On Sun, 22 Dec 2019 22:51:01 -0000, <xxxxxx@quibell.org.uk> wrote:

>I know there are a few passenger cars out there for TL8, and Robert (Dean)
>did electronic versions of the car and motorcycle as well (although his
>costs (probably the batteries) are high), but I wanted something I could
>manipulate myself to add the automation in .
>
>Because it was the autonomous electrical car that I was really after .

I was going over these with an eye toward including them in the forthcoming
issue of Freelance Traveller, and the fuel capacity and range/duration
Simply Didn't Seem Right. I'm working on the assumption that the current TL
for the "first world" here is more-or-less TL8 verging on prototype-TL9.

If you want to add an explanation of the 'discrepancy' or update the
numbers, I can hold them, or I can go ahead and print them as-is (and
probably get some feedback along the same lines as my comments below).

>Urban Class Passenger Car

>CraftID:    Urban Class Passenger Car, TL8, Cr 3,910
>Hull:       1/1, Displacement=1, Conf=4USL, Armour=2C,
>            Loaded=5.71 tons, Unloaded=1.034 tons
>Power:      1/2, Improved Internal Combustion=0.16 Mw, Duration=12 hours
>Loco:       1/2, Wheels=4, P/W=28, Road=119 kph, Offroad=24 kph
>Comm:       Radio=V Distant (50 km)
>Sensors:    Headlights x2
>Off:        Hardpoints=1
>Def:        DefDM=+2
>Control:    Panel=Electronic x1,
>Accom:      Crew=1 (Driver), Seats=Cramped x4, Env=basic env
>Other:      Fuel=0.12 klitres, Cargo=4.557 klitres, ObjSize=Small, EmLevel=Faint
>
>Cost in Quantity=Cr 3,128

Are you sure about the fuel and range/duration? 0.12 kliters is 120 liters,
and at roughly 4 liters to 1 gallon, that makes it a 30-gallon gas tank
(it's more, actually, as it's really only about 3.8 liters per gallon). A
quick google makes an average sedan gas tank about half that (less for
hybrids - a variant that you didn't include); even the typical SUV - which
is a light truck, not a passenger car (except legally in most
jurisdictions), is only about three-quarters of that. With current engine
efficiencies, the range for a pure I/C vehicle of the passenger car/light
truck class is 300-400 miles (400-600 km), which works out to a duration of
5 - 15 hours, depending on speed - but the distance range and fuel
efficiency are better measures for a ground vehicle (realistically, 7.8 to
5.9 liters/100km [30-40 US MPG]; your figures, range [up to] 1400km [875
miles], 8.6 liters/100km [27 US MPG]).

The above also applies to the Urban A.

>Urban E Class Electric Passenger Car

>CraftID:    Urban E Class Electric Passenger Car, TL8, Cr 10,578
>Hull:       1/1, Displacement=1, Conf=4USL, Armour=2C,
>            Loaded=3.713 tons, Unloaded=0.589 tons
>Power:      1/2, Battteries=0.1 Mw, Duration=8 hours
>Loco:       1/2, Wheels=4, P/W=27, Road=116 kph, Offroad=23 kph
>Comm:       Radio=V Distant (50 km)
>Sensors:    Headlights x2
>Off:        Hardpoints=1
>Def:        DefDM=+2
>Control:    Panel=Electronic x1, Interface=Power
>Accom:      Crew=1 (Driver), Seats=Cramped x4, Env=basic env
>Other:      Cargo=3.124klitres, ObjSize=Small, EmLevel=Faint
>
>Cost in Quantity=Cr 8,462

The same comment about range vs. duration applies here; the typical
electric car available today has a range of 150-300 miles (250-500 km),
with the "no frills" versions being closer to the _low_ end of that (Nissan
Leaf, 250km; Tesla 3, 500km).

This also applies to the Urban EA.

For what it's worth, and for comparison, my 2008 Prius (hybrid) has a
12-gallon (45 liter) tank; in highway driving I've gone as much as 550
miles (880 km) on a single tank of gas, and could have made about 600
(~1000 km) safely.

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--
Jeff Zeitlin, Editor
Freelance Traveller
    The Electronic Fan-Supported Traveller® Resource
xxxxxx@freelancetraveller.com
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