📰 Auto News Turn YOUR car into a hybrid for $3K

[Flyn]

These guys have an interesting product in development. It's a hybrid kit that turns nearly any car into a battery/electric motor assisted hybrid. Mileage is supposed to nearly double using the kit. According to the designer, if you can change your brakes, you should be able to install the kit. They are hoping to sell it to car manufacturers as a dealer installed option.

The Kit That Turns Any Car Into A Hybrid | This Could Be Big - Yahoo! News

Click to read more...

 

[SRT41320]

thats pretty interesting... I would need some more details although i understand how the motor works, i want to know how it engages/charges etc.

 

[utryd2]

That would be a great idea and for the money it would pay for itself in no time.

 

[Primalzer]

Yeah I saw this about a month ago on Jalopnik. Got my mind thinking about ways to use this for performance advantages...

 

[Bob Kazamakis]

So I can make any fwd car awd?

 

[Primalzer]

My thoughts exactly! Would be awesome if you could control the motors F1 KERS style...

 

[Bob Kazamakis]

Hybrid burnouts ftw

 

[02BlueGT]

I doubt this will ever make production, you would have to replace the entire rear suspension on 90% of fwd cars to allow the rear wheels to be powered. Not to mention the added weight of the battery pack and the bigger springs required to compensate, and te loss of most or all your trunk space. Also, RWD, awe, and fwd cars all have different alignment settings due to the drive forces, these would need to be re-engineered. On paper it sounds great, in reality it is easier and cheaper to buy a new car than fully re-engineer the drive system in your DD.

I am not saying that adding hybrid is impossible, but a universal kit is highly unlikely.

 

[Bob Kazamakis]

I doubt this will ever make production, you would have to replace the entire rear suspension on 90% of fwd cars to allow the rear wheels to be powered. Not to mention the added weight of the battery pack and the bigger springs required to compensate, and te loss of most or all your trunk space. Also, RWD, awe, and fwd cars all have different alignment settings due to the drive forces, these would need to be re-engineered. On paper it sounds great, in reality it is easier and cheaper to buy a new car than fully re-engineer the drive system in your DD.

I am not saying that adding hybrid is impossible, but a universal kit is highly unlikely.

Big WAT for this post.


Why would 90% of the suspension need to be changed? It sounds like it would bolt on most likely like a backing plate. Motors don't need to be the size of barrels to get an added benefit. They make 5th wheel kits that are super small and do a good bit of difference. Having it placed on the actual rear wheels and split between the two means it could be even smaller.

The size and price of lithium ion batteries are both getting smaller and smaller not to mention they're quite light.

Different alignment specs for different drivetrain layouts? Maybe oem specs differ but most do well with similar specs regardless of drive wheels. A tire on the ground is a tire on the ground.

 

[sickmint79]

3k for a kit with a battery sounds awfully cheap no?

i also wonder what would happen to the price of batteries should demand ever really notch up. generally you expect economies of scale and things to become cheaper, but my understanding is they use a fair amount of rare earths... which are, y'know, rare...

 

[Primalzer]

I doubt this will ever make production, you would have to replace the entire rear suspension on 90% of fwd cars to allow the rear wheels to be powered. Not to mention the added weight of the battery pack and the bigger springs required to compensate, and te loss of most or all your trunk space. Also, RWD, awe, and fwd cars all have different alignment settings due to the drive forces, these would need to be re-engineered. On paper it sounds great, in reality it is easier and cheaper to buy a new car than fully re-engineer the drive system in your DD.

I am not saying that adding hybrid is impossible, but a universal kit is highly unlikely.

If you read the story, the battery pack is the size of a carry on piece of luggage...

 

[02BlueGT]

Big WAT for this post.


Why would 90% of the suspension need to be changed? It sounds like it would bolt on most likely like a backing plate. Motors don't need to be the size of barrels to get an added benefit. They make 5th wheel kits that are super small and do a good bit of difference. Having it placed on the actual rear wheels and split between the two means it could be even smaller.

The size and price of lithium ion batteries are both getting smaller and smaller not to mention they're quite light.

Different alignment specs for different drivetrain layouts? Maybe oem specs differ but most do well with similar specs regardless of drive wheels. A tire on the ground is a tire on the ground.

Most fwd cars would require a new spindle to allow the wheel to be powered, this would also need toinclude an updated/upgraded bearing and brake assembly. Also, the struts, sways , training arms, and all other rear suspension componnents may need to be moved around to make room. You can't just put a motor there without moving shit.

 

[Primalzer]

Most fwd cars would require a new spindle to allow the wheel to be powered, this would also need toinclude an updated/upgraded bearing and brake assembly. Also, the struts, sways , training arms, and all other rear suspension componnents may need to be moved around to make room. You can't just put a motor there without moving shit.

Watch video

 

[Bob Kazamakis]

Most fwd cars would require a new spindle to allow the wheel to be powered, this would also need toinclude an updated/upgraded bearing and brake assembly. Also, the struts, sways , training arms, and all other rear suspension componnents may need to be moved around to make room. You can't just put a motor there without moving shit.

Say that again?


Maybe actually read the article before spouting diarrhea?

 

[Bob Kazamakis]

John you might like this: I think it's badass.

http://2001-civic-ev.blogspot.com/?m=1

 

[Yaj Yak]

in4gascompanybuyingoutcompanyformillionsandsquashingit

 

[Bob Kazamakis]

in4gascompanyassasinatingcompanyfoundersandsquashingit

Fixed

 

[Primalzer]

John you might like this: I think it's badass.

2001 Civic EX EV Coupe Conversion

It kind of looks like he's reusing the transmission?

 

[Bob Kazamakis]

It kind of looks like he's reusing the transmission?

Yep. 5 speed manual with clutch mated to a giant electric motor.

 

[Primalzer]

Seems like the electric motor is brushed. I would think that there wouldn't be enough slowing the motor down to utilize the trans, no?

 

[Bob Kazamakis]

He had the same setup in an older model civic but with lead acid batteries. He's going all out with this one.

 

[Primalzer]

That is pretty cool. I didn't look into it all that much, is he using lith-ion batteries?

 

[Bob Kazamakis]

Yep. 45 smallish ones. Forget the size but it was in there some where.

 

[Primalzer]

Yeah found them now, yeah should scoot

 

[Primalzer]

45 cells, 180 Ah, ~3.2V per cell