This is a confusing topic. I'm not an engineer or physicist, but as I understand it, Peter is right.
Look here: http://evdl.org/pages/evergreen.html The article was written by engineer Axel Krause of Brusa. Read the text below the graph carefully, especially : "Range is not significantly affected by mountain driving. Essentially the entire potential energy difference can be recovered by regenerative braking and by coasting when possible." This for me was the regen "light bulb moment." ===== A well designed EV drive system with regen is about as efficient at recapturing energy from the wheels as it is in delivering energy - around 90%. The problem is that the kinetic energy isn't a very large percentage of the energy the EV used to get moving. The vast majority of the energy in the battery is used to overcome friction and aero resistance. The upshot of this is NOT that an EV with regen will gain much range. Typically it might be 3-10%. The gain will be less in flat region driving, and more in hilly region driving. => => => However, an EV with regen, well-designed and driven => => => carefully, will retain around 90% of its on-the-flat range => => => when it is driven in a hilly region. David Roden, EVDL moderator & general lackey To reach me, don't reply to this message; I won't get it. Use my offlist address here : http://evdl.org/help/index.html#supt = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = English doesn't borrow from other languages. English follows other languages down dark alleys, knocks them over, and goes through their pockets for loose grammar. -- Jamee Nicoll = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = _______________________________________________ Address messages to ev@lists.evdl.org No other addresses in TO and CC fields UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.evdl.org/help/index.html#usub ARCHIVE: http://www.evdl.org/archive/ LIST INFO: http://lists.evdl.org/listinfo.cgi/ev-evdl.org
