All Electric!

[pkmesser]

There is an announcement by MVP RV, inc for a new motorhome that will solve the engine problems. It is all electric, including the drive. 45 ft unit, with a range of up to 180 miles before needing a recharge, supposedly 20 minute recharge.

[EngineerMike]

The 180 miles could be correct w/a gigantic battery bank, but 20 minutes is nonsense. Maybe its a fuel cell generator and the 20 minutes is "recharging" a tank by filling it w/hydrogen or "recharging" it by changing it out for a new tank.

I checked their website, and this announcement isn't up on their press release or in-the-news pages yet. Where did you see it?

[Midniteoyl]

20 min recharge and GM doesnt know about it????

[pkmesser]

It was in the Oct. Motorhome magazine. I had checked their website also, as I was going to put a link in, and did not see it there. The small article says, "recharge time". I am like you, that is much quicker than electric car technology. But, how can you expect to have a battery pack available for changeout? Also, the article does not say fuel cell technology. More questions than answers. I think I will run a quick calculation of KWH requirement for that distance. (I will use a baseline of 7 MPG for a motorhome with a diesel engine for making the calculation. A unit of that size would probably have an ISM size , and 7 mpg is probably being generous.)

[Midniteoyl]

Bet its a misprint and should be 20hrs

[pkmesser]

I ran calculations, compared to 7 mpg, for a diesel engine, the power requirement to go 180 miles would be 504 KWH. presumeing the following; thermal efficiency of diesel engine = 40%, electrical charging efficiency of 90%, elec. motor efficiency of 93%.
Now my marginal power rate is $0.30 summer rate, so that works out to $152.1 to go 180 miles, diesel is quite a bit cheaper! Now for those in parts of the country that get cheap electricity, it could go the other way, just don't come to Ca to get a recharge!

[Midniteoyl]

30 cents?!!! I pay 7.93... or $37.97

[BigGeorge]

My max charge here in N.Cal with P.G.&E is $.34 per KWH. I've been looking into solar and will probably buy. The someday to be implimented time of day pricing will have a $.64 peak hour charge. So an all electric motorhome engine looks way, way, way off in the distance.

[Midniteoyl]

Knew there was a reason for not moving out west/s. west.... 5x-6x for elect is a little much.

[BCooke]

MIT and a couple others are working an batteries that charge/discharge in 10-20 seconds versus 6 minutes. The problem comes in when you take 504 kwh and charge/discharge it in 20 minutes. Those better be some large battery terminals.

[DriVer]

Navistar the parent company of Workhorse (no longer Custom Chassis) manufacturers a vehicle called the eStar. Some of the Workhorse personnel had input on this vehicle.




Although capable of "carrying" 4,000 pounds using todays batteries for up to 100 miles, the vehicle can be upgraded with tomorrows technology. The eStar requires overnight charging pretty much like a golf cart.

If there is a market for an All Electric RV? This might be a platform that some people will look at. The entire motorized RV industry as we know it today started on the back of a truck. Could this or others like it be the next innovation? ......

See the video on the website Pure Electric.

[pkmesser]

I am on SCE, that $0.30/KWH is based on summer rate, tier 5. (for those not familiar
with California elec. rates, the more you use, the more you pay per KWH.) I too agree, 20 minutes recharge time does not sound right. The price of the MH is going to be $1,000,000 +. If the recharge time is 20 hours, you would be able to drive up to 180 miles/day . 50 amp service is not going to recharge you in 20 hours though.
Something a former associate at work sent me today could work though, see the following link.


Solar Roadways - Introduction

[ischua]

MVP RV manufactures an all-electric RV

"This RV can be fully charged in less than 20 minutes with appropriate equipment or it can be plugged in to the 220 volt socket for more than 1 day"

[pkmesser]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ischua MVP RV manufactures an all-electric RV "This RV can be fully charged in less than 20 minutes with appropriate equipment or it can be plugged in to the 220 volt socket for more than 1 day"

Mike, I searched for their website and got a different page, that did not have this information. Thanks,