Hybrid kit

[pflaming]

Saw this on the net. Very interesting.

Hybrid kit for any car or truck.

"Prof. Perry's design takes a lot of the confusion out of hybrid technology, making it more realistic and accessible to car owners. The kit attaches to the rear wheels of just about any car or truck, and is powered by a lithium ion battery in the trunk. Sure, not everyone could install it themselves, but Perry insists that if you can change your brakes, you can install the kit.

When it comes to market he hopes to retail the kit for around $3,000, with battery costs as the main factor in determining the price."

[TodFitch]

Not sure where you found that but searching I came up with this:

http://abcnewsradioonline.com/business-news/this-could-be-big-turn-any-car-into-a-hybrid.html

Sounds like "almost any car" would be one with rear disc brakes with enough clearance between the brake mechanism and the wheel.

[Tom Skinner]

I hope this is true. Just think reducing our dependency on foriegn oil.

This could be the start of something big!

[NiftyFifty]

I think we would be better suited to have government regulations on the price of fuel so it's not $1.25/ liter or $4.00 gallon and they evey day man can't afford to drive to work.

We're a long ways away from dependable hybrid technology, but we're getting close

[B1B Keven]

How about a 'bolt on' Hydrogen kit:

http://www.gizmag.com/scorpion-hydrogen-hybrid-car/9423/

[TodFitch]

I think we would be better suited to have government regulations on the price of fuel so it's not $1.25/ liter or $4.00 gallon and they evey day man can't afford to drive to work.

I don't understand this sentence. What are you advocating here?

We're a long ways away from dependable hybrid technology, but we're getting close

Tell that to the people who've been driving dependable hybrid cars for over a decade now.

Not sure when the Honda Insight came on the market but I know that Toyota was delivering Prius cars in the fall of 2000. Do we need them to be old enough to qualify for antique license plates before we call the technology proven?

[HanksB3B]

Hank

[NiftyFifty]

Sorry my friend, but we don't all live in California and have a town or city every 10 miles, on average here in the winter it is -20 deg cel and many days can be -30 or lower. These cars have no real use in the rural environment, but if you never leave the city I guess your ok. My career is driving around rural towns many an hour + apart, some up to 6, so a limited use Prius or other battery box has a long way to go before its useful everywhere.

As for my statement on fuel prices, it's a joke that oil companies in north America can rake in billions each year while economies are in the toilet, and every time there's a rain storm or a wind the price of fuel jumps regardless of the barrel price. Strapping on some extra power source for another 50 miles wouldn't even get me a trip and back to the city.

I don't understand this sentence. What are you advocating here?

Tell that to the people who've been driving dependable hybrid cars for over a decade now.

Not sure when the Honda Insight came on the market but I know that Toyota was delivering Prius cars in the fall of 2000. Do we need them to be old enough to qualify for antique license plates before we call the technology proven?

[Todd B]

4mula-dix,

Stand your ground, "its not a joke", its a fact. Maybe us Americans who are not looking for our "Entitlements" can change that in November.

[pflaming]

Let's return to the mechanical issue.

Question:

(1) Would there be a practical mechanical application for our trucks?

(2) How do the rear brakes work with a rear wheel application?

(3) Could the engine and tranny be eliminated?

[NiftyFifty]

4mula-dix' date='

Stand your ground, "its not a joke", its a fact. Maybe us Americans who are not looking for our "Entitlements" can change that in November.[/quote']

That statement tells me all I needed to know....

As for your questions Pf, anything can be made to work but depending on your build do you really want to sacrifice the current running gear set up. It's also not real great to travel with the driveshaft spinning without the engine running, and near impossible to make a quick release for the DS that would be safe, or that you could disengage at the flip of the switch

[Dave72dt]

I think the exhaust of a well tuned engine makes it own music. I'll be hard pressed to get excited about listening to a "throaty whiirrrrrr."

[TodFitch]

Sorry my friend, but we don't all live in California and have a town or city every 10 miles, on average here in the winter it is -20 deg cel and many days can be -30 or lower. These cars have no real use in the rural environment, but if you never leave the city I guess your ok. My career is driving around rural towns many an hour + apart, some up to 6, so a limited use Prius or other battery box has a long way to go before its useful everywhere.

I don't have personal experience with -20°C or -30°C with any car, so I can't answer first hand but a quick web search turns up a number of comments on Prius forums from Canadians who say they work just fine.

Not sure where your every 10 miles for a city or town comes into play: I get generally get 350 to 400 miles on a tank before the low fuel warning light tells me I should put in 7 or 8 gallons of gas. On the highway it can be up to 500 miles before the low fuel indicator starts to blink. Usually I have to stop before that to deal with my bladder.

If you need to drive on unplowed roads the Prius is no good. Not due to the hybrid drive train but because of the low ground clearance. For a thin layer of ice or snow its okay, I take mine to the mountains for skiing most weekends in winter so I have some experience there. But if there is more than 4 or so inches of unplowed snow you're going to need more ground clearance than you've got. There are now hybrid SUVs now that would deal with that.

As for your questions Pf, anything can be made to work but depending on your build do you really want to sacrifice the current running gear set up. It's also not real great to travel with the driveshaft spinning without the engine running, and near impossible to make a quick release for the DS that would be safe, or that you could disengage at the flip of the switch

I agree. I wonder about that too and don't see how the still spinning conventional drivetrain is going to be doing anything good. Aren't some automatics setup where the lubricating pumps are off the input shaft? Seems like having the engine off and spinning the drive shaft could be bad.

Edited September 7, 2012 by TodFitch

[MBF]

Having maintained a fleet of over 500 electric vehicles (fork lifts, electric tow vehicles, wire guided VNA trucks, etc) for many years, I can tell you that this isn't as easy as some folks think it is. Yes, the current electronic control systems are far more advanced than they used to be, but to combine that with an internal combustion system into a hybrid will require an electrical engineer to make it work. Getting the two systems to talk to each other, and more importantly to work effectively together is going to be a problem. Converting a ph truck to a hybrid is not going to be cost effective. The engineering required will be far more costly than any advertised fuel savings. Batteries don't like cold. Having said that-take the plugs out and drive it around on the starter until just before the batt goes dead, put the plugs back in and start it up and you'll have a crude hybrid!

[pflaming]

take the plugs out and drive it around on the starter until just before the batt goes dead, put the plugs back in and start it up and you'll have a crude hybrid!

Wow, youse guys in New Yolk sure know how to make a point! I love the remark!