AG-Cycle is an important driving technological force that will dramatically reshape the automotive industry in the nearest future.

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There are two major factors constraining proliferation of electric vehicles (EVs): range anxiety and high cost of EVs. AG-Cycle can alleviate both of them without degrading EVs’ fuel economy by means of reducing capacity of Li-ion battery; retrofitting an EV with a gas turbine range extender, enhanced with AG-Cycle and supplemented with high power, low energy ultra-capacitor pack.

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Although substituting reciprocating IC engine range extender installed on an EV with a gas turbine range extender, enhanced with AG-Cycle, is possible too, and would substantially reduce fuel costs, it seems a less appealing option, because such an EV won’t be much cheaper than an authentic vehicle.

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Estimates show that fuel costs for EVs with gas turbine range extender, enhanced with AG-Cycle, further referred to as AG-EVs, will be lower than fuel (electricity) cost for EVs equivalent in class and pick-up time. Also, AG-EV will have a lower carbon dioxide footprint than an equivalent EV.This means that sooner rather than later AG-EVs will take over the entire automobile market, including EVs.

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Analysis of fuel economy of AG-EVs needs to be started with the comparative analysis of fuel economy of a conventional reciprocating IC engine vehicle and that of its electric equivalent, similar in class and pick-up time.

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Several companies are currently doing R&D of gas turbine range extenders for EVs; some are already marketing it. For example, Delta Motorsport, UK, has developed 35 kW MiTRE gas turbine range extender; Mitsubishi, JP, unveiled Mi-Tech EV with 30 kW gas turbine range extender; Wrightspeed, US, touts its proprietary 80 kW Fulcrum gas turbine as part of its plug-in hybrid powertrain platform for 3–6 class trucks; ICR Turbine Engine Corporation, US, is currently testing its 350 kW gas turbine for 8 class trucks.

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Although all aforementioned gas turbines are internally fired, at least the first three of them may be re-designed to a respective externally-fired modification with only moderate efforts. Such re-design would involve substitution of an authentic burner with a ceramic high temperature heat exchanger fired by AG-Burner.

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If a conventional internally fired AG-gas turbine is to be enhanced with AG-Cycle, and weight/size are critical factors, AG-Burner needs to be retrofitted in place of an authentic burner. Depending on gas turbine’s combustion chamber design, such modification might require a comprehensive R&D. Here is an example of how 2020 Tesla 3 Standard Range’s performance and fuel economy would have changed, should the vehicle have been supplemented with externally fired AG-gas turbine range extender based on 35 kW MiTRE.

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Since in freight truck business the percentage of fuel costs in overall expenses is high, and typically vary between 21 and 39%,  depending on average annual diesel price, electrification of 8-class trucks is highly prioritized by truck manufacturing industry, because electric trucks (ET)’ fuel cost is around 50% lower that that of a conventional diesel engine truck. Today, all of 10 major truck producers are either working on electric trucks or manufacture them.

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The major problems with heavy trucks electrification are high weight of batteries (at least 3,000 kg) and relatively low range (300 mi), not to mention high cost of a battery pack (at least $48,000). In this respect, AG-gas turbine range extender will effectively alleviate these problems.