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Which is more efficient, a gas generator powering a electric car or a regular car?

if the answer is a regular car, how can hybrids possibly be more efficient than a regular car, since some of the power from the gas engine goes to the generator for the electric motor.

Public Comments

1. It is about inertia and storage. Hybrid is a new technology and it is more efficient, but they lack performance... something the American car market still craves. Did you know that all Diesel locomotives in the US are "hybrid" and have been for decades? The diesel engine charges batteries and electric motors provide the actual drive.
2. Generator to battery to motor (series hybrids) aren't more efficient. They are used because they produce far higher torque than direct drive Diesels. The reasons parallel hybrids (gas motor/electric motor/compound drive) are more fuel efficient are: 1) Energy is recovered from braking. 2) Both motors shut down when the car is stopped 3) The electric motor uses stored power to provide acceleration torque. 4) The currently available models are small and light. But if you scale up the technology, you run into some of the limitations. Every time you convert energy from one form to another you lose a little, usually in the form of heat. Once you move beyond minature scale vehicles, the losses become significant. Perhaps the worst of breed are plug-in hybrids. You'll often see lawyerly arguments that a plug-in hybrid gets the equivalent of 150mpg. Unfortunately, these calculations are mathematical ledgerdemain. The usual fallacy is to compare the caloric value of electricity consumption in kilowatts to the caloric value of a gallon of gasoline. While this is a fair comparison of energy utilization, it disregards the simple fact that electricity isn't fuel, it's a mechanism for transporting energy. To calculate fuel consumption, follow the path backwards. The batteries are probably less than 75% efficient (and that asuumes they are new). The inverter that charged the batteries may be less than 80% efficient. The power distribution system that brought the electricity to the charger may be 90% efficient. And the power plant, which could well be coal-fueled, might be 50% efficient. So you multiply all that out, and the plug in hybrid works out to be about as fuel efficient as a gasoline car. Don't get me started on public transportation systems....There are no magic bullets. Here's a write-up from Curtis Instruments, a manufacturer of EV components. Pay particular attention to the discussion of efficiency: http://evbatterymonitoring.com/WebHelp/Section_1.htm