HOW EFFICIENT? RECHARGING EVS WITH DIESEL GENERATORS

EV Channels Review

John Cadogan critically deconstructs the claim that charging an EV with a diesel generator is more energy-efficient than using diesel in a conventional vehicle. He meticulously applies thermodynamic principles and real-world calculations, using the Hyundai Ioniq 5 as an example, to demonstrate that this assertion is fundamentally flawed. Cadogan argues that the multiple energy conversion losses—from diesel to AC electricity, AC to DC, and then into the battery, including the energy required for battery cooling systems—render the generator charging method significantly less efficient. He contrasts this with the direct combustion efficiency of a diesel engine in a vehicle. The review highlights the importance of objective engineering reality over ideological 'electric utopian' beliefs, emphasizing that while diesel-electric powertrains are used in heavy machinery for reasons of cost and torque, not efficiency, the EV charging scenario is demonstrably less efficient. Cadogan concludes that the efficiency claims for generator-charging EVs are unsubstantiated and fallacious.