I was just wondering

 

If diesel electric power works so well in locomotives, why not in cars?

 

It seems counterintuitive that you could run a diesel motor to produce rotating power, then use that rotating power to drive a generator to produce electricity, which you could then use to drive electric motors.  Conversion of one kind of power to another usually involves losses due to inefficiencies.  But if multiple conversions works for locomotives, why not run an internal combustion engine hooked to a generator to drive an electric automobile?

 

That’s what I’ve wanted all along; an electric car which would have a limited range as all electric cars do, which would cover 90 percent of expected trips, but with a backup motor something like a lawnmower engine and a generator to provide enough electrons to extend the range when necessary.  There wouldn’t have to be any complicated drive train and switching mechanisms like on a hybrid car.  The backup motor wouldn’t need a wide power band for performance, it could just be designed as a single speed stationary engine.

 

I figured the reason we didn’t do that was because it would be too inefficient to add that additional conversion of energy, but not anymore since I’ve thought about diesel electric locomotives.