Asking Slashdot: Converting an SUV Into an Hybrid Diesel-Electric? 543
joaommp writes "So, my team has started a project to convert an SUV into an hybrid diesel-electric vehicle — basically, an electric vehicle with a diesel engine working as a range extender. We've now setup a campaign on Indiegogo to help with the project costs (we are a non-profit team) and later we'd like to, if the project is successful, be able to provide conversion kits and additional kits for elements of the transformation, like the HUD, for example. Why an SUV conversion? Because a lot of people like SUVs (sense of safety, overcompensation, etc) but they're un-economic and environment unfriendly. I'd like to ask all slashdotters if they have any advice or tips for this project. We already have the project well defined but more input is greatly appreciated before we begin tearing apart the beast. So, if you could help providing additional advice and information, it would be awesome."
FutureTruck! (Score:4, Informative)
Re:Do I get a cut of the pofit?? (Score:4, Informative)
What about you, do you know what "non-profit" means? Since you didn't bother to pay attention, I'll explain it carefully: if we make any money from this, it won't be to help us buy a house in the Hamptons or an SLR. It will be to invest in the next research projects. The kits, if we manage to create them, will be for a cost, with the entire profit being invested in further research. But the plans and results will be fully available online, as well as a full bill of materials. Troll less, live longer.
Re:Mechanical coupling more efficient than Gen/Mot (Score:2, Informative)
It's more than just that. In the hybrid model with direct coupling, you've got losses between the ICE and the wheels for: driveshaft, universal gears, differential gears, transmission, the coupling to the electric drive, etc.
The most-efficient mode of operation is this: You put a direct drive electric motor in each of the 4 wheel hubs. These need no gearing, they can go from 0 - reasonable mph just with their natural RPM range. They can also regeneratively brake the car harder than conventional brakes, and do a better job than traditional ABS in skid situations with smart software (although you still need hardware emergency brakes). Then you run, as the parent noted, a *fixed* RPM very small ICE off in the trunk whose sole purpose is to extend battery range as a generator. By operating at a fixed RPM at peak efficiency, and not dealing with all of the drivetrain loss issues, it really is more efficient.
This model has been done many times as one-off concept cars, but the costs (mostly, of the 4x in-wheel motors) are prohibitive at this time for mass production consumer markets, and the software still needs some work I imagine. I think a successful commercial model would probably have the (very small, we're talking almost lawnmower-engine size) ICE in the trunk be an unpluggable and removeable generator unit, to save weight when you don't need it.
Then you've got a hyper-efficient all electric for short range on wall-recharged batteries, and you plop the ICE generator in the back for extended trips where you can refuel the tiny gas tank every several hundred miles to keep trekking across country. It really works, it's just not quite yet cheap enough to mass produce.
Re:Use a Lupo engine (Score:3, Informative)
I've owned pickups, large and small cars, large and small suvs, and full sized vans in my life time, so I feel qualified to look at the spectrum and give responses to your points...
They stopped making the Crown Vic, that means 3 child families must use SUVs and Vans.
- Modern cars are often rather small, making them worthless for big trips with young children (try to fit two decent strollers in the trunk of something that isn't a Crown Vic, I dare you).
3 kids fit in the back of my 2003 Civic. If I owned an Accord or even a larger sedan it would be no issue having them back there. My aunt and uncle have three kids--two boys and girl--these boys are huge, 6'2" for one of them... their ONLY car was a '96 Honda Accord, this lasted them the teenage years of their kids... and no, they didn't live in the city or a place with public transport.. they just all got on the car and went where they needed. For vacations they had one of those racks that went on the roof to hold a carrier.
I'll grant you that the monstrous shopping cart / child carriers that I see today with bicycle sized wheels will probably not fit so well, but a "normal" stroller will fit just fine.
- The towing capacity of the average modern car is about 1000 lbs (many actually explicitly state NO towing WHATSOEVER). This means that families owning a house, where every couple of months you want to haul a large item home will need to oftentimes rent another vehicle for that purpose. Why not just buy a more versatile vehicle to start with?
Why not rent a van for 0.0001% of the time you need "haul a large item"... hell Home Depot will GIVE YOU their van for FREE as long as you spend $100 on their credit card. Or buy a mini-van which is still more reasonable than a truck-based SUV when it comes to weight on the road and fuel economy. BTW, my Civic does just fine towing a 4x6 trailer behind it with a Class-1 hitch.
- Modern cars have small engines. This is great around the town, but on the highway, mileage suffers horribly. SUVs get much better highway mileage (not better than cars, but not all that far away) because they often put an appropriately sized engine in them.
Good god man I KNOW you're full of shit when say SUV's get better mileage than cars on the highway, that's literally full-on batshit crazy with that statement. My Civic gets 38MPG on the highway, I got maybe 21-22MPG in my Blazer, a truck based SUV does significantly worse, upper teens if you're sticking to low 60MPG range.
- Some modern cars (not all) do not support roof racks. So you can't even use it to bring a bicycle with you (since you can't tow with it, either) on a small fun trip.
Find me ANY modern car that can't support a Class-I trailer hit........ YOU CAN'T. I saw a g-damn SMART CAR driving a trailer the other day. So every vehicle can support a Class-I hitch meaning bicycles are not an issue. I also believe your roof rack statement is based on your opinion and has no root in fact. I have been able to find roof racks for the past 2-3 sedan's I've owned... Thule and the other rack manufacturers are quite capable of figuring out how to make these things work and they know smaller car owners want the racks.
- If you like to do your own repair work, modern cars are hell on earth due to their cramped engine compartments, unibody construction, and independent suspension (of course, most SUVs have that nowadays too, but not *all* are terrible to work on the way it generally is with cars).
I find it FAR easier to work on my 4-cyl Civic then on ANY car, truck or SUV I've owned in the past... it's lower, the engine compartment is less cramped, the things you may want to deal with are actually easier to access like O2 sensors, spark plugs, etc. You need ligher-duty tools to lift a small sedan than a truck.
Try getting the plugs out of your 3V 5.4L v8 Ford and let me know how it goes--what a PITA that is! My Blazer required removing the freaking front wheels