. Are. Not.
Battery electric vehicles won't "be better in time", they're better right now. Don't buy into the fossil fuel industry's propaganda.