Powerboost or RamCharger

[Babbage]

Re: 43 Kilowatts. Is there a head wind? Is it raining? Tires, dirt roads? What is the temp? (117 F?) These all play a huge role in calculation of energy used.

Just get a white regular Ecoboost King Ranch. 117 degrees F will be hard on the batteries.

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[Samson16]

I think that these innovations are coming to aviation as well, but the ingrained conservative nature of aviation due to safety will make civil the last space to adopt it. Still, the civil aviation space is the one that benefits the most. Right now, 15 companies are coming out with prototypes and videos of battery powered drones with VTOL capability. Given the checkered past of the Osprey and the cost of the Valor, I doubt that there is any market niche for a dual turbine VTOL, BUT I believe that electric motor fans with a hydrocarbon prime mover change that calculus. The Cessna 172/182s aren't going away, but the Cirrus SF50s, the old Cessna Mustang/tiny Citations, the Piaggio P.180 and the Beech turbos/twins may sit in a middle tier price point where an upper middle class IFR pilot-owner would see a lot of locations open up with the range of a turbine/mini jet coupled with VTOL.

My fear is that the first models will suffer the same fate as the Beech Starship: an extremely advanced design that was crippled by the fears of the FAA. I think that the Rutans designed the sort of scaled up EZ that they had always dreamed of and then the FAA balked at carbon fiber and demanded that it be built heavily enough to double as a dump truck. The first civil VTOL fixed wing may well be required to helicopter its way to safety because a few Ospreys crashed in the 1990s, which will add so much weight that it negates the inherent advantages. Once the FAA figures out that a VTOL fixed wing isn't a helicopter airplane, but a whole different thing, the next generation will be better (i.e. exactly what happened with the Starship and P.180).

There’s an inherent distrust of things buzzing over our heads. When upper middle class VTOL operators crash into pedestrians it’s going to be a problem.

 

[amschind]

There’s an inherent distrust of things buzzing over our heads. When upper middle class VTOL operators crash into pedestrians it’s going to be a problem.

I think that's a licensure issue. However, the big development that has made this worse already happened 10 years ago. The advent of small plane parachutes has made small civil insurance costs double, and while it has saved many lives, it has also notably increased the phenomenon "It's raining Cessna 172s".

Definitely less cool than the "aluminum overcast" of the Mighty Eighth.

 

[Samson16]

Pilots in general have done an admirable job of protecting people even when it it costs them their lives.
Drone pilots don’t have nearly as much skin in the game and that’s concerning.
I fight against the old man curmudgeon inside me, but he’s not always wrong lol.

 

[Samson16]

I posed this question to ScholarGPT:
Will the 3.6L V6 Pentastar be able to provide adequate propulsion power while charging the HVB or will prolonged stops be required?

Response:

The 3.6L V6 Pentastar in the 2025 RamCharger is designed primarily to function as a range extender, meaning it serves dual roles—providing additional propulsion when needed and charging the high-voltage battery (HVB) when the battery is depleted. Here are some considerations about its capacity to manage both roles without prolonged stops:


1. Engine Load Balancing: The Pentastar V6, producing around 285 horsepower, can adequately manage vehicle propulsion for standard driving scenarios and simultaneously recharge the HVB. However, the power demands increase significantly with towing or heavy hauling, which may limit the engine’s ability to provide full propulsion power while recharging efficiently.


2. Charging vs. Driving Balance: In typical driving scenarios, the Pentastar can handle propulsion and provide some degree of recharge to the HVB, particularly during steady-state cruising where power demands are moderate. However, rapid recharging of the HVB would likely require the engine to operate at higher RPMs, which may not always coincide with ideal propulsion needs or fuel efficiency.


3. Thermal and Fuel Efficiency Concerns: The dual role places a considerable load on the Pentastar, potentially leading to heat buildup and higher fuel consumption. Prolonged heavy-duty driving (e.g., towing on an incline) could reduce its efficiency in recharging the HVB, potentially necessitating short stops for optimal recharge rates.


4. Software Optimization: Ram may incorporate software to intelligently balance the engine’s power output, prioritizing propulsion when driving demands are high and recharging when the load is lighter or during braking. This could help reduce or eliminate the need for prolonged stops by maximizing recharging during low-demand phases.





Summary:





The 3.6L Pentastar should adequately manage both propulsion and recharge needs for light to moderate driving without requiring prolonged stops. However, during heavy-duty tasks or sustained high-demand scenarios, the engine’s ability to provide rapid recharge to the HVB may be limited, potentially leading to brief stops or reduced recharge efficiency until the load lessens.

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