GPWizard F1 Forum
Everything Else => General Automotive => Topic started by: John S on May 16, 2024, 02:00:06 PM
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Seems Maranello is not convinced EVs are the future for supercars.
Not sure I follow all the specific aspects talked about in video, maybe it makes sense to others of you out there.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCjVtcB5nGI
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There are plenty of great ways to power an automobile. Gasoline/petrol won out, but there were competing technologies way back when: electric, diesel, ethanol, steam.
I'm glad people continue to innovate on how to power cars more efficiently and sustainably. Electric has a huge edge because the infrastructure exists. Just plug a charging station into the existing electrical grid. Even if hydrogen (or something else!) is 'better', they're still going to have to solve how to get hydrogen into everyone's car.
I still drive a gasoline powered car, and my next vehicle is likely to be as well. Even though the charging infrastructure is growing, I don't feel like I can trust it compared with gas. (Doesn't help that the continent's largest supplier of charging stations just fired the entire charging team https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/inside-story-elon-musks-mass-firings-tesla-supercharger-staff-2024-05-15/ (https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/inside-story-elon-musks-mass-firings-tesla-supercharger-staff-2024-05-15/))
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I currently run a 12 year old diesel, which is slowly being banned from city centres here in Europe. So my next one will be petrol.
As much as I would like to go electric, I don't see the use case yet for me. The range is simply not there and as you drive east in Europe (which I do from time to time) the charging infrastructure is not there either. They are great for cities and short journeys, but that would mean buying one car for the family holidays and another for local jouney's, which surely cannot be the point. In addition I am happy getting around on public transport and my bike where I live.
The problem with hydrogen as I understand it is that from an energy perspective it is not terribly efficient. First you use electricity and make the hydrogen at a power station somewhere. Then you use the hydrogen to produce the electricity that powers the car. From an efficiency point of view, you might as well just go electric.
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Inverted engines are not a new idea. Many popular aircraft engines of the 1930's and 40's were inverted. Many WWII German warplanes were powered by Mercedes Benz 600 series and Junkers Jumo inverted vee engines. DeHavilland built an inverted inline Gypsy engine that powered many of their famous Moth biplanes. Here in the States, Fairchild's Ranger Engine Div. built inverted engines ranging from an inline 4 to a V-12.
Below is a pix of an MB 601 mounted in a Messerschmidt ME-109 fighter.