Quote:
Originally Posted by Spuds
Do you really think there are enough enthusiasts to keep manufacturers making gasoline engines after "everyone else" has gone electric of some variety?
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Aftermarket engine parts have a big enough market, that's all you really need. There will be more than enough junkyard engine blocks for years to come.
The bigger problem I see for gasoline engines is making them competitive with electric drivetrains when batteries improve. If new chemistries can get batteries to double the energy density of LTO with equal power and cycle life, then it's pretty much game over for gasoline...All the parts associated with producing motive power on a basic econobox weighs >500lbs, including emissions equipment and fuel tank. A highly boosted engine is lucky to get to 1hp/lb (including gas tank, evap, exhaust, engine, transmission). Electric would get very close on total mass with a 2x better battery since the motors are so light.
Most car engines have an emphasis on low end torque, but throwing that out and letting them spin a bit faster improves the hp/lb figure by a lot. If the gasoline engine spins to 12000rpm, then it's still very competitive
