Hi Mike,
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Originally Posted by Double-Trinity
I have always wondered what an efficient non-hybrid car could manage with all the ancillary efficiency features that comes on the hybrids, such as ultra-light alloy wheels, low rolling resistance tires, aerodynamic body modifications, and instant mileage display, without actually being a hybrid . Those types of changes would easily be doable as well (The mileage display can be done with an aftermarket OBD-code reader and the right software), and should probably be the first things done on such an experiment.
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I had achieved 38 MPG with the last tank from our '91 Camry versus the regular 32 MPG. But it was by aggressive use of predictive braking and slow hill climb with 'clutch in' down hill coasting. I'd thought about making it a hybrid but the fuel tank and loss of trunk space, not to mention the control problems, made it impractical. There are limits to what can be achieved.
I liken the task to trying to convert a Sumo wrestler into a long distance runner. Better shoes, a diet and a lot of work would eventually improve the Sumo wrestler's long distance capability. But they'll never be a contender. It is much easier to performance tune an existing hybrid electric than rework a gas only car. Looking at the range of performance in the GreenHybrid database suggests this is the case.
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Originally Posted by Double-Trinity
Making a true homemade hybrid though is certainly possible. I remember reading an article about this vehicle made by high-school students in Pennsylvania. They used a 2-seater lightweight kit-car with a Jetta TurboDiesel engine powering the rear-wheels, and a 200hp electric motor powering the front wheels. Splittng the electric and engine-powered driven wheels would probably be the easiest way to do a home-made hybrid. To modify a stock car, the best way would probably be to start with a part-time 4wd car (so that it has axles for both sets of wheels), but replace the transfer case with an electric motor dedicated to the rear wheels, and let the engine be dedicated to the front wheels. |
I too admire the student's work but have concerns that other vehicular features were missed. A good first step, it would be even better if they'd fitted a Prius or Honda drive system into a kit body . . . or better yet an aircraft style frame and built a light-weight, foam and fiber glass body.
I agree that modification of a 4WD vehicle to hybrid electric would be a start by providing the wheels and transaxles. The only problem is 4WD vehicles are frequently built with a lot of extra weight. This would be a significant hurdle to achieving high MPG performance. Still, compared to a gas only vehicle, especially if attention is paid to EV modes, it could work.
Now this would be an excellent theme for either "Mythbusters" or better yet, "Junkyard Wars." Now "Junkyard Wars" already did a build for a high MPG vehicle and "Mythbusters" did the pickup 'tailgate' and 'AC vs windows' tests. Of the two, I prefer the "Junkyard Wars" approach especially if they started with gas-only cars. Then there was a car rebuild show that used to have two teams baselining identical cars and then racing them. A hybrid of these shows building a hybrid-electric would be hilarous!
Bob Wilson