Why can't electric car battery's be charged as they are driven like regular cars?

Question

Why can't electric car battery's be charged as they are driven like regular cars?

Answer 1

A simple law of physics. You can not get back what you use. There is always loss. If you, could then you would have perpetual motion, an impossibility.

Answer 2

The electric battery is what is driving the car so its power is continually being used up to do this. Now hybrids do generate electricity as they brake and also running downhill and not on battery power. This regenerative power does recharge the battery so it lasts longer. A purely electric car could use this technology but the battery would still run down.

The battery itself couldn't possibly use its power to both drive the car and recharge itself at the same time.

In normal cars the small battery (used only for accessories) is charged by an alternator driven by belts connected to the engine. This is actually a slight drain on the engine's power.

Answer 3

It requires power to turn the generator. Consider inefficiency . The motor to battery about 40% lost ,from battery to electric motor about 60% of what was left. It just diggs a deaper hole...

Answer 4

because you are using the charge to drive them.  you can not charge and discharge the same battery at the same time.

Answer 5

But that is exactly what hybrid-electric vehicles do.  They recharge the battery using the energy that would otherwise be wasted from braking, etc.

You might be asking why this can't charge up the entire battery, meaning no need for gasoline or external charging at all.  That's impossible, since you need some energy somewhere to move the car.

Answer 6

When the electric car slows down and coast they can recharge because the electric motor turns into a kind of generator.  I know that some concept cars are using some kind of regenerative braking also to recharge the batteries.

Answer 7

Because then you will have to have a two power car

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Either electric or gasoline

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And the electric will take 4 - 6 hours to recharge to be able to run it for 1-1/2 hours

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So which do you think will be the drive power used the most uhhh

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Sure ain't going to be the electric one

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