[BenNelson]

Hello!

Has anyone heard of any DIY hybrid conversion starting with either a 4-wheel or all-wheel drive vehicle and converting one of the sets of wheels to electric, while keeping the other with the original gas engine?

I got the idea from electric front wheel bicycles. What's so nice about that is the front wheel hub electric motor pulls you along, and the back of the bike is unmodified. The chain still works, you can pedal as much or as little as you like.

Would a similar system work for a home-brew hybrid? For example, have a 4 wheel drive pickup truck, disconnect the drive-shaft to the back, and replace that with an electric motor. Truck pulls itself along with gas on the front and pushes from the back with the electric.

I am no car expert, please tell me if this is a completely unreasonable idea.

I recently saw an electric trike which was a motorcycle front end mated to a Chevy S10 rear axel spun backwards with a 9" motor chained to it.

Why couldn't a vehicle have seperate drives for the front and back like this?

Alternatively, could a front-wheel drive car have the rear wheels replaced with a pickup rear axel with an electric motor attached?

Do differentials cause the driveshaft to spin while the tires spin? IE - would pulling a vehicle along on gas power from the front cause an electric motor attached to the rear differential to spin the entire time?

The main problem I can think of with this type of a setup is that you might need two gas pedals - or keep the original gas pedal and add a hand-throttle for the electric. Also, you now have two systems to maintain instead of one like you would in a pure gas or pure electric system.

The only homebuilt hybrids I know of are serial hybrids, such as an electric pickup with a generator sitting in the bed.

All comments welcome!!!!

 

[ViolentBlue]

you could always drive the rear wheels, of a front wheel drive car, electrically.

 

[ww321q]

How about something like this maybe ?
http://www.rqriley.com/xr3.htm J.W.

 

[BenNelson]

To drive the rear wheels of a front wheel drive car, I would need a place to attach the motor. That's why I was thinking something like a pickup truck rear axle might work - just connect a motor in place of the drive-shaft.

I LOVE the look of the XR3! However, I don't want to build something from scratch.

The XR3 concept though, seems like a good one. Both propulsion systems work independently of each other, and are just connected by the vehicle frame and the road.

The image below is off that same web site. This vehicle is a homebuilt trike using the back half of a motorcycle, complete with working engine. If an electric motor was added in the front, it would be a great simple hybrid.

I was wondering about a similar concept as applied to a car. (Roof and four wheels are much better than motorcycles - especially in cold climates!)

 

[ww321q]

I have seen locking hubs on the rear end in a 4x4 . I think I have seen electric locking hubs but not sure (showing age). That would reduce the drag from turning differential ,axles , drive shaft . J.W.

 

[judebert]

My brother intends to turn his Suzuki Samurai into a hybrid by removing the rear drive shaft and putting a motor on the rear differential.

The big problems -- and the ones nobody seems to have solved -- all deal with control. To make it seamless, you'd need to control the throttle by wire. Something would need to decide when you want to use the electric motor, when you want to use the gas motor, and when you want both... and how much of each.

One option is to switch off the gas motor, but leave it in gear, and let the electric motor push it. The Sammy's engine is reasonably low compression, so it wouldn't be much of a problem. Not optimal, of course, but the other option involves running the clutch by wire, too.

Nathan opted for the human computer. He intends to put a motorcycle grip on his shift stick. The grip will control the electric motor, and even provide regen.

I can see where it would work, but it seems like you'd need to learn how to drive all over again.

 

[Fatboy]

Maybe it's just me but I cringe when I see "Breaklights" as in the picture above. Also in the above design I see a problem in rear tire wear being overly excessive.
These type of designs look good on paper but turn out to be less than desirable.

Fatboy

 

[BenNelson]

The trike illustration was just an example of something similar.

I would intend to convert a four-wheel vehicle, complete with original brake lights.

For the Suzuki, I like the human computer idea. I was thinking of something along the lines of a motorcycle throttle to power the electric motor.

I was also thinking that one would use the gas or electric, but not both at the same time. Have the manual transmission in nuetral except when actively using the gas engine.

FATBOY - what would cause excessive rear tire wear? And do you mean just in the trike design pictured, or in a similar four-wheeled vehicle as well?

 

[Fatboy]

Just the torque of pushing the rest of the vehicle. Rear tires usually wear when only powering a bike, even a small one. Adding the extra two front wheels, frame work, and body will certainly mean extra wear on the tire.

Fatboy

 

[fishaholic]

There was a guy doing something like this in the 80s with a 4X4. I couldn't find the article but I found the article on the first Hybrid that he built.
http://www.motherearthnews.com/Gree...-01/An-Amazing-75-MPG-Hybrid-Electic-Car.aspx
They did have another article on one that he built out of a Van.

 

[ww321q]

someone just posted the link in another string .....J.W.
http://www.motherearthnews.com/Rene...Dave-Arthurs-Amazing-Hybrid-Electric-Car.aspx