Hybrid Vehicle Conversion Services? 151
OverkillTASF asks: "My '94 I6 Jeep Grand Cherokee has once again eaten through a transmission... at 105k miles. For one reason or another, this has led me to the following question: Are there any companies/individuals out there who do hybrid vehicle conversions? I'd like to retrofit my Barbie Jeep with the necessary equipment to eek out 5 more MPG, be a little more environmentally friendly, but still allow me to get where I need to go out here in the sticks? Do such after-market conversion services exist?"
in short... (Score:2, Funny)
No problemo (Score:3, Funny)
Re:No problemo (Score:3, Funny)
Re:No problemo (Score:3, Funny)
Re:No problemo (Score:2)
Re:No problemo (Score:2)
It's probably not legal, though, and compared to the massive weight of the SUV mentioned I doubt that the airbag mechanism makes much difference.
Vehicles are designed with specific weight distributions in mind and so I would think removing things from it willy nilly is likely to create a safety hazard, including an increased likelihood of tipping in SUVs. So watch out.
D
Re:No problemo (Score:2)
Grab.
Nice thought (Score:2, Informative)
IMO, I think your money would be *much* better spent on a healthy down payment on one of those more economic, eco-friendly vehicles thna retro-fitting an older, gas-guz
...forgot to mention: (Score:1)
Re:Nice thought (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Nice thought (Score:2)
You are discounting labor, which would be huge, and the difficulties of dealing with a car not designed to be a hybrid being altered to work as a hybrid. I would imagine just fitting the new equipment could be a real problem. For instance, where do you stick the batteries?
So how is the original poster's $4K figure relevant?
Google (Score:1)
Re:Google (Score:2)
Re:Google (Score:2)
For a proper hybrid design, you would need a way to disconnect either the engine or the electric motor. Extra clutches...
I would consider getting a motor from an electric golf cart, which are pretty damn strong. The electric golf carts I'm familiar with use 6 rather large lead-acid batteries and have up to 10HP motors in them.
I tend to cruise at about 60mph with my car, so I would have to work out some means to connect t
Re:Google (Score:1)
Re:Google (Score:2)
The idea being that you use the stored energy while stopped/idling to power the car while cruising and to assist the car while accelerating. So even though there is loss, it's not 100% waste like it would be without the hybrid system.
You need a rediculously small amount of power to keep your car going once it's up t
Comment removed (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Hydrogen? (Score:3, Insightful)
I think this is the closest you'll get to a conversion kit. Hybrid gas-electric vehicles require a vastly different transmission, onboard computer, massive batteries, and likely a lot of engine work to make it stop and start when the vehicle is not in motion. In short, look at around 12k+ if it's even possible and the parts are widely available.. which they aren't.
Re:Hydrogen? (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Solar Powered Hydrogen Generator? (Score:2)
The real breakthrough will come from companies that are doing innovation, not applying inefficient techniques to prevailing problems. The said company has developed safe hydrogen storage pellets, which is just the kind of thing that is needed to solve the hydrogen density probem without resor
Re:Solar Powered Hydrogen Generator? (Score:2)
Re:Solar Powered Hydrogen Generator? (Score:2)
For a large installation such as the side of a house, you may find it cheaper and more productive to use tracking mirrors (heliostats) to focus sunlight to concentrate heat to drive a turbine or sterling engine (see Sandia's Solar Two [sandia.gov]) instead of spending the money on less-efficient solar cells. Engines, while not cheap, are usually at l
Re:Hydrogen? (Score:3, Informative)
Hydrogen is not an energy SOURCE, only an energy carrier. The only practical ways of making hydrogen is to use electricity or extraction from some hydocarbon. The efficiency of doing this conversion must be compared to the effciency of refining and then burning gasoline or diesel in a vehicle. Also, the very expensive new infrastructure needed for handling hydrogen must be amortized by including it in its price. You best bet right now is to buy a hybr
Are you serious? (Score:2)
If you are fixated on going hybrid with an SUV, why not buy a brand new hybrid Highlander [toyota.com] or Lexus [lexus.com]? You'll spend as much and get the same marginal gas mileage increase, but you'll also get that new-car smell.
Re:Are you serious? (Score:3, Insightful)
Or you could look at the Ford Escape Hybrid [www.ford.ca] and enjoy upwards of 50% fuel savings in a brand-new 4x2 or 4x4 small SUV.
To put things into perspective; the Escape Hybrid has $0 fuel tax, whereas the Highlander carries a $75 tax. Why? The Highlander uses a large 6 cylinder engine and, as you said, on
Re:Are you serious? (Score:2)
While that's interesting, it doesn't quite match up with what others [edmunds.com] have [canadiandriver.com] reported. [evworld.com] Seeing as the people touting the 50MPG are Ford themselves, I'd have to take their numbers with a grain of salt.
Re:Are you serious? (Score:2)
Re:Are you serious? (Score:2)
Re:Are you serious? (Score:2)
Re:Are you serious? (Score:2)
The early 90s Jeep Cherokees were off-road vehicles, not like the toys you named, or the toys that replaced it with the same name. They won't go into the sticks, they'll tip over or high-center on something the first time they see dirt, ugly as sin, and won't readily fit in a standard sized (for Oregon anyway) parking space.
I would have suggested a Kia Sportage if you were going for something newer, but H
Re:Are you serious? (Score:2)
Re:Are you serious? (Score:2)
C'mon, people, you DO NOT NEED an SUV. You need a 4-door sedan or, if you have trouble with the basic idea of "don't breed until you run out of room", a forced tubal ligation.
99% of the time, who do you see in an SUV? One person. On a cell phone. Usually dressed too nicely to have any sort of construction projects planned for the near future. And how do these fine upstanding safety-conscious folks drive? Cautiously a
Re:Are you serious? (Score:2)
You forgot the GreenPeace bumper sticker on your description of the typical SUV. Otherwise it is pretty close.
it's possible, but... (Score:4, Informative)
Here is a generic link to get you going
http://www.evworld.com/ [evworld.com]
As another poster pointed out, this is a fabulous new industry idea, some places are doing it, but it's still in the mom and pop shop stage most places, sort of like the original mom and pop whitebox shops back in the haydays of making decent money at it.
pure electric conversion kits and links
http://www.electroauto.com/ [electroauto.com]
Now what I think might be a useful idea, one already built at ACPropulsion, is to make the vehicle pure electric, and have the generator part that makes it a hybrid be in a tow behind trailer. Short range, run pure electric, extended range, tow the trailer.
read about that and more info here, these guys know their stuff
http://www.acpropulsion.com/ACP_FAQs/FAQ_products [acpropulsion.com]
good luck and do a blog on it, would like to see the project as it unfolds
Wow such lofty goals. (Score:2)
Re:Wow such lofty goals. (Score:2)
At current gas prices? Probably a private island.
Re:Wow such lofty goals. (Score:2)
(UK petrol i.e. gas is about to hit 7 USD per US gallon - a pound a litre).
Re:Wow such lofty goals. (Score:2)
To me, 5MPG could mean the difference between using my vacation days for more than one or two vacations a year instead of just spreading out what I can't otherwise use for fun out for when I just don't feel like going to work. And I already get 4-15MPG in 4WD, 30 city/35 hi
Re:Wow such lofty goals. (Score:2)
40 mile commute? Go Electric! (Score:4, Interesting)
That means every year you spend $1072 on gas. $1429 per year when gas hit's $4
Compared to a full electric. A (relatively) cheap conversion to a 9" DC motor and lead acid battery pack can easily pull a 40 mile range. And at about $8-12k it's about the same cost as a few year old decent used car. A DC system like this should run at about
If we use the same standards (250 40mile round trips @
28mpg Gas @ $3/gal = $1072
28mpg Gas @ $4/gal = $1429
-Rick
Re:40 mile commute? Go Electric! (Score:1, Interesting)
Re:40 mile commute? Go Electric! (Score:3, Interesting)
Gas is going to hit 4 dollars, and at that rate you will be saving over $500 a year.
My situation is slightly different though. I drive a 2 seat compact sports car for my commute (20mpg). My wife is looking to swap out her aging compact suv with a Golf TDI (45mpg Diesel). I'm looking to convert my 2 seater to electric. Drops my yearly fuel cost from $1700+ to $800. And we would still have a high efficiency vehicle that doesn't depend on crude oi
Re:40 mile commute? Go Electric! (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:40 mile commute? Go Electric! (Score:3, Interesting)
-Rick
Re:40 mile commute? Go Electric! (Score:2)
True but over the last few years almost noone has been building new coal powered generating stations due to the perceived polution issues.
Re:40 mile commute? Go Electric! (Score:2)
Re:40 mile commute? Go Electric! (Score:2)
My local co-op is planning a coal plant right now, to be built in about 8 years.
I'd rather they use nuclear, but in this day of Luddites scared of that word, it just isn't worth trying.
Re:40 mile commute? Go Electric! (Score:2)
Re:40 mile commute? Go Electric! (Score:1)
max
Re:40 mile commute? Go Electric! (Score:2)
But cheap technology doesn't perform as well. Most electrics don't perform as well in the 1/4 mile because they have lower top speeds (That T-Zero tops out at 90mph). Most cheap technology doesn't perform that well, but if the vehicle is
Re:40 mile commute? Go Electric! (Score:1)
Re:40 mile commute? Go Electric! (Score:4, Insightful)
I just got a Toyota Prius hybrid which gets consistently at least 50mpg. For 10K miles and $3 gas that comes to $600. For $4 gas it would be $800 and the nice thing is that it'll go over 500 miles on a full tank. It is a really nice car for general running around in, but I'll still keep our old Ford diesel pickup for hauling things.
Re:40 mile commute? Go Electric! (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:40 mile commute? Go Electric! (Score:2)
-Rick
Re:40 mile commute? Go Electric! (Score:2)
Re:40 mile commute? Go Electric! (Score:2)
And my batterys have a 7 year factory warrantee and a 10 year extended warrantee.
Re:40 mile commute? Go Electric! (Score:2)
That mantra has been chanted for over 40 years now. Oil can also be made from coal and we have enough coal to last for centuries. Here is an intersting article:
http://www.cato.org/pubs/regulation/regv27n1/v27n1 -1.pdf [cato.org]
Electricity for making hydrogen and running electrics comes mostly from fossil fuel, mostly coal.
Re:40 mile commute? Go Electric! (Score:2)
The oil made from coal (gasification) is good power power production, not so useful for transportation however.
-Rick
Re:40 mile commute? Go Electric! (Score:2)
-Rick
Re:40 mile commute? Go Electric! (Score:2)
The batteries are also made of individual replaceable cells, so in theory if a cell goes bad they can replace only that cell.
Re:40 mile commute? Go Electric! (Score:2)
-Rick
Re:40 mile commute? Go Electric! (Score:2)
Err, the weight of your vehicle has no effect on it's cost. And the weight of the vehicle is included in the power consumption (.4kWh/mile). Most electrics weigh in under 2 tons (4000lbs) which is less then most full size SUVs. In fact, you can build a full battery geo on less then 3000lbs. A new Grand Prix V6 (30+ mpg) weight in arround 3600lbs if I recall correctly.
" you'll be needing rather more than your stated 40 mile capacity in batteries so that y
Re:40 mile commute? Go Electric! (Score:3, Informative)
You want performance? Check out the T-Zero, 0-60 in 3.68 seconds. Tops out at 90 due to a 1 gear tranny.
And enjoy your ethanol, see how well it performs over the winter. And guess how much it costs to farm enough acrage of corn to generate a gallon of ethanol. Ethanol can offset fuel consumption, but it can not replace it. If you're going to go bio fuel, soy-diesel is a much better choice. It doesn't require nitrogen fertalizers, and it can run in more efficient, lessor poluting di
Re:40 mile commute? Go Electric! (Score:3, Informative)
Soy actually creates it's own nitrogen, is more hearty, uses less water, and all round mops the floor up with corn. A lot of corn farmers will alternate crops (for many reason) but soy is a good choice because it adds nitrogen to the ground with out fertalizer. Also, if Brazil had the farming t
Re:40 mile commute? Go Electric! (Score:2)
If you want to race on a paved surface, I'm sure you can find some takers. For some other great electric race vids, check these links: http://chicagotalk.net/forums/showthread.php?t=105 3 [chicagotalk.net]
"How are those vehicles being recharged?"
Plug it in. The TZero has a gas generator trailer that can increase range on even the cheap batteries have a range of 700 miles. Many people opt for home solar arrays also to provide "off grid" power.
"What is FLA?"
Flooded Lead
Re:40 mile commute? Go Electric! (Score:3, Informative)
Similar to integrated solar roofing. You'll never make your money back if you tear off a perfectly good roof and install solar shingles. But if you are going to replace your roof anyways, using solar shingles will cost less in
Re:40 mile commute? Go Electric! (Score:2)
The issue is oil futures. At some point, world wide demand will out pace world wide supply. Even before that point hits, gas will continue to rise in costs. At $3,
Re:40 mile commute? Go Electric! (Score:2)
And a 55mpg vehicle @ a 40mile commute 250 times a year would be $1455/year at $8/gal. Assuming electric also jumped x2 1/3 I would pay 22.7 cents per kWh would still only by $908/year($1308 including 3yr batteries).
At $5 gas would run $909/year. Electric would be $567 (967 w/ 3yr batteries). So bargin basement style, you are better off going for an old super cheap geo metro. But
Back to the future (Score:2)
5 mpg? (Score:2)
Re:5 mpg? (Score:2)
Grab.
PS. Yes, I know most SUV owners say "oh, but I need them to get up gravel tracks, in snow, carry stuff, etc". Similarly, most obese people say "I have problems with my glands". Both are self-deluded.
Re:5 mpg? (Score:2)
You really didn't read the question, did you?
In this case it actually seems to be true that the owner needs his vehicle to be able to do these sorts of things since the author, at least acccording to his question lives in a remote undeveloped area.
Here is a hint for you - rather than jumping to conclusions and stereotyping people you really should pay attention to what they are saying if you don't want to
Re:5 mpg? (Score:2)
Stuff on teh internets! (Score:1)
Re:Stuff on teh internets! (Score:2)
Who knows. Might be, might not. I've seen other such things (not that one though), that looked good until I found the following phase in the how it works section: "ionizes the hydrogen in the fuel". Sent my BS alarm off the scale and I closed my browser. Too bad, I really would love some product that could do what that promissed.
I've seen other devices that work. They don't promise everything, but when you read the how it works section you get something that a mechanical engineer would agree could
Comment removed (Score:3, Informative)
some real MPG improvement tips (Score:2, Informative)
* roofrack
* rear + passenger seats - if you're always driving solo.
* the spare tire - got a cell phone? got someone who can give you a ride to get your spare if you get a flat? then don't keep it on your vehicle.
* carpeting - this can add up.
* air conditioner - if summers aren't too hot where you live.
* radio + speakers - again, the weight adds up.
* trash that you've littered the interior of your car with, vacuum the dirt out while you're at it and wipe down the dashboard - r
Re:some real MPG improvement tips (Score:2)
* don't use cruise control if you can help it (it keeps constant speed not constant throttle and can't account for, say, wanting to keep excess momentum right before going up a hill).
At least from my experiences with my '04 Sentra, I've got to disagree with that. If I go on a long highway trip at 70-75mph with the cruise control on most of the time, I'll
Re:some real MPG improvement tips (Score:2)
the spare tire Your rescurer will loose more gas than you save if you even get one flat over all the cars you own in your lifetime.
drive no faster than 55. Try 65-70. Most cars (this depends greatly on design) get their best milage at speeds greater than 55. My truck gets better milage towing a boat at 65 than unloaded at 55!
if you've got a manual transmission, make sure you drive in the highest gear suitable for the situation, with the lowest engine RPMs and lightest throttle touch possible. When
TDI! (Score:4, Insightful)
1.9L diesel will have more than enough oomph (unless you're suffering from penis envy) and will move you around with insane mpg.
Cheaper than hybrid. Cleaner than hybrid.
Re:TDI! (Score:2)
Cheaper, perhaps, but CLEANER?!?
For the record, he's interested in an SUV because he's out in the country. A TDI isn't exactly SUV-esque.
Re:TDI! (Score:3, Funny)
Re:TDI! (Score:2)
Average MPG: Prius (47.9) Passat (35.5).
Annual Fuel Cost: Prius ($838) Passat ($1405)
Air Pollution Score: Prius (8-9) Passat (1) (from 0 to 10, where 10 is best)
So, you said:
Alright, if this guy buys a TDI engine for his Jeep, he'll spend more on fuel but the engine will probably cost less than a new Prius so I'll give
Re:TDI! (Score:2)
The Diesel Golf is rated at 42 city/49 highway. The Prius is rated 52 city/45 highway.
Also, Diesel fuel is quite a bit cleaner than most people would believe, especially when using low-sulfer fuels.
Re:TDI! (Score:2)
I have a Prius and get better than 50mpg very consistently. We also have a Honda Accord hybrid which gets 33-35mpg which is not bad for a roomy comfortable car with a 255hp drive system. We had a VW rabbit diesel which made 55mpg when it was new, but compared to the Prius it was a gutless snail that made it unsafe to pass anything on a two lane road. The Honda will really go when tromped, but I seldom do that.
Re:Right tool for the right job (Score:2)
The VW may out-accelerate the Prius, but I suspect that my Honda Accord 6cyl Hybrid will leave the VW looking at the tail lights every time from a standing start. The Prius has only a 1500cc engine whareas the Honda is 3000cc. A turbo at least traditionally has always taken some time to reach decent acceleration. The old Mercedes 300SD turbo I had would be slow to get going, but once running would stampede up the long mountain grades we have here in Southern Orego
Re:TDI! (Score:2)
And, yes, the Diesel Golf does get good mileage but is smaller than the Prius which is why I used the Passat for comparison. The Golf is classified as a Compact car at 88 ft3 whereas the Prius is a Midsize at 96 ft3.
Re:TDI! (Score:4, Informative)
Second, diesels tend to be cleaner than gasoline engines in terms of greenhouse gasses but dirtier in terms of particulates.
Re:TDI! (Score:5, Informative)
Cleaner isn't really in there though. Diesels are bad for particulates, and currently there isn't anything forcing people to sort it (although future standards will do).
The ultimate clean engine though would be a diesel-electric hybrid, because the diesel emissions happen at low-efficiency load sites. Run the engine at max efficiency, and you're sorted - this is why trains have been diesel-electric for years, because even with the conversion inefficiencies, the efficiency of diesel at its best point is mindblowing. But the American market won't buy diesel, sadly, due to the disastrous diesels rushed out in the 70s and 80s. Ho hum.
Grab.
Consider PHEV conversion instead (Score:3, Informative)
Conversion to regular hybrid probably will not be worth it when you consider the cost/benefit ratio. However a conversion to PHEV (plugin hybrid electric vehicle) may be well worth the effort. The above site describes this new type of car that allows you to go 30-40 miles in your daily commute off of electricity charged batteries. If you drive longer than that commute, then it behaves like a regular hybrid burning gasoline.
Their earlier conversions were modifying existing non-hybrid cars for PHEV capability, which would be similar to what you are looking for. Despite the benefit of PHEV, it may turn out to be too expensive to be worth it, but you should still look into it.
Re:Consider PHEV conversion instead (Score:2)
Austin EV (Score:2, Informative)
Mechanical advice for Chryslers (Score:2)
Re:Mechanical advice for Chryslers (Score:2)
Re:Diesel pickup (Score:2)
I've got some great video footage from Kodak Rock in Uwharrie Nat'l Forest that would take that line of BS and throw it right out the window.
Re:Diesel pickup (Score:1)
Re:Diesel pickup (Score:2)
Most people who have a bad impression of a Cherokee's abilities have never seen one riding on the Jeep trails. The Cherokee is no joke.
Re:Diesel pickup (Score:2)
Throw away that Cherokee POS. It's not as good "out in the sticks" as an F-150 with decent tires anyway.
-1 Retard. You won't get very far "out in the sticks" with the independent double-wishbone front suspension and 20 degree angle-of-departure on that F-150. Sorry bud, but the Jeep's solid axles and much steeper angle-of-departure and breakover angle have your F-150 whipped. Believe me, I've owned two F-150s and a Jeep and there is no comparison.
That said, if you want a true off-road machine, I suggest
Re:Diesel pickup (Score:3, Informative)
Give me an older Toyota Landcruiser (1970's) or a Jeep TJ/YJ/CJ instead, thankyouvery