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When you drive a traditional gas car, you recharge the battery just by driving.
When you are pressing on the gas pedal, you are recharging the battery, but when you're just in park idling, it doesn't recharge it, is that right?
If you constantly go on short trips, the net gain is zero, is that correct? I mean starting the car uses battery power and then if you only drive a little, it doesn't recharge it the same amount you used in starting it.
charging works just fine at idle .. police cars sit at idle for hours sometimes .. they even test them that way .. pull them up against a building .. turn on everything in the vehicle and let it sit for hours ..
When you drive a traditional gas car, you recharge the battery just by driving.
When you are pressing on the gas pedal, you are recharging the battery, but when you're just in park idling, it doesn't recharge it, is that right?
No. A healthy alternator will charge a healthy battery while the car is running.
If you constantly go on short trips, the net gain is zero, is that correct? I mean starting the car uses battery power and then if you only drive a little, it doesn't recharge it the same amount you used in starting it.
Maybe, but the condition of the battery and electrical system of the car play into it. Consider that it doesn't (shouldn't) drain the battery just to start the car either. If the battery is healthy you don't have much of a "net loss". Now if you constantly drain the battery because you use all the accessories all the time, because the battery can't hold a charge, because your alternator isn't working, because it is super cold, there could be a net loss. Lots of variables.
When you drive a traditional gas car, you recharge the battery just by driving.
When you are pressing on the gas pedal, you are recharging the battery, but when you're just in park idling, it doesn't recharge it, is that right?
If you constantly go on short trips, the net gain is zero, is that correct? I mean starting the car uses battery power and then if you only drive a little, it doesn't recharge it the same amount you used in starting it.
Driving or running the engine at all runs the alternator which generates electricity to keep the battery up. It doesn't recharge the battery it only maintains it putting back what the engine uses when it fires the spark plugs.
The charging is better when the engine RPM is higher, (when you press the gas pedal) but it still works at idle.
If you drive fast, does it charge the battery more than driving slow?
No. At higher engine RPM the ignition system (spark plugs) require more energy.
The two ways you can get better energy is by adding a second alternator, or if you have a "wye wound" alternator, replace it with a delta wound alternator.
OP~ Your "all-or-nothing" approach to battery charging doesn't really work, in the real world. Kinda like COVID. It's not totally a dead until we are...
The alternator charges when the engine is running, going faster or slower does not change this.
Issue with only infrequent, short trips, is that it is not enough time for the alternator to recharge the battery, from the battery being used to start the car, and from the battery sitting.
Solution people use is a trickle charger.
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