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Build Your Own Hybrid-Electric Car?
BlueJay465 writes "On almost every news outlet, everyone is talking about the price of oil, both foreign and domestic. This sent me to do some research on what it would take to keep the investment in my current vehicle, while getting the added benefits of hybrid-electric technology at the lowest price. One company, Sigma Automotive, has already jumped on that bandwagon, and will soon be offering a kit for your car engine that will boost performance and increase fuel-economy by adding all the extra electronics, hardware and capacity (avail. Q3-Q4 2004). My question is, how much would it cost to really 'Do It Yourself' using off-the-shelf parts?"
If you can get 30HP out of it, $80-90/hp isin't too bad. :)
Yes, and my computer tends to run faster when I'm wearing a blue shirt too. Our "war" didn't do one thing either for or against our allies economies... they were tanking right along with ours because of a certain .com bubble a few years back. Oh and the oil prices? Speculators in the American market bid up the oil when it looked as though the S. Arabian monarchy was in political trouble. It was AMERICAN investors that caused our oil spike by creating an artificial demand for crude, by speculating on further price increases (which didn't happen). There isn't and hasn't been a decrease in world oil supplies, just an increase in those wishing to purchase some of it. If you want to have a political agenda please do so, but do not disguise your feelings about the war in Iraq by complaining about oil prices. They aren't connected.
The return seems pretty slim for the amount of hassle and cost that you will put yourself through. Making huge powertrain and weight modifications to your car will likely have unexpected and bad consequences, which you will be on your own to fix.
IMHO, if you are truly economically sensitive to gas prices, I suggest that you buy a '94 or '95 Toyota Tercel/Corolla, Ford Escort or Honda Civic. You'll easily get 35-45mpg with these cars and spend a grand total of $3-5k for the whole vehicle.
If you want to make a statement about "saving" the environment, move closer to work.
Conformity is the jailer of freedom and enemy of growth. -JFK
i wouldn't drive one if i didn't need it to get up my fucken driveway in the winter.
pr0n - keeping monitor glass spotless since 1981.
The tax isn't about selling gas, it's about charging people for the services provided by the government.
Isn't that the same argument the established telecos are using to "encourage" state governments to tax VOIP?
A biodiesel dirt/street bike is so freakin close to hitting the market it's painful. Already being sold to the military, a civilian version is only lacking various paperwork / safety testing, etc. Unfortunately this runs somewhere around the $2M mark for commercially available vehicles meant to be driven on public roadways. Anyone with a deep pocket looking for something to invest in while simultaneously elating me and any other ecologically conscious people tired of boring ass prius/insight style vehicles to choose from. Yes, this is my second time mentioning these guys. F1 engineering, www.f1engineering.com, check the civilian bike link...
I think they were refering to slowing the engine by electrically loading the generator. Basically, instead of recovering power from the wheels themselves, you take power from the engine as you deaccelerate by increasing the electrical load on the generator - i.e. charging the supercap pack. Its an interesting spin on the concept of regenerative braking.
By the way, it was developed in conjuction with my alma mater, and possibly one of my proffs.
I've discovered a remarkable proof, but this margin is too small to contain it...