Group: nashville.general · Group Profile
Author: Paul StevensPaul Stevens Date: Jul 4, 2008 19:18
>>What surprises me about the whole hybrid car thing is how poor IMO the
>>gas mileage still is. Blaze gets 28, but she requires *high
>>test* : ) so, cost wise, it negates any savings. With all the hoopla
>>I thought hybrids would get 50+ and actually was shocked to learn they
>>only get in the 20s.
>
> And I used to drive a 1982 VW diesel Rabbit that got 42mpg on a bad day.
>
> The XR3 bumps it's mpg numbers over the 125mpg (for straight diesel
> operation) by charging the batteries at home, then discharging them as
> an electric assist to the diesel during acceleration. I don't know if
> it's
> set up for regenerative braking, but it shouldn't be difficult to program
> that into the controller for the electric motor (or upgrade to a
> controller
> that has that option). For short trips, just shift the transmission into
> neutral, leave the diesel engine turned off, and you're driving an
> electric
> vehicle.
>
Skimmed the plans and the construction manual. The drive system is
set up so that the builder can tailor it to their individual preference.
The
internal combustion engine (ICE) can be left out, replacing it with
additional batteries, to build a pure electric vehicle. The electric motor
and battery packs can be left out, to build a more conventional gas or
diesel burning vehicle. Or it can be built as a plug-in hybrid.
One thing that surprised me, is that the plans call for a 3 gallon fuel
tank.
I had expected it to be smaller than a normal compact car fuel tank, but
I was expecting around 5 gallons. For the XR3's designed use as a
commuter vehicle, 3 gallons should be sufficient for the small diesel.
If the builder wants more flexibility, such as occasional weekend trips,
a larger tank would be a plus.
If the XR3 is built as a diesel, with no electric motor and battery packs,
the expected weight of the finished vehicle (apparently calculated by
weighing the hybrid prototype and subtracting the weight of the batteries
and electric motor) is less than 100 pounds heavier than a new Honda
Goldwing.
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