One Stroke Engines - 200% More Efficient??

[@TwoBitDaVinci]

Thanks DeleteMe for sponsoring this video! Protect your online Info Today! joindeleteme.com/TwoBitDavinci

[@youxkio]

I would call it "Dynamic Converging Piston Engine" or just DCP

[@Formulabruce]

Ricky, while YOU are stuck in EV, GM and others are going "Back" to Hybrids. This engine fits that "range extending demand". People are NOT buying Ev's outside of southwest US very much. PS, I like delete me.

[@powerguymark]

You stated near the end of your video that you'll never drive an internal combustion driven vehicle. I love my Toyota hybrids, I test drove a two-wheel drive version Avalon and didn't like it because the acceleration was anemic. However, having an all-wheel drive version (Venza/ RAV4 Hybrid) providing 50+ additional horsepower instantaneous torque electric motor to the rear wheels, my little 2.5 liter IC accelerates almost like a V6. A planetary gear set rather than a traditional transmission, and Toyota's hybrid 40% THERMAL EFFICIENCY. That's hard to say no to.

[@seanrowshandel1680]

You mixed up butterfly and breaststroke

[@bobthegoat7090]

Please link to animations that are as good as this: 1:17 Edit: Even though I know found it, please link to awesome animations in the future. YT will delete the link, but just search "pms pmi 4 stroke engine animation" on google and click the first link. Contains "Otto cycle" also below it is another link that contains an animation of a diesel cycle, both same website.

[@ulf5738]

This could also work as a silent backup generator for home or a cottage.

[@NdxtremePro]

Or a generator for worksites such as new housing and off grid spaces such as logging.

[@ameremortal]

It would be perfect for that.

[@KingClovis]

I was just thinking the same thing.

[@mintakan003]

Yes. A consumer level backup generator would be easier product to start off with, than automotive. I'd like to try it out.

[@elmojito]

I immediately had the same thought, including marine generators in the potential use case.

[@defaultdriftco00]

It’s two stroke, the revolution gearing doesn’t change the fact that the piston reciprocates twice per power cycle of said piston.

[@1crazypj]

Not only that, the INNengine design has been around since 1970's (possibly even earlier?) I forget original manufacturer but they couldn't get necessary funding to develop it Opposed piston two strokes were around in 1930's, probably most infamous was the Junkers in Stuka

[@andrewwmacfadyen6958]

Opposed piston uniflow two strokes have been around for 100 years particularly in the diesel world Junkers, Napier Deltic, Rootes TS3, the Doxford, and Rolls-Royce, Leyland

[@Dave5843-d9m]

A single row Deltic with generator in the middle would be compact and efficient. Six pistons and three combustion chambers. The (expensive) interconnecting gears used by Napier could be replaced with roller chains. People will laugh but chains are highly efficient, very reliable and easy to maintain. Motorcycles all use chains between engine and gearbox. (Ignore the final drive). Regarding emissions check out the Rotax ETech. It’s cleaner and more efficient than competing four strokes.

[@Dave5843-d9m]

X format is another option. Four cylinders spaced 90 degrees apart around a single crank. All conrods attach to one wide crank pin. There is zero vibration as all forces cancel out. Air can be fed through the crank case then via transfer ports to the cylinders. Alternatively, an external manifold ring provides air direct via reed valves to the cylinders. Fuel is injected directly into the cylinders after the ports have closed. Fuel pressure is higher than conventional fuel injection but considerably less than diesel injection. Engine runs at constant speed to drive a generator so is optimised for power efficiency and emissions. A basic (dirty) two stroke easily makes 100bhp per litre. DI two strokes use much less oil as there is no surface washing by gasoline and the exhaust catalyst removes anything unburnt in exhaust. DI also solves the part throttle chatter and piston rattle that afflict normal two strokes. Short cylinder life is no longer a problem.

[@andrewhardage6561]

You are correct however, you forgot to end your statement with... Period.

[@GodBoredWas]

Your ending comment regarding driving. I couldn't be more opposite. I love the sound, the vibrations, the gear changes, the clutch, the feel of being part of the machine. You want to be isolated completely from the machine. Different strokes (see what I did there?). Take care.

[@d3str0i3r]

i can see cases of either being enjoyable, an electric car feels like you are directly in command of where you're going, it feels like you are the power source a combustion car feels like you're commanding a powerful beast, which is part of why i wish we could bring steam back, those things actively acted and looked like living beasts as you got them working

[@chadthebuilder5531]

I hear you. The same as people loving horse riding. Gitty up horsey.

[@bangler62]

Agreed but, the issues of excess in the world at large, noise pollution, air pollution, refuse (all those vibrations and noise create wear that shorten the usable life of vehicles and roadways) are too important to be ignored for aesthetic pleasure. And let's face it, for those who enjoy it, there will always be the associations and clubs and enthusiasts who will keep that pleasure available to that segment. Just like there are still horse and buggy people.

[@Thenerdywalrus]

EV for the boring everyday driving, V8 and manual transmission for the fun stuff I've got a company plug in hybrid which is excellent at all the boring stuff and a Rover 825SD (not a V8 unfortunately but still makes a lovely rumble and only ever can with a manual) for long lazy cruises

[@jaimieconroy36]

I would disagree about this. On of the biggest advantages of EV's are the quiet ride. Luxury cars are known for quiet and smooth performance.

[@chadjensenster]

This is just 2 opposing 2 stroke engines. To have a true 1 stroke, you would need to have a 2 stroke engine that has a combustion chamber on each side of the piston, so that it is pushed on each stroke by a power stroke. Also, I love the idea of a sine plate. Dynamcam had a sine plate design in 1941. It had the benefit of completing 4 strokes for all 12 cylinders every rotation of the engine. This means that it could produce a lot more power for every rotation than a conventional engine. It was a very promising design, I'm not sure what ever happened with it. But it is still legal to have one in an aircraft to this day.

[@frequentlycynical642]

As noted, low torque.

[@ibrahimsued4906]

Probably very expensive

[@nickrowe9221]

The rollers wear out. ask any dodge hemi owner about the rollers on the their valve followers. at about 150k miles time for a cam and all new cam followers with rollers. In the case of this engine it would mean a total rebuild. I do like the engine but best used to power a generator that runs at a fairly constant speed.

[@burtreynolds3143]

back and forth is two strokes to have a 1 stroke your piston would have to go in a circle

[@ribbitgoesthedoglastnamehe4681]

@@burtreynolds3143 Theres the Wankel engine.

[@davidwolff9885]

The idea of the “range extender” is how I first heard the idea of hybrids described decades ago. A very small IC engine would be tuned to run at its optimal operating point to charge a smaller battery when needed and otherwise completely electric drive. It made a lot of sense to me. No transmission, the performance of electric drive but the backup capacity and energy capacity of gasoline when needed for longer trips.

[@vilefly]

Older than that, we had train locomotives using hybrid diesel-electric technology for ages. Diesel generator + electric drive + battery + regenerative brakes. Yup. They did it first.

[@begood9423]

The set up you bring up is being used around the world in many countries for many years already! Gas electric with small battery about 50 miles of range, longer range is off the generator and is at least as good of MPG as an economy gas vehicle on the hwy. My best friend just bought one in Thailand a year ago and loves it, averages 40+ mpg city and hwy and range is the same as any gas only car. America probably will not allow this type here as virtue signally over no more combustion engines is more important than actually reducing emissions. Besides if big batteries can ruin the planet faster then America will go that direction.

[@chupo4putin]

yeah. in a package its called toyota

[@yakut9876]

But the biggest problems and disasters remain the very complex electronics !

[@VikashJain-pm8cx]

I'm not an engineer but found your explanations easy to understand. Great production quality as well. Clearly a lot of work went into producing it and it shows! Excellent!

[@tok713]

Your 'butterfly' swimmer is doing the 'breaststroke.'

[@peterruiz6117]

Butterflies have breasts.....Don't they ?......Loving creatures.... n e v e r m i n d

[@gsantee]

Just had to 2nd this. 🧐

[@andyschindler505]

And poorly doing the breaststroke. Most likely would be disqualified in a race.

[@-danR]

And just to be complete, it's an awful analogy. More discursively, I don't understand why explainers feel an obligation to make analogies at all where a system is plainer in its workings than any analogy or comparison, let alone forcing people to reconstruct the mapping from one to the other that the explainer wasted their time to devise in their own head in the first place. x-stroke-engines is a nerd topic, explained by a nerd, to an audience of nerds. Even if the latter are new to x-stroke machines altogether, they are going to get the system with the help of diagrams and animations in a matter of seconds.

[@CobaltOntarioadventures]

Does he look like he swims? 🤣

[@AlbertoPinero1]

The pursuit of efficiency will always be a worthwhile endeavor. To improve upon an existing or "old" technology is what many branches of engineering are all about. Also, what someone's education is in, or what their Linkin profile shows, is often not an indication of their full life education or experiences.

[@mpetersen6]

Plus sadly in today's world resume inflation does exist. I am not saying that it is done by everyone. But it does happen.

[@mpetersen6]

Plus sadly in today's world resume inflation does exist. I am not saying that it is done by everyone. But it does happen.

[@kennethmatthew3453]

Building an engine even 1000 times more efficient or achieving over 200+ miles per gallon isn't difficult. Certain technologies or combination of could get somewhere over 500+ miles per gallon easily. It's just the entire fuel/energy companies will come down upon anyone with great force to protect their billion dollar bank accounts. As someone who has learned all about mechanical technologies and with real world mechanical experience the more I've learned about technology as a whole the more I've become disappointed with the greed of humanity. Every energy source invented/discovered by humanity is made to not be so efficient/designed to output "maximum profit" well over "maximum efficiency". Nikola Tesla was written off cause he didn't think the world should have to pay for electricity hence his invention for free world wide electric which was interrupted by his apparently targeted demise. WITHIN THE TRUE SCOPES OF TECHNOLOGICAL POSSIBILITIES we don't need power companies and fuel companies. Imagine a vehicle which only needs to be refueled once a week with virtually unlimited miles till parts naturally brake down eventually over time. The only real reason why there isn't over 1,000 miles per gallon is due to control over the way the engine/propulsion is designed in order to maximize profit to make billions and to stop anyone or anything from threatening that profit/supreme luxury lifestyle by any means necessary. This is coming from someone who designed engine schematics during their teen years and ran an engine off of hydrogen from nothing more than water via special electrolysis design during his much younger adult years. It's no coincidence you can't just go out and buy a car featuring over 500+ miles per gallon. In a future where humanity isn't corrupted by greed achieving over 700 miles per gallon isn't so difficult with the proper knowledge/insight/skill. The next great energy source and the next great energy source after that it's efficiency WILL ALWAYS BE minimized to maximize profit. Most vehicle manufactures even went as far as to program engines to shut down if it senses anything other than the fuel you buy from the pumps to ensure it's more difficult to run your vehicles off anything other than the paid fuel from the pumps. Only way around it is to design your own ECU or engine control computer to where you can control everything an engine does on your own but if you try to make such technology available than you may never be heard from again or you'll just be paid off to hush and no longer disturb those multi billion dollar businesses. I consider the transportation industry to be one of the largest scams in human history because with the right knowledge it's not hard to get virtually unlimited miles from a vehicle built very specific ways or from a vehicle not designed to maximize profit via fuel sales. Vehicles are nothing more than nice looking cash generators on wheels as they are "designed" to be.

[@paulslund1]

The Range-extender concept is exactly what Ram's 2025 Ramcharger EV is: It's they EV truck with a smaller battery (150mile range on full charge) but with a 3.6 V6 engine to provide an additional 500 miles of range. The 150mile range on the battery alone is a good blend, as that should be sufficient for most daily use.. but for longer trips towing loads, the V6 would kick in. I always felt this is how hybrids should work in the first place (I think Chevy's original bolt or something used to work this way?)

[@TwoBitDaVinci]

yeah that's right the Chevy Volt was a pure electric drivetrain, with a gasoline generator running at the ideal RPM for most efficient output to charge the battery pack. definitely agree this is the best way to run a hybrid.

[@RP-hn1qc]

They need to put that new inline 6 Hurricane engine even if it's non turbo as the twin turbo is overkill for this duty cycle. It will be more efficient as the lighter rotating assembly from a perfectly balanced engine negates the need for counter rotating balancing shafts or sizing of crankshaft counter weights.

[@mikehenson819]

Old dude here. I’ve never been against electric cars. In fact I can see the practicality in them , except for 2 big reasons. Range and cost. Neither of which has been addressed to date. And frankly changing every car or truck to electric in America is impractical due to the cost of upgrading the grid, and needs of large semi trucks. I know they’re working on it, but we still aren’t there yet.

[@MyIncarnation]

And every truck and car is not electric yet. They are working on it. This dumb argument is trotted out too many times. The electricity grid could not cope with, or not enough chargers if all cars were electric now.

[@billgreathouse1913]

We'd likely need a 1 giga watt reactor every 3month from now to 2035 to fulfill the charging requirements of all af the cars in the US. EV transition is an exercise in government mental masterbation.

[@chrisbrossette]

I have yet to see an Electric Super Duty that would run 400-700 miles on a tank of diesel. As with semis, there is a need for non-EVs.

[@seanworkman431]

Thermal runaway is a problem. Ever heard of the Felicity Ace or the Fremantle Highway? Both car carriers that caught fire due to an electric vehicle going into thermal runaway.

[@carlholland3819]

weight is also a huge problem. gas is 10x more efficient than a battery and you only have to carry 50 lbs with you instead of 1000. you can also carry another 20 lbs in a can in the trunk so you dont get stuck in the desert. temperature is also a problem, esp cold. if its 10 degrees outside, that 300 mile range will be closer to 100

[@hybridstoatdragon]

14:59. The reason its a prototype is because there is ABSOLUTLY no lubrication going on. It would be extremely hard to cool that or improve its long lasting ability.

[@youxkio]

However, the reliability and longevity of this engine can be questioned because it hasn't been used in a long experience. The conducts of the lubrication system need to be analyzed closely, definitely.

[@Formulabruce]

Enter Graphene..... watch for it...

[@kensmith5694]

lubrication can be done. By the looks of it, there are no wrist pins to get oil to. You just have to get it onto the cam followers and the cylinder walls. Cooling it is another matter. I think to make it really work the number of cylinders should be decreased to three to allow more space between them fof a water jacket.

[@MaMi-gy8ln]

You are mistaken. Have you ever heard for oil fog lubrication?

[@-danR]

Swash-plate IC engines are as old as the hills, this is just one of dozens of themes and variations, and none of them have ever made it into any commercial products. They dwell forever only on test-beds, the occasional test-vehicle; but mostly in the yellowing pages of Popular Science and Popular Mechanics.

[@slicksquared4336]

Interesting question at the end! In the 1970s, during the Arab oil embargo, I worked out a plan to make a vehicle much like you propose. It simply had a battery pack, individual motors on each wheel, and a "small but efficient" engine running constantly at its most efficient speed to generate electricity to recharge the battery. That plus regenerative braking would have created an extremely efficient vehicle with 4 wheel drive and "silent running". Had something better than lead-acid batteries been available, and had I more money... woulda coulda shoulda...

[@JohnAdams223]

Most people in power support theft of information. The US government supports terrorism and they won't admit it

[@thingamabob3902]

Wasn´t the "every wheel gets an engine" idea shelved because it increases the weight and complexity of the vehicle and doesn´t add much efficiency ?

[@slicksquared4336]

@@thingamabob3902 Yes it kinda was with engines, but now with electric motor technology the wheel motor is combined with the brake and it only adds a bit of unsprung weight and electric is way less complicated than engines. Far fewer parts, electronic differential etc.

[@thingamabob3902]

@@slicksquared4336 ok

[@ianhollands1641]

@@thingamabob3902 Also greatly increases the unsprung weight. However , for a military vehicle, like a modern Jeep, it would have a lot of merit.

[@johnschofield9496]

The engines used on our patrol boats in Vietnam had a system of several rows of triangular engine sets that worked in a similar fashion. They were the Napier Deltic engine.

[@mpetersen6]

Napier's last hurrah and sacrifice to the temple of mechanical complexity. At least they didn't try and build a version of the Jumo 224. Don't get me wrong. The Deltic is an amazing powerplant. And sounds wonderful. PS I also happen to think that it was out of work Napier engine designers and development engineers that were hired to design the 1.5 Liter supercharged V-16 intended for F-1 use.

[@charliemeyer4651]

What type of PB were you on?? The Napier Deltic was Huge I have seen them used as part of a gas electric railway locomotive and that was just with just one Deltic.

[@chrishartley1210]

I assume when you say "engine set" you are referring to a single bank of 3 cylinders (6 pistons). The Deltic engine was only ever produced with 3 banks (9 cylinders), the "baby" Deltic, or 6 banks (18 cylinders). The patrol boat is exactly what it was designed for, half the weight and size of a standard diesel engine of comparable power at that time. As a concept, it was ahead of its time. With modern materials, high pressure precise fuel metering and turbochargers rather than superchargers it could still be a world beater in terms of power to weight ratio. Except it falls down in one important area, as will these so-called one stroke engines and every other "lean burn" engine. Oxides of Nitrogen. Whenever an engine has spare oxygen and nitrogen at high temperature they are going to combine, and that is always going to be the case with compression-ignition engines. There's only one fuel which can have the advantage of ICE without the pollution and that's hydrogen. And here come all the nay sayers claiming that hydrogen is made from fossil fuels. They are right of course, it is, currently. Just like the mining of materials for batteries are making vast areas uninhabitable. The difference is that hydrogen can and will be made directly from water. Let's see them do that with batteries.😂

[@richardcolligan3821]

Problem with hydrogen is storage, when they solve that electric vehicles will no longer be produced

[@chrishartley1210]

@@richardcolligan3821 Do you mean filling site storage or vehicle storage? The filling site storage is resolved by making the hydrogen at the filling point with only a small capacity needed for immediate use. Bradford, England is building a hydrogen plant, mainly for buses but also for anyone else who wants to fill up there. Vehicle storage is also resolved. As long as the filling site can provide fuel at sufficient pressure the gas can be transferred directly to the vehicle at the same pressure. Some existing methods try to pressurise the gas as it fills the vehicle, that causes heat and heat makes the job even more difficult. You will hear stories that hydrogen is dangerous; if you get a hydrogen leak, it floats away. If you get a leave of a flammable liquid, the vehicle then sits in a pool of it. Which is more dangerous? You will also hear stories about "hydrogen embrittlement of metals". But that is only caused where hydrogen (or hydrogen sources such as water vapour) when the metal is at very high temperature. The sort of temperature used when arc welding. Nobody should be doing that near a fuel container of any sort, it isn't really a problem in reality.

[@schnitznschnatzn]

Ricky, the first thing I thought seeing this engine was "that would be the ideal range extender" for a serial hybrid. I have 2 BMW i3s that do exactly the same thing but with a 600cc 2cyl engine that is tuned down for efficiency and longevity and makes around 23kW out the generator. It makes it one of the lightest production EVs made so far.

[@underwaterreporter]

The swimmer would have to inhale through one nostril while exhaling from the other 😂

[@J5Jonny5]

My BMW i3 was by far the best vehicle I've ever had... Came with the 2-cylinder REX that I didn't use much. But when I needed it. It was there. Loved it.

[@ckm-mkc]

I was gonna say, at least two companies have done this already, BMW & GM.

[@JxcksonSF]

Mazda new suv has a rotary Rex

[@johnkrigin1535]

@@JxcksonSF No rotary anything. It was a junk engine for longevity and they're trying to slap lipstick on a pig. 😃

[@billbayer5526]

I'm currently converting a 1980 VW pickup truck using a Tesla small drive unit and 90kWh battery pack. I'm seriously considering making provisions for a portable generator that I can put in the bed if I want to go on longer trips. It would be strapped or bolted down and would power the VW's onboard charger. If the VW takes 12kw to go 55mph and I can put 6kW back into the battery via the onboard charger and portable generator I will effectively double my range. Generally speaking, I do not like hybrids but a REX hybrid is intriguing. Thanks for all you do! Bill

[@bobhones1930]

Something to think about when you are having a range extender motor that runs off of gas. 100% gas has the shelf life of one year. E10 [ 10% ethanol ] gas has the shelf life of 30 days. If you use seafoam in your gas you can get 2 years of storage. Both gases would be 87 octane. Added point 100% gas gets you better gas mileage big time.

[@GoodEnoughVenson_sigueacristo]

As to your end point, I think I do agree. I hate the idea of hybrid vehicles, because I love the simplicity of an electric drivetrain, but at least with our current electricity storage technology, gasoline excels in the power density area. For longer trips, or hauling heavy loads, some type of compact range extender could be very valuable to a lot of folks.

[@dennyatnotts]

I've been thinking about the same for my boat. I currently have a 2.4l diesel in the engine room but seldom need to 'give it the beans'. I mainly stay in a marina but having an efficient generator and modest batteries would make sense.

[@howebrad4601]

Agreed, with hybrids you get the drivetrain efficiency of electric with the energy density and lighter weight of a combustion engine. No solution is perfect by hybrids have as much of the plusses, with as few of the negatives as possible

[@andersgrassman6583]

Fuel cell technology combined with liquid fuel, is a better compliment to batteries, than adding a combustion engine and alternator/dynamo/generator.

[@brucestewart3170]

Liquid piston seems to have a great range extender. Similar to a Wankel but a different cycle altogether. I wish they would hurry up and bring them to market.

[@Cyrribrae]

A lot of EV skeptics have been pushing hard on hybrids as a way to distract from EVs. But the suggestions that you could have an EV car with a 5 gallon gas engine supplement haven't seemed particularly practical. IF this technology comes to market as fully fleshed, production ready, and as advertised, then there is a room for that discussion. But until then.. it's just numbers on a spreadsheet.

[@ZyxwvuTJ]

I agree, call it synchronized double stroke or something different but more accurate. Interesting though.

[@shaynegadsden]

it's an opposed piston 2 stroke

[@-danR]

@@shaynegadsden Exactly. When I saw the animation, it just had "2-stroke" practically written all over it.

[@shaynegadsden]

@@-danR yeah their website gives some BS excuse as to why they didn't call it a 2 stroke but basically because there isn't oil in the fuel and since that isn't part of the lubrication system it isn't a 2 stroke

[@troubleshooter1975]

I was immediately thinking 'linear 2-stroke' or 'axial 2-stroke', since it has no rotary connecting rods...

[@robertroigsantamaria]

if you consider the 8 pistons to be 4 double pistons connected to the wavy thing... .wich they are, ... not linear but C shaped but using bearings since .. .. ... . it's such a different approach the stroke count is not important.

[@fridaycaliforniaa236]

Only real « one-stroke » engines are turboshafts/turbojets and Stirling-cycle engines, in my opinion (I may have forgotten other examples, I'm not an expert)

[@AlexFoster2291]

Why on Earth did you make the swimming analogy? It's even more complicated than engine lol

[@-danR]

Some explainers regard analogies as an obligatory element of the explanation process. It's not: "Do we need an analogy here?" but... "What analogy should we use and where should we stick it?"

[@fredashay]

I was about to post the same comment. The swimming analogy only adds confusion to the excellent explanation that preceded it.

[@jimscomp88]

@@fredashay I disagree and liked the analogy. However, the example of the fly was actually a breaststroke. Overall I liked the video and his explanation of the two engines.

[@kob8634]

I disagree. I though it was a perfect allegory to undergird his point. Such a perfect analogy once you understand the difference between a breast stroke and a butterfly (took me a minute).

[@rpsmith]

Because he is an EV Fanboy so his elevator doesn't go to the top floor!

[@coorbin]

The concept of a range extended EV isn't new. I have a BWM i3 REx, which is one of the only production vehicles I know of that uses this architecture. It's essentially a "series plug-in hybrid", but what makes it a range-extended EV is that your primary "fuel" is electricity from the battery, which ultimately comes from the grid or home rooftop solar, and gasoline is supposed to be your secondary fuel, or support to bridge the gaps between charging stations on a road trip. It works really well. The only problem with the series hybrid design is that it's less efficient than letting the engine directly drive the wheels. Toyota's hybrid architecture is "series-parallel" such that the engine can, in certain conditions, directly provide mechanical output to the drive shaft/transaxle. This is especially desirable if your battery is depleted and you're cruising at highway speeds, and even though it results in a more complex "transmission" (e.g. with a planetary gearset, or a clutch pack like the Honda Clarity PHEV), it is ultimately more efficient when running on gas than a series hybrid. The inefficiency of the series hybrid is awfully clear when you consider how it runs when the battery is nearly depleted. It generates mechanical work, then a generator converts that to electricity, then that electricity goes into the battery, then the battery gets discharged to drive the electric motors, which convert the electricity back to mechanical work. Every time the energy is converted, you lose some efficiency. Even if each step is very efficient, when you combine them together, you lose a lot of energy. Regenerative braking helps a lot in heavy traffic, but if you're going at highway speeds over long distances, running on the REx is gets pretty poor MPG. It's in the high 20s last I tested, like 28 MPG. Icky. If I had my way, we would adopt one of these small-and-light "generator" designs -- this one or some other -- as the range extender in a so-called "series-parallel plugin hybrid" with an architecture similar to the Toyota Prius Prime or Rav4 Prime, but with a much larger battery pack. Let's say we can shrink the weight and size of the engine by 50% and triple the size of the battery pack. This would give us an EV range around 150 miles, which is enough for all but road trips. Then we'd have an 8-10 gallon gas tank which can easily bridge the gap between charging stations, even if you pull into an Electrify America station and all the chargers are broken. Oh well, just drive on gasoline for another 20 miles until you find the next one. A car of this design would work perfectly fine even in a charging "desert" (where all the chargers are broken, or they don't exist), and at a decent fuel efficiency, too (probably 40 mpg or higher in a mid-size sedan configuration). But it would also have 150 miles of EV range, so if you charge it up at home, nearly all trips, even "regional" trips (say, trips from the Baltimore area to the Washington DC area) could be taken completely on electricity. But if you needed to drive out to the midwest, and you couldn't find good chargers or didn't have time to stop, you could just keep driving on gasoline, and fill up every 200-250 miles at a gas station. That would be the "dream car" for me, and I would probably buy cars that operate on that architecture for the rest of my life. 95% of my driving would be fueled by the grid (so, its "cleanliness" would depend on the energy mix of the power grid) and partially offset by my rooftop solar. The remaining 5%, those long distance trips, would not require me to rent a car -- I would just use gas to the extent necessary.

[@GethinColes]

I've been thinking the exact same thing - and what you've described is the perfect Ev for Australia, where the majority of trips are small, but where the ability to charge is also small (or non-existent)

[@baills5694]

Very good points and I agree. Only problem is not many companies make those types of vehicles that most people can afford. I personally have to drive 1200 miles each weekend inorder to see my family and would love to have an electric or hybrid but they don't make financial sense when compared to my ICE that gets 40 mpg

[@Cyrribrae]

So this all does potentially make sense and thanks for all the context (quite helpful).. but.. isn't the better long-term solution simply to improve the charging infrastructure? You're right that in charging deserts, you may be hurting for some extra range. But that's assuming that charging infrastructure doesn't explode and personal gasoline infrastructure doesn't atrophy. That may take 10 years, but look how much the network has already grown in the last 10, while EVs are still single digit percentage in the US market. Changing the parameters just a little bit can change the calculus of ever needing a gas REX - lighter and/or more dense batteries, more charger stations on routes, faster charging, more efficient vehicles. At least in passenger vehicles. I imagine there may still be uses for hybrids in extremely rural places or for distance hauling. But even then.. there are multiple ways to practically solve a problem and generally, I think we societally get the most benefit out of having better disbursed energy infrastructure over personal small generators, for various reasons.

[@VariasCapivarias]

Make sense, you are having the losses of both combustion engine and electric

[@tskogen6905]

If the generator can send power directly to the wheels or capacitors the losses are greatly diminished. I am amazed at how well my Priuses work but they are very complex, expensive and heavy. Especially if compared to what could be possible with the the correct generator and power storage. It has been done even at the experimental level.

[@foardhook]

In case you haven't noticed we aren't buying EV's. They are piling up in dealerships. We have woken up to the lie.

[@DennisFahlstrom]

They are piling up at dealers for 2 reasons. The charging infrastructure is poor (excluding Tesla) and dealers are jacking prices through the roof. There is no lie contrary to some folks views. EVs are safer, handle better, have much lower maintenance costs and are far cheaper to drive. There are range anxiety issues, especially in cold climates and the current models suffer even more in range when towing. These issues can all be overcome. Folks who have home solar love that they can commute locally for no gas costs. Who can blame them? Especially in states like CA with painfully high gas prices.

[@BetzalelMC]

Great, interesting video as usual! But why don’t they target small/light (ultra?) aircraft? Would this not be a perfect airplane motor?

[@willm5814]

Stop getting your info from FOX

[@robertmclean6629]

EVs are good in their own particular way. They are designed for one purpose only: carbon friendly commuting. ICE based vehicles are multi-useful. They are cheaper. They can be refueled almost anywhere. They can be repaired by the owner. You can modify them. I would choose an ICE vehicle or a sensibly designed electromotive vehicle.

[@elheber]

It does make sense as an REEV engine. I drive a Chevy Volt, which operates on the same basic principle. The narrow optimal torque band and cooling issues aren't as much of a problem when the engine essentially just needs two modes: on and off. Plus, an EV owner is exactly the type of person who would appreciate the low noise and vibration. Assuming all the claims are true, of course.

[@christopherconner9014]

The world is not about to transition to EV.

[@archeryhunter86-]

Agreed, this is just another clueless Californian.

[@hamburgerhamburgerv2]

@@archeryhunter86-When your house is engulfed in wildfire you’ll be wishing you voted for Al Gore

[@jayd6224]

EVs, will only be better than internal combustion engine in nich/specific applications for the foreseeable future. There exists no improvements or investments that can get electric cars ahead at all. It will literally take an entirely new invention which currently doesn't exist.

[@mdbosley]

The human world is about to collapse.

[@radrhys1267]

@@jayd6224 Niche? Are you kidding me? EVs have already taken up most sales in several European countries. In the US where people drive the most by far, the average American drives 30-40 miles per day. The average American absolutely could use an EV and have all their daily needs met. The niche use cases are for 400+ miles of range or for weight restricted vehicles.

[@pthomps1954]

Air in a gas turbine gets drawn in, then is compressed, then is mixed with fuel and ignited then expands through turbine blades (power stroke) then exhausts out the end so this is truly a one stroke engine. And the high power they put out is reflective of that.

[@MarkBlance]

There are a few companies doing rage extenders. This seems to be a nice stop gap while battery tech catches up. There's a Canadian company (Edison Motors) doing this for big logging trucks.

[@glenndennis6801]

They're starting with a pickup retrofit kit now also.

[@mavric1177]

Thank goodness someone else finally knows about Edison

[@n0tlance314]

The bmw I3 has a range extender engine

[@gilbertfranklin1537]

Even if battery tech catches up, the bigger problem will always be the grid. So your state-of-the-art battery will take your EV 1,000 miles - then the charging station and the liquor store across the street are dark with no electricity. Then you will still need the eRex or something like it! 😊

[@user-mp3eq6ir5b]

RAGE EXTENDERS MAKE ME SEETHE!!!!!

[@markjahan]

I would love to see this range extender option on a trailer to be used or even rented for long trips, since majority of the time it's not needed since an average modern EV is getting about 300 miles per charge available every morning if you change over night and average daily drive in US is between 25 to 50 miles per day.

[@LaserFur]

I'm tempted to cut the front off this ICE car that I can't title and make it a trailer. This would then push my first gen leaf down the highway and even charge the EV due to regen. The main problems with this plan is that you can't toe a automatic transmission so this has to be running while in use and it would be a pain to get around in the city. So I would have to use it to get the 150 miles to the city and then disconnect it for stuff in the city and then reconnect it to get home.

[@lindafoss3823]

They do make trailers with electric motors and battery to help reduce the load.

[@trueriver1950]

​​@@lindafoss3823 I don't know if the trailers currently on the market can use regen braking, but I think that is possible. Using a switch in the tow bar that works like the traditional roll over brake, then regen rollover would use generators connected to the trailer wheels to provide the braking force. If any viewer knows of a research project working on this idea please let me know their website or email details: it's an idea I've had for a long time but never known what to do with

[@jackdaniels2657]

The average ev won't even make it 250 top Tesla models can only go 200 miles cus. U run the radio the AC or heater and headlights ok so if u try to drive to Vegas from where I live all Tesla's gotta stop at buffalo bills to recharge cus they won't make it to Vegas.

[@kennethblocher6110]

A range extender ICE for an electric drive vehicle. That sounds exactly like what Edison Motors is doing! They've taken the idea of a diesel-electric locomotive and made a diesel-eletric semi. It uses a small CAT engine running at peak efficiency to turn the generator to recharge the batteries or provide electricity for the e-axles. They've also partnered with their suppliers to create retrofit kits for older pickup trucks (1999 and older, so far).

[@simonreeves2017]

Hi Ricky, greetings from the U.K. I recently saw this engine on KZbin, and, like you I’m an engineer, unlike you I’m nearly 60 yo! What struck me most about the engine was concerns about lubrication and cooling. I do find the design interesting though.

[@LCCB]

Would be interesting to combine this with a heat pump exchange system on a REX style EV. Would probably help tremendously in cold environments as waste heat from the ICE could heat the battery and cabin.

[@Taz6688]

To make EV's work, insist on a standard battery pack, head out of town, getting low on charge, pull into a garage and swap packs, you need two packs, leave yours for the next person to use when charged, the only limit is the distance between service stations with packs.

[@mikefochtman7164]

Agree, this is a two stroke. BTW, not all two stroke engines burn oil-gas mix, that's only done if the backside of the piston (i.e. crankcase side) is used as the 'air pump'. All 'heat engines' have four phases and it's sometimes tricky to find them. An expansion/power phase, heat rejection phase, compression/pump phase, and heat addition phase. They often overlap, but they are there somewhere. Oh, and using each end of this engine to drive a front/real axle in an 'all wheel drive' could only work off road. Normal AWD on firm roads requires the front/ rear drive shafts have to be allowed to turn at different rates around curves to avoid tire wear problems.

[@DCGreenZone]

Don't some vehicle have a forward aft differential?

[@mikefochtman7164]

@@DCGreenZone Yes that's exactly my point. If you just tied the forward drive shaft to this engine, and the rear drive shaft to the engine, you wouldn't have that 'third differential'. Of course many 4wd have an option to 'lock' this 'third differential' when off roading, but on firm roads it needs to be 'unlocked' so fore and aft shafts can be turned at different ratios.

[@richardnorby2167]

This is very much how hybrid sailing boats work. Of course they have sails so theoretically they have an unlimited range. They often have regen on their propellers so that the batteries recharge when they are sailing, and they often have solar panels. In addition to using electricity to run their instruments and appliances, they have an electric motor for when there is no wind or when they are coming into or leaving a marina. The hybrids also have an generator so that they can recharge their batteries if needed, even if they seldom use it. Then there are electric hybrid power boats that don't have sails and run entirely off of electric motors. These also have generators that recharge the batteries when necessary.

[@OFallons]

Yes, the evacuation of exhaust gas velocities are a real event which also increases the intake charge seen during valve opening overlap on 4 stroke engine.

[@Theeslickness]

Tesla user here. I used to think BEV (pure EVs) were the only way forward, but now I see how important it has become to diversify EV tech. Having a small engine will overcome most of the fears slow adopters need to make the switch. Things like cold weather performance, cabin heating, cost of large battery packs, having no home charging, and quickly adding range. Plus gasoline isn't the only fuel, there are plenty of combustible fuels out there to help reduce fossil fuel use. So by all means, let's get those tiny engines into series hybrids (EREVs). I hope that maybe AI can help us figure out the best possible generator setup, to optimize it faster.

[@JoeMcMorrow-k7e]

You are right and the approach is nothing new. The Jaguar CX75 Super car had a tiny engine for its claimed performance and could run on olive oil as I recall.... The BMW i3 could also be optioned with a constant speed small motorcycle engine as a "Range Extender"

[@BigBadBoy-ib6yx]

Range extension either by a small efficient internal combustion engine or induction coils intermittently imbedded in the roadway seems like a must. The untold story is always extremes of hot and cold requiring heating and air conditioning.

[@carlholland3819]

that sounds wonderful in some future utopia, but the direction we're actually heading is people not being able to afford cars at all

[@717UT]

Semantics aside, I would absolutely take one of these awesome engines in a vehicle. It looks fantastic and could be the bridge technology we have needed for decades.

[@AnthonyAllenJr]

I think Toyota had it right. They stated that hybrid vehicles were the smarter way to go. Especially with larger batteries requiring more use of precious resources. Going electric drivetrain and combustion range extension just makes much more sense in the eventual transition to full EV adoption. Dodge just announced their truck (Ram Charger) would have this architecture, and Chevy had this years ago with the Volt. I'm all for it.

[@jnawk83]

Toy-who? Seriously, they are taking a leaf right out of Kodak's book.

[@Awrethien]

Something to consider is what about an "upgrade pack" that can be put into a car trunk or the bed of a truck like those metal tool boxes you see all the time in trucks and that just ties into the battery. If you ever do what the upgrade its a simple plug and play install. I could see this being attractive compromise for a lot of people.

[@carlholland3819]

ya just add another 400 lbs and 5000 dollars. thats a great solution

[@xpeterson]

IMO only “1 stroke engine” would be a turbojet. Even if an intake/compression is powered by a combustion on the other side of the piston, it’s still a separate combustion chamber.

[@mathieularocque1953]

Just a little 2 cents here, a lot of phev could benefit from this kind of engine, I currently have an outlander phev, the wheel are operated by only the EV motors, but the gasoline engine can provide extra electricity at lower speed or directly contribute to the wheel when above 70km/h. The vehicule is equipped with a 1 speed transmission only for that. This engine design could potentially help that kind of vehicule with low range about 61 km per charge, making them more efficient in charging the battery or providing power. Also there are so many applications for this this could be a really good way to move forward with reducing emissions like you pointed out ! Great video have a nice day

[@user-mp3eq6ir5b]

Serious Discussion Tiem. Why not replace the battery packs with this engine running a generator and use a smaller battery pack for the range extender. I mean, Climate Change is aging faster than the Congressional Frauds that promote it. Nor can we generate that amount of electric to support 100% EV.

[@NdxtremePro]

Another reason this would make sense in a hybrid is as a solution to the too cold problem. You can start the engine and use it to heat the battery to temps it can be used. It also free you from the electric grid. You could totally run the engine to power the battery when necessary.

[@yodaiam1000]

You would have to heat the oil and the block to start the ICE engine in the cold. You might as well just heat the battery in the first place.

[@PaulG.x]

@@yodaiam1000 Correct . It would be far more efficient to use some of the stored energy in the battery to heat it , than to have a fuel tank engine and generator just to warm a battery. It would be more efficient just to have a fuel tank and combustion heater for that matter

[@kadmow]

@@yodaiam1000 - just have a chat to folk in Alaska without block heaters.... Somehow folk manage. (not roadblocks just solved problems - elsewhere.)

[@yodaiam1000]

@@kadmow You aren’t driving an ICE car at minus 40 without a block heater. People with EVs in Alaska manage as well.

[@glenndennis6801]

@@yodaiam1000 I had a 1983 dodge pickup with a 225 CI Slant 6 that would start at -40, without the block heater plugged in. I lived in Calgary (got some COLD Winters) and had to park on the street, no plugs there. I'd go start the truck and then have breakfast so it would be warn enough to drive to work.

[@blackburngaming8345]

I don't see why people keep fighting to try and design a single stroke engine when we already have one that's used very commonly in everyday life. The turbine engine. It's the closest thing we can get to a single stroke engine, it does the intake, compression, combustion, and exhaust phases simultaneously in a continuous cycle. Yeah, it doesn't use any pistons, so it doesn't really have any "strokes" to begin with, but it's the closest thing we'll have to a single stroke engine.

[@redbook673]

The world is not going electric anytime soon.

[@rvd64]

The more the goverment is forcing the transition the more suspicious it is.

[@SirAngusKhan]

Thankfully

[@johnmiglautsch4587]

Range extender not only makes total sense but in cold weather it's the only salvation for EVs

[@samimurtomaki5534]

What do you mean, cold weather is even bigger problem for cimbustion engines if range is out of the picture?

[@johnmiglautsch4587]

@@samimurtomaki5534you're kidding, right?

[@johnmiglautsch4587]

Perhaps you mean the BATTERY is a problem in cold weather for combustion engines LOL

[@samimurtomaki5534]

Eah. That is obvious isn't it. At least in electric vehicle it is heated battery. If there is juice/renge, you are immediately ready to go without exiting cranking lottery.

[@johnmiglautsch4587]

@@samimurtomaki5534if you've heard of youtube, check out all the stranded EVs who couldn't even charge in sub zero - only one time in my whole life did cold stop me - a friend's down south car in -30F MN - could have used a dip-stick heater :)

[@3RAN7ON]

16:26 internal combustion engines are NOT going away anytime soon, might as well make them more efficient

[@OneWildTurkey]

I think EV fans overestimate how many others are on the EV bandwagon.

[@TheSulross]

his remarks on EVs reflect that he's clearly living in a delusional reality distortion field

[@nojoojuu]

@@TheSulrossAnd no 7 months of winter hitting -30C at times.

[@keldon_champion]

I agree not all of us are blind to the fact that EVs are not more efficient or clean than gas engines because you don't get rid of the emissions you just move them down the street to the coal power plant.

[@filonin2]

Well you'd better get on it as car manufacturers aren't going to be making ICE cars much longer.

[@filonin2]

@@keldon_champion If for some reason you get electricity from coal, which would be odd as coal consumption peaked in 2007 and has dropped 40% since then. Your argument isn't even against EV's either, it is against coal plants. Nice fail.

[@terrya6486]

Range extenders in pick up trucks and larger vehicles is definitely gonna be something. We're gonna live with for quite a while. The ram pick up truck with the range extender It's going to be interesting to see when they actually get it produced what it's like.

[@jackiebeene9609]

I drive a truck and would like to go the EV route for the next truck. I'm watching the RAM REV. 95% of the time, I could charge it at home. For those times when I need it for towing it has a motor that can run the generator to recharge the battery. But a 3.6 liter V6 appears to be a little overkill. Waiting for it to come out. Very interested

[@tomboyd7109]

Check out Edison Motors. They put a relatively small diesel motor/generator (range extender) on a semi (logging) truck. They are also working on a conversion for large pickups due to hit the market in about 2026. They are definitely focused on the commercial market.

[@commieTerminator]

​@@tomboyd7109Edison motors is doing awesome work for sure. Range extended EVs will turn out to be cleaner than fully electric ones as they don't need a huge battery pack and liquid fuel will rarely be used since people don't go on very long routes every day

[@dustcommander100]

The Detroit brand 2-stroke diesel engines came to mind when you mentioned the Miata having a supercharger. The Detroits also used a supercharger to push air into the combustion chamber while pushing the exhaust out. The Inngen is very innteresting!😄

[@edwarddesposito4476]

The range extender idea is a very cool idea. The EVs are getting better at determining the range based on the route, live road conditions, and how aggressive the EV is being driven. An EV could use the range extender along with the route planned, driver input, and conditions at the charging stations to do long haul driving in a car with a much more modest battery. It means 120 mile daily driver does not need a 200 mile range for those infrequent longer road trips to visit the inlaws. In the end, you have a cheaper priced car with less battery weight and is more efficient for those all battery trips. As your range is reduced due to battery degradation, you simply tend to use more gas, but the car is not totally pointless the moment it can't do your daily driving with a full charge on only batteries. If the energy produced per gallon of gas is better than an ICE engine, the engine is near vibration free, and nearly whisper quiet, does it matter the RPM it is most efficient at? It would not likely stand in for a super charger station, but programing a route that requires 50KW more capacity than your car has in capacity, it can supply that 50KW in whatever method best benefits the car during the trip. A hot day, maybe it assists the high power draw accessories giving your battery an easier time. On a cold day, it supplements the heating of the battery pack. The engine could even be integrated into the battery pack cooling system. I don't think it makes sense to use gas to charge batteries unless you were stranded and had no other choice. The efficiency loss on the charging and discharging is not necessary if you can immediately put the energy to use. Tuning the engine and generator to provide as close to the same voltages as used by the main systems would be really important as well.

[@jeffbybee5207]

Only thing to range extender charging battery's is to run engine at constant efficient speed and use the battery/moter as transmission for vering demand

[@mpetersen6]

​@@jeffbybee5207 Ideally yes. The issue is what if you have a completely flat charge on the battery and have to limp home or to reach a charging station. Not being able to meet the demands of driving conditions required if you stuck in a single optimal engine speed. Perhaps an option could be being able to switch between a constant RPM setting and an on demand setting.

[@johnbjorkman4144]

@jeffbybee5207 This goes back to the basic idea of hybrids: use electric for acceleration, and gas for cruising/charging. Take all the latest EV technology, and add that 70mpg engine with a 10 gallon fuel tank, and you got a 700 mile range. It seems like a great option as we develop better EV and their necessary infrastructure.

[@TheSilverShadow17]

Electric motors still make some amount of noise so they're not entirely whisper quiet as one may think.

[@exotica550]

Oh, You mean,like a Toyota Prius,or a Hybrid Camry,or a RAV4 Hybrid?

[@JohnMartin-ze8cf]

Excellent video....THANKS FOR DOING THESE VIDEOS FOR US

[@ironmatic1]

I agree with the sentiment of most comments here. Engine generators seem to be the primary application of IC going forward. This would be a PERFECT auto range extender, portable genset, or residential backup genset.

[@poporbit2432]

Perfect explanation and summary of these multi cycle architectures. The ev range extender is a real interesting point. Adding the thousand pound battery to a cybertruck or airplane to go an additional 100 miles is a non starter for me but an electric generator that can accomplish the same range extension at 100 pounds is worth developing.

[@asldfjkalsdfjasdf]

Now make the car small and light enough to be accelerated by that generator and you might have something that is actually environmentally friendly.

[@Tsudico]

Considering that energy density has been a continual issue for aircraft going purely electric, it might be a good alternative in those cases. I don't know about other cases if the electric infrastructure is built up though, might have diminishing benefits and really be a little too late.

[@Cyrribrae]

​@@asldfjkalsdfjasdflol true, but by that token.. you don't need a range extender at all. A few small, light EV cars can go several hundreds of miles with fairly small batteries because of extreme efficiency. If you get 12 mi/kWh, a modest 50kWh battery gets close to 600mi. Harder to achieve that if you have a giant SUV that you still want to reach 350 miles. (Or.. just get an e-bike or electric motorcycle.)

[@asldfjkalsdfjasdf]

@@Cyrribrae I think sticking with a modern combustion engine while reducing weight as much as possible is a far better way. Or of course some form of E-Bike under 100 kg where your pedals strokes still mean something while being protected from the elements. Maybe the Podbike But the Podbike with a small combustion engine might be even better.

[@Engineer__MD]

The range extender option has existed for decades. It is called a diesel electric locomotive. There was also a guy I used to carpool with who had previously worked at Bell Labs. One of the guys there had built one where if he could charge it. He did, but if he didn't, he had a 10 horsepower engine that ran a generator. Apparently this was actually partially funded by Bell Labs itself. Problem was gas was 30 cents a gallon back then.

[@johnbeckman492]

Diesel electric locos have no batteries. The traction motors run on electricity direct from generators driven by the diesels. A range extender system, also known as a series hybrid, has an ICE which soley turns a generator to recharge the battery.

[@Freedom1776usa]

good video but have to disagree about internal CE. Hybrid is the way to go for the next 20 years. we dont have the infrastructure yet to support all electric.

[@TwoBitDaVinci]

Got my first in 2020. We’ve already come a long way and by 2030 it’ll be great. The amazing part is how you can 500,600hp and have a reliable motor. So sublime compared to high performance ICE engines that are expensive to keep up,

[@chewiebacca8850]

@@TwoBitDaVinci But is replacing every ICE car on the planet with an EV a realistic goal considering the rare materials needed for batteries, the way those materials are obtained (child labor in many cases), the infrastructure for charging, etc. Consider terraced homes in the UK and in much of Europe. No assigned parking, how would these folks own and charage an electric car? Electric sounds amazing, and it is. But on the wider scale, its not an even remotely reasonable or logistical option.

[@msouth8531]

Back in the early 2000's Chevy was producing the VOLT. It was an all electric platform but had a small gas engine that would run a generator. So it would provide electricity for the motor and recharge the battery. At the time it was out of my price range but I was all for that type of platform.

[@lindafoss3823]

I have heard that the Chrysler Pacifica minivan works the same, but haven't found confirmation.

[@WarttHog]

If memory serves, the ICE, electric motor and wheels were all connected together via a planetary gear, so the ICE could recharge the battery, or could help drive the wheels mechanically. Pretty cool!!

[@johnbishop7912]

That was just a Hybrid - DEFINITELY NOT an all electric platform ! Marketing LIES and misinformation. That small Combustion Engine was a four cylinder that was directly connected to a Conventional Transmission that had been modified with an Electric Motor added. And if you wanted Heat or AC, the Combustion Engine had to be running. So, just a Hybrid - NOTHING more, nothing less !

[@WarttHog]

@@johnbishop7912 Yes it was a hybrid. Definitely not "all-electric". Yes GM resisted the term which is totally marketing shenanigans. But I wouldn't call it all "LIES". It was a pretty unique and very interesting power train! The transmission definitely was not normal! ;) Edit: Sorry, "conventional".

[@johnbishop7912]

@@WarttHog No, it was actually lies. By the time that vehicle went to Production, it had made liars out of the Marketing folks. The original design had a tiny two cylinder combustion Engine in the Trunk, that was in no way, shape, or form even connected to the Transmission, and it definitely could not / would not propel the vehicle anywhere. It was simply to recharge the wimpy undersized propulsion Battery. When they sized/sourced the Battery, they found that if you needed Heat, AC, or you wanted to make any turns (Electric PS), the range was cut in half ! So they had to scrap that design half way into vehicle development, but were still calling it an "All Electric" platform - when it essentially was nothing more than a wimpy "Strong" Hybrid ...😒

[@faraibee]

Great video I feel smarter after watching this

[@Rose-f2t]

You are so gullible

[@KatrinaRussell]

"sheds light on why this is perplexing...". Love it! Haha Wear and tear will result in bumps on the swashplate humps, making a rougher running and sounding engine the older it gets.

[@rickliners6123]

I live in Minnesota and for us a fully electric vehicle when temps are below 0 is a tough sell. You can't forget about us and the effect freezing temps have on battery life. Up here a hybrid vehicle makes more sense. I own a truck and pull an > 9500lb load with boat, gear and passengers. My preferred lake is 1.5 hours away. An electric truck would only get me there one way and have no good way to charge on way back, unless I am willing to stop somewhere for 4 hours. A hybrid version, so ICE kicks in to charge my battery on way back, would be a very convincing proposition. At least for now, while tech and infrastructure catch up, hybrid versions of electric vehicles are the best option for many of us.

[@Kulric]

I drive a hybrid and it is great. I am not sure about the 4 hour stop to charge a BEV though. The Lightning and Rivian can both charge in well under an hour. The real issue I think is finding a pull through charger when towing. That is another area the where infrastructure needs to be improved.

[@francescocacudi1767]

Norway has colder temperatures than you do probably. And they are all going enthusiastically electric.

[@lusoverse8710]

Horizontally-opposed pistons have been around for a long while too. The old Napier Deltic was a two-stroke, horizontally opposed engine. This INNengine looks interesting though. I do wonder how that swash-plate design would stand up to prolonged heavy use.

[@mpetersen6]

The Deltic was a triangular layout opposed piston supercharged diesel. The top cylinders were horizontal with the other two rows 30° from vertical. All three crankshafts geared to a common output shaft. One crankshaft had to rotate in the opposite rotation to allow the engine to work. Much of Napier's basic knowledge about opposed piston diesels came from their license purchased from Junkers.

[@dantennison1153]

I drive a 21 Model Y Tesla. Range anxiety is real when one first gets an EV. Then it disappears when you make the mental shift of trusting the car’s navigation and charging methodology. Adding an ICE to an EV would only be useful for off the grid travel, like diving to Alaska.

[@Bozemanjustin]

6:34 This is over a 400-year-old design. An ancient inventor drew it and said in the future they would have the ability to actually make it but they didn't have the materials back 400 years ago

[@nonofyourbiz9921]

There's no such thing as a one stroke engine, as going up is a stroke, and going down is a stroke. What you should be saying is that it's a one cycle engine.

[@daveriley6310]

Absolutely makes sense to have an erex system. I have had 6 Tesla BEVs and 4 Chevy Volt EREVs. One of each most recently. The Teslarati deride the idea of carrying around the weight of a small ICE range extender that might be used less than 10% of the time. But you never hear the counterargument against carrying around a MUCH heavier 100 kWh battery when 8 - 12 kWh is all that is used 90% of the time. As long as we are using relatively scarce, heavy and expensive lithium ion as the principal type of battery pack, I think 14 kWh and 7 times the number of clean cars built with the same amount of battery material makes eminent good sense.

[@a64738]

Again THIS IS JUST A OPPOSED PISTON 2 STROKE ENGINE !!!! I am getting tired of telling spam youtube scam channels this !!! Opposed 2 stroke engines is not new and have been used for more then half a decade.

[@vkturbo7676]

The world isn't going electric

[@ez2869]

i have an idea. Start: the starter gets power from the battery to spin while the fuel injectors put gas into the double chamber. 1 stroke: the pistons compress the fuel mixture while the spark plugs ignite the fuel pushing the cylinder back and opening the exhaust port meanwhile the fuel injectors put the fuel mixture once again. Disadvantages (i think) : 1: the fuel mixture can get out in the exhaust port leading to fuel waste Design : Flat engine but the pistons face eachother. Possible outcome for more than 1 flat chamber for example I6 where it has 6 pistons not 1.

[@doinwork3474]

I could see this being huge for generators. Smaller, lighter, quieter, and with that kind of timing and compression ratio control, control you could basically use any fuel you have on hand.

[@fridaycaliforniaa236]

To me, it's a two-stroke, just with a different layout of the reciprocating pistons

[@HiTechDiver]

Really enjoy your videos. With few exceptions, I usually forego videos over 10-12 minutes. Yours is one of those exceptions, because your narration is so fluid, and packed with relevant info, you keep the video interesting. Having said that, I do think the interest in EV's, when not gov't mandated, is being given a more scrutinized look, and I don't think their future is as immediate as some speculated. An extender would certainly sweeten the deal, though there are still a myriad of environmental concerns with mining for batteries, etc. Another matter is what form of energy drives the generators that produce the electricity for EV's; our grid is already heavily taxed. An IC engine that meets much higher fuel economy, and fills in minutes, still has a viable future, in my opinion; not to mention all the everyday products that come from petroleum. Thank you for covering this subject matter.

[@SapphireSpire]

I think a micro turbine is the best solution for a range extender. They're efficient, highly reliable, can burn any fuel, and don't need oil. My dream car is a series hybrid electric SUV with four doors and a hatchback. The doors only open when the car is stationary and in park. They can be manually opened with a lever or automatically with a button. The two rear doors pop out and slide back, like van doors, and the two front doors pop out and slide forward. The tops of the doors are curled in to leave more headroom when getting in or out, so they rise up as they pop out. Plus, when a door is open, the seat slides out a few inches and rotates. It has a computer in the dashboard that can show detailed diagnostics, and includes indicators in the instrument panel that show when lights aren't working. It has a micro turbine generator and two batteries. The car runs on battery power below 40hpm and automatically starts the turbine above that, or whenever a battery needs to be charged. Power from either source is first channeled through a control box, then distributed among four electric motors, one for each wheel. The control box manages power, based on angle of the gas peddle, complex wheel behavior based on steering, and suspension and breaking based on road conditions. And, of course, it has regenerative breaking.

[@MrMalchore]

YES!!!! At the end of your video, you said EXACTLY what crossed my mind. Why can't we use ICE to charge (re-charge?) the onboard battery pack? The engine is there SOLEY as a mobile generator, nothing more. I am not a mechanical engineer but I've heard ICE engines can - when tuned perfectly - be highly fuel efficient and relatively clean. A EV car with a battery big enough for around 100 miles, plus this range extender. I'm unsure if a battery can both charge and discharge at the same time. With a TON of help from software, the driver can activate the ICE if they know they're traveling a long way. I'm a computer guy so I'm unsure the engieering/science of if all. But if it can be done, I can write the software to control it.

[@QBRX]

Wow, what a cool engine. With low bottom end torque the idea of using it as a range extender seems brilliant.

[@cydonical]

Seriously, the only "extender" option for an electric motor I'm interested in is one that runs off of Zero Point Energy (or Energy from the Vacuum). The vacuum of space, with a mass-equivalent energy density of 10^94 grams of matter per cubic centimeter... the only energy crisis we have is an energy ignorance crisis. We are literally existing in a sea of energy all around us but for some reason, we're too blinded by conventional B.S. to notice or use it. And this isn't Sci Fi... It's our real physics that says it's there (if John Archibald Wheeler, a previous professor physics of Princeton is to be believed... and I think the guy knows what he's talking about). Now, our conventional physicists may admit to the energy density of the vacuum but will quickly follow up with "but it's all random energy, so there is no way to use it". Wrong again. It is all too easy to tap into it. Just take an ion source, like, say, a battery, and then you push-pull energy from it in the form of a square wave. It make take some time to get the frequency of the square wave tuned properly... but once you start getting big spikes in energy (like the ringing of a bell), you've achieved the goal. Now, since we're taking advantage of moving the nucleus of the ions to cohere the energy in from the vacuum, it may not be quite the same type of energy we are used to. Instead of electrical circuits running exothermic, this energy may run endothermic (i.e. circuits will run cool instead of warm). But it can still do work. Like run a motor... like an EV motor in your electric car. Or a motor to power your house. So, talk all you want about conventional power sources and tech (gas power, 1/2/4 stroke engines, rocket technology, wind power, water power, solar power, hydrogen fuel cell, etc., etc.)... energy from the vacuum is the true future and answer to our energy needs. Bar none.

[@Mike-xi4zt]

The engine that fires on the top and the bottom of the piston looks very promising. Your closing statement about a electric drive on the wheels and a internal combustion engine to supply power to the batteries when you need it also sounds like a the best idea available right now. Electric charging stations are not available to everyone everywhere, there's a lot of added expense to install one, plus apartment complexes don't have them, and the charge times are prohibitive except for downtime when you're asleep. And The limited range problem

[@heaviesculture5516]

The first thing I thought when I saw this video is “hybrid vehicle” Perfect application for such an engine.

[@DCBpower]

👍 Even a tiny range extender matched to a 60 mph load would be all you need. If you know you're going on a long trip without a charging station you'd simply activate the range extender. If your in a pinch the range extender could automatically kick in at 20% left. (Try not to suck the battery flat. Newer chemistries prefer ½ charge during non-use time.)

[@Germz4U]

1: your butterfly swimmer is also doing the breaststroke and 2. The single stroke swim analogy would be backstroke.. you are constantly outputting power can breathe whenever you feel like and are also constantly recovering over the water.

[@c1a2t3a4p5i6l7l8a9r]

Back when I was working as a diesel mechanic there was something called a double acting two-stroke. These were typically large gasoline or electric ignition engines at a spark plug. This was an engine that had a piston that that had a spark plug on both sides of the piston and a two-piece connecting rod so there was two compression Chambers for every cylinder and this is the closest thing I can think of 201 stroke engine. Technically it's not a one stroke engine it has a power stroke on either side and these things have been around probably since the 1920s

[@DennisFahlstrom]

A good friend owned a 1969 BSA Victor. It’s a single piston, 4 stroke 441 cc with 28 hp and his gas economy was 54 mpg. At the same time, I owned a 1968 Triumph Bonneville. It had a 650 cc 4 stroke twin cylinder with twin carbs and it was 53 hp and I got 54 mpg so it appears from that comparison that the single piston was no more economical than another Brit twin even though the Triumph had nearly twice the hp. Granted, there are other variables like sprockets.

[@galalel-ashry8956]

I love this idea, i hope that more vehicles will adapt it, as to eliminate the range anxiety and save on gaz

[@creeperizak8971]

Using gasoline as a range extender is actually a pretty good idea, especially with an engine like that...

[@bangler62]

Hi Ricky. First time commenter, long time follower. I personally agree that a transition to all electric is rife with problems including: shortages and environmental issues in the production of critical materials needed for battery storage and motors, the lag in upgrade and build out of infrastructure to support pure EV use, and costs to the general public that make it less than optimal for wholesale adoption. The idea of actually making our use of current fuels multiple times more efficient, while boosting performance, reducing emissions and lowering overall operation cost is absolutely a better transitional approach. It doesn't please the profit hoarding industries that will benefit less but, that's pretty much the way it goes. I also think you are right about the superiority of all electric drive with hybrid power production. This is certainly an area that the k.i.s.s. principal should be foremost and the development of these simpler, more efficient ICE engine concepts should continue with all haste. Thanks for producing great and informative content on such a wide range of topics.

[@thudthedestroyer515]

Wow! Love the video! I always love to see new technology that potentially changes the game. Your easy-going personality in describing the functions is fantastic! One suggestion is that Sinusoidal Reciprocating Two-Stroke 0r simply SRTT. No charge! 🤪

[@peterburch1108]

Back in the late 70s when I was in high school I suggested to a mechanic friend of mine that you could get more power out of the engine if you had two crankshaft with the pistons joining in the middle. He told me that the engine would probably explode.

[@malectric]

I have to admit I love my late model petrol-powered car; it scores 50mpg with conservative driving aided by a manual gear shift which gives me control over the optimum torque range of the engine. BTW the swash plate in the engine shown in the video bears a remarkable resemblance to the "wobble yoke" design patented by a New Zealand company for use in their Stirling engine.

[@demounit2505]

18:20 He's describing a Volt. It's a great car. Driven it 100k miles. 2/3 of the time I drove on the 38 mi battery. Only 1/3 burning gas.

[@SantaSnake123]

What most of the people often forget is, that the more important appliance for a range extender or Gasoline-electric Drivetrain is for the commercial side. Sure a motor like that will probably be obsolete, as the motors and batteries get more and more efficient and powerful. But hauling with an EV sucks right now. You can only do it for short ranges. But what about getting hybrid tech in Semis and Cargo ships? There something like this is probably the way to go due to the density aspect

[@jeffreywills1578]

It isn't just the oil in two stroke gas that makes it dirty, it is also that a small amount of raw uncombusted gas is exhausted because of the combined exahuast and intake stroke.

[@lucasdog1]

What ever happened to the guy in the 1970's that took an Opal GT, mounted a 120v electric motor to the stock transmission, then replaced the stock motor with a gasoline powered generator. As I recall, it got real good MPG in the city and fantastic MPG on the highway. Like 100 plus. Still needed the transmission as the small electric motor didnt have enough oomph for direct drive at low speeds. Experiments pre-internet are hard to track down.

[@MrKirby365]

I'm with you.I would have named it something different like cycloidal, Something to do with the fact that the cams move the way they do to help the pistons... That's unique

[@typewriterguy5790]

I really enjoy your videos. You are by far the best at explaining tech topics. Thank you Ricky.

[@tsbrownie]

The range extender is not a terrible idea while EVs are perfected, but a Honda generator can do the same with proven tech. (It's funny, that they remove the spare tires, but want to add back a spare engine.) The swash plate bothers me. It's one of those technical "details" that can kill a product. Like Mazda's rotary engine seals. A little chatter goes a long way into destroying them.

[@KatrinaRussell]

Do a video on why the two cylinder robin golf cart motor is designed the way it is... Two cylinders, timed the same, both reaching TDC at same time, both plugs fire together, but the cam has the phases 180 degrees apart...plus there's a counterbalance shaft. Weird little motor but runs so smooth.

[@robertvanderlinden2813]

3:05, it would be a fish

[@mauikennya]

I currently own 3 Hybrid vehicles. I am a Mechanic and class Driver in Los Angeles. There are far too many problems associated with full electric vehicles in this city. With that being said, my favorite vehicle is a 2017 Chevy Volt. This as you probably know is an electric vehicle with a gas powered generator. I would like to see more electric vehicles with worthy, fuel efficient range extenders that can be powered by gas or diesel when the battery is depleted. I’ve even considered converting a classic car into such a vehicle. The eRex if it were able to power a generator economically running at a consistent speed may work well for such a project. I think electric can provide exactly what eRex is lacking. Building a lighter hybrid that gets better mileage?

[@archangel20031]

There are 4 strokes as the piston moves, Intake, Compression, Power, and Exhaust. A 2 stroke has the compression and power stroke, the intake and exhaust happen during the compression and power strokes, but all of those need to happen in one way or the other for an engine to run.