First clued by Autospeed.com, they identified the source of this Lotus article: proActive Issue 34 A 'range extender' is a small engine-generator set designed to recharge batteries of an electric vehicle and extend the range. It charges the batteries so the vehicle continues to run. Some salient points: gasoline engine - they didn't go diesel and explained why 35 kW (47 hp) - more than enough for a Prius sized vehicle, it would extend to larger sedans, van, and possibly some SUV sized vehicles I wasn't 'inspired' by their engine technology but since it runs at a constant speed, it doesn't have to inspire. It only has to be efficient in the limited power range and that means a lot of 'neat' things variable power, gas-diesel engines require to remain efficient are not needed. The surge power is provided by the battery-motor, primary power system. Bob Wilson
I saw the news in September. Frankfurt Preview: Lotus develops a range extender engine — Autoblog Green An interesting thing is the engine does not have a cylinder head gasket. "The Range Extender features a novel engine architecture incorporating a monoblock construction that blends the cylinder head and block together eliminating the need for a cylinder head gasket, improving durability and reducing weight." Ken@Japan
I owned a Can Am motorcycle with no cylinder head gasket, even though the cylinder head was removable. But it was an air cooled 2 stroke engine.
What is old is new again. [ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Offenhauser"]Offenhauser - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame] "Another reason for the engine's success was reliability; unit construction (no separate cylinder head) meant the engine was not vulnerable to head gasket or cylinder stud problems and allowed for higher cylinder pressures."
