Why can an electric car, not have a generator instead of a motor on one wheel, so that as that wheel turns it generates energy for the battery? I totally understand that it isn’t possible, but I don’t know why. I also understand that regenerative energy is taken from breaking.
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Conservation of energy:
1. Normally the motor needs to put out enough energy to make all 4 wheels turn
2. If you put a generator on one wheel, that wheel needs enough energy to turn all 4 wheels and move the car + turn the generator
So what you have is a car with a motor that puts out enough energy to turn 4 wheels plus the generator. And the energy from the generator goes back directly to the battery.
No motor nor generator are 100% efficient, so you actually have a motor that uses enough energy to turn all 4 wheels and move the car + turn the generator + whatever energy loss you have along the way. This is more energy than just moving the car.
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