Electric 5th Wheel

[Clev]

Ah, interesting. I would probably have to cut an access hatch (I don't think Hondas have the removable 5th gear endcap like some Saturns and other cars have.)

This would probably be easiest on a RWD vehicle, as you could easily splice in a motor anywhere in the driveline. The reason I was looking for a engine-belted solution is because it would just need a bracket and pulley.

[aerohead]

Originally Posted by trikkonceptz

I know this topic has been discussed here many times, however I have a question related to it.

Would the added weight of the components (Engine, bracketry,controller & batteries) offset the benefits of being able to power yourself up to 40mph?

I have been planning this mod as the prelude to building an electric vehicle, but considering the modifications to the Vibe I am wondering if it really would be worth while.

I may just skip plan A and go straight to plan B (Electric Car).

According to the big-dogs,a 10 % weight gain would cost you about 3.7 % mpg.You could weigh out the potential benefits of the 5th wheel against the increased mass.If you show in the black vs red ink,then it makes sense to do it,should the cost,time and trouble warrant it.It would be an interesting experiment.

[metroschultz]

An etek motor bolted where your starter is and drive the right axle directly from the etek? This will drive the left axle through the diff.
While I was in WV with CoyoteX we discussed this type of setup when we were looking at the motor/trans sitting on the ground before the install.
You could run the etek through one of the re-gen controllers and use it to charge batteries on the highway while you ran off the ICE and use the batteries for driving of the etek in town,
Attaching to the axle directly allows you to dis-engage the ICE form the equation by putting the trans in Neutral.
The etek then becomes your starter, you get rolling on battery and bump start when you need the ICE.
When I get my millions I will look into putting together this type of system as a sort of
Po' Man Hybrid (tm)
Schultz $.02