The Evolution of Cars
During the Devonian period, fish dominated the world. However, with the emergence of land and the increasing oxygen levels in the air, some fish began to climb onto land and gradually evolved into mammals.
The most direct difference between mammals and fish is the type of respiratory organ they use.
Fish use gills to filter oxygen dissolved in water. Due to the fact that the oxygen content in water is only 0.4%, fish have evolved more efficient gills. Even today, humans have yet to develop artificially gills to achieve this transformation.
Mammals, on the other hand, use lungs to breathe in air, which contains about one-fifth oxygen, resulting in more direct and efficient respiration. This, in turn, has allowed mammals to evolve more powerful brains.
However, this has come at a cost. Most mammals can only live on land, which covers only 29.2% of the Earth’s surface, sighing in awe at the vast 70.8% ocean expanse.
If you consider cars as a unique “species”, you will find that due to their geographical influence, cars have evolved unique characteristics.
America’s vast expanse of land and unique lifestyle have created unique large-displacement pickups.
Japan’s narrow streets and regulations have bred hybrid cars and K-cars.
Europe’s high-speed roads and mountainous terrain have given rise to small sports cars.
And Africa’s poverty has nurtured the unique Land Cruiser product line.
However, after years of evolution and the gradual enrichment of the automotive world, we are currently experiencing the biggest change yet- the energy revolution.
Electrification
Cars can be divided into the following categories depending on their degree of electrification:
- Gasoline/diesel/natural gas cars
They rely entirely on fossil fuel combustion for power.
- 12/36/48/96 V + mild hybrid
Replacing the vehicle’s generator or flywheel with an electric motor, supplemented by a battery to achieve energy recovery and power-assisted acceleration. The power of the motor is relatively weak.
- High-voltage dual-motor hybrid
By working together with the electric motor and the engine, with a smaller battery to achieve higher driving efficiency, it is not possible to complete normal driving solely by the motor. Generally equipped with two motors, one for power generation and the other for driving.
- Plug-in hybridThe main driving force for electric vehicles is the motor and slightly larger capacity battery. When the battery is depleted, the engine will integrate a charger to allow for driving with electric power alone for a certain distance (starting at 30 km). There are two types, a single motor and a double motor:
The efficiency of the single motor when powered by the battery is lower than that of traditional gasoline vehicles.
The efficiency of the double motor when powered by the battery is higher than that of traditional gasoline vehicles, but lower than that of hybrid vehicles of the same level.
- Range Extender Electric Vehicle
It uses the motor and high-capacity battery as the driving unit, equipped with an engine, but does not participate in driving and is only used for power generation.
- Electric Vehicle
It uses only the motor and high-capacity battery as the driving unit.
If we follow the process of “normal evolution,” the Japanese market has gradually evolved to the Level 3 level, with a certain foundation of gasoline vehicles and also compatibility with electric vehicles.
Pure electric and gasoline vehicles have become two “independent species” because the way they use energy is completely different.
This is the essential difference between “breathing with lungs” and “filtering with gills.”
Forced Evolution
Unlike in nature, the industrial age is driven by capital and policy.
Relying on policies, China has proposed ambitious goals for “new energy” development, making Beijing the only market that “encourages purely electric cars.” This has also led to the problem of “insufficient charging facilities.”
I remember when I borrowed a NIO ES8, my friend urged me repeatedly: “If you charge your car at the fast charging station, you must leave quickly. If you occupy the station, others will scratch your car.”
This is like a group of animals that evolved lungs, being forced onto land but finding that there is not enough oxygen, only some is leaking from the cracks. These animals can only gather in these cracks and desperately breathe, leaving when they are full, and letting other animals that are suffocating continue to breathe. If you stay here after you have had enough oxygen, you will be beaten.
Tesla is different. Relying on the power of capital, Tesla has solved its own problem of “breathing” for its products: building and maintaining charging facilities, marking the current charging capacity of charging facilities on maps, and rejecting the use of other vehicles.
The most important point is: For customers who are full but not leaving, Tesla charges very high “parking fees” to force them to leave.
NIO relies on the power of capital to use two other methods: one is to send oxygen bottles, and the other is to build oxygen bottle replacement stations.The ideal solution would be for the car to carry its own oxygen concentrator: reverting the car from a pure electric vehicle to the previous stage; that is, developing “range-extended electric vehicles”.
The Cost of Freedom
The founder of a new car company once asked me for my opinion on the future development of range-extended electric vehicles.
I said, a range extender is like a amphibian, able to breathe both lungs and gills.
If you compare fish to traditional cars and pure electric vehicles to mammals, the development of this “amphibian” range-extended electric vehicle actually depends not on its own development, but on whether the land area or the ocean area is greater in the world, or whether the ocean-land boundary area is greater.
Today, another founder of a new car company made an interesting statement:
“If there is only one car in the family, of course it should be an electric car.”
“If you are going far, you can consider how many times you travel far in a year.”
“Is priority given to the 96% or 97% of daily use, or to the 3% or 4% of long-distance scenarios? It is easy to calculate.”
But unfortunately, humans are not rational animals.
The SUV we drive in the city today and the customers who have four-wheel drive actually don’t need it for 99% of the time.
The scenario where the seven-seater MPV is fully loaded might only account for 3%-4% of our lives.
But this doesn’t stop everyone from buying a car because of those few scenarios.
When you see other families happily going out to eat and taking a car with them.
When you see other rear-wheel-drive cars slipping in the snow and four-wheel drive cars easily driving away.
When you see other electric cars crawling around the city and need to carefully calculate their range when going out, but you can drive a range-extended electric vehicle and just go.
You will be envious.
What you envy is their freedom.
But today, the cost of freedom is not that high.
The Power of Range Extenders
CE, the Toyota Land Cruiser, once said: Although cars run on the road in the world, the road only occupies a very small area of the land.
The development concept of the Land Cruiser is to conquer the areas not covered by roads.
However, with the further tightening of fuel consumption and emission regulations, we have seen the Land Cruiser switch from using 90-octane gasoline to 92, then to 95 due to fuel consumption regulations for single vehicles. We have seen these cars go from domestically produced to imports to parallel imports due to corporate fuel consumption regulations. We have also seen these cars go extinct due to emission regulations because they didn’t meet the national six emission standards.
I once wondered if the Land Cruiser was gone forever?
It is impossible, Toyota will certainly find a way because they are Toyota and they will definitely find a way to keep this species alive.
But in China, I saw Mr. Han driving an Ideal ONE to the Alibaba North Wilderness.
I suddenly realized that perhaps adding range is a technological path for cruisers to survive.
Batteries and motors alone can already create many new experiences. Adding a range extender can definitely create even more experiences and unique lifestyles.
Believe in the power of range extension, stay tuned!
This article is a translation by ChatGPT of a Chinese report from 42HOW. If you have any questions about it, please email bd@42how.com.