In a hypothetical scenario where the electricity consumption is constantly at %100, is the generator enough to provide uninterrupted electricity until it runs out of fuel? Will the vehicle need to stop after a while for the batteries to recharge or will the generator keep the batteries topped up?
One does not design a power train on the basis of hypothetical scenarios; But one designs it in accordance with real life scenarios.
Nevertheless to answer your question; If you use 100% loading of electrical power, probably, the batteries will run out before the fuel in the generator would. How long this would take is anybody’s guess as we do not have enough data in hand to know this, since it is really only known by the designers and the users of the tank.
Remember this is a symbiotic relationship between the batteries and the generator. How much of the generator’s electric power is used for charging the batteries and how much of it is used for powering the electric motors is controlled by a computer. The tank driver has to use his tank cleverly, to conserve battery power and generator fuel, just like a Leo2a4’s driver taking care to use less diesel to extend his range.
For the E-Firtina, at full load conditions, with real life scenarios, they are quoting approximately 300km range as opposed to 226km range of the diesel engined Firtina.
As per
@merzifonlu ’s post, for a tank like Altay, the battery capacity and the generator electrical power generation levels will be quite different.
One thing that is important is the torque factor. E-Firtina electrical power train produces 10000Nm of torque as opposed to the Altay’s 1500HP MTU engine’s 4550Nm torque. So a higher powered electric power train to propel Altay will develop close to 3 times the torque that the German engine can muster. This will mean very easy standing start and quick acceleration. Also much easier handling of the extra weight we will have on the tank.
For those who can’t really differentiate between power and torque, I like this analogy:
torque is the force you feel pushing you back in your seat on acceleration, while horsepower is the speed achieved at the end of that acceleration