RWD EV Ultracapacitor Flywheel Hybrid truck?

[cyberpine]

I love RWD and so I drive a big gas guzzling pickup truck.

However I do see huge potential in some of the new (for 2013-14) compact pickup truck concepts that going around like that 2006 Dodge Rampage and 2008 Toyota A-bat. The fold flat midgate is just brilliant. And if they can build it with a under bed trunk even moreso.

So with all the talk about redesign body functionality there will likely be drive train improvements .. and with all the rumblings about Volvo Flywheel Testing, Dodge Hydraulic Hybrid, and Ford and Toyota looking to partner up for a hybrid truck... any chance we might see a RWD Ultracapacitor EV powered, Flywheel Brake Recovery maintained short versatile pickup truck in the next few years? Maybe something with a small 4 cylinder engine in the front to PULL the truck at COASTING speeds and high torque RWD EV power to PUSH it at traffic lights and when ACCELERATING.

Is this design even possible or feasible? What might somethign like this do in MPG? what might it have as towing capacity?

If so, I just imagine a 70s like body design muscle car with a high back with a removable bed cap and deep under bed trunk. A fold down midgate or just fold flat down rear seats. From a distance it might look like 70s Nova or El Camino, but with truck bed and towing capabilities that rival full sized pickup trucks. 35mpg city and 4000lb towing would cause a major shakeup in the truck market.

I can't post pics and links yet, but if you google these two you might find more info:

2012 Pickup Truck Unibody Midgate Concepts
Volvo Flywheel Hybrid

[Arragonis]

Mrs A's Prius has a big warning in the front of the manual.

"Toyota does not recommend towing with this vehicle"

No idea why though.

[jamesqf]

Originally Posted by cyberpine

The fold flat midgate is just brilliant. And if they can build it with a under bed trunk even moreso.

Not IMHO: You come up with a really, really bad idea - turning a pickup into a 4-door sedan without the trunk lid - then add complexity to try to remove some (because if I understand it correctly, you still can't haul tall loads) of the shortcomings you've designed in.

I do like the idea of under-bed storage compartments. And how about a side-gate that drops down? Hydraulic suspension that'd allow you to lower the truck for easier loading. (Spent part of yesterday lifting 8' pine logs into a 4x4, so that one really resonates)

[Frank Lee]

cyberpine- Rube Goldberg much?


Low bed floor and drop down sides? Here you go:

[CFECO]

Take the Corvair, put an S-10 4x4 front axle in it with an electric motor drive, round the cab and an aero-cap, put a Kubota diesel in place of the flat six, batteries under the bed floor...hmmm?

[Old Tele man]

...some kids I used to know in Yuma, AZ, had one of those (two-tone blue in color) that they used to tote their motorcycles in when they went to the Sand Dunes in California for a weekend "Got Sand?" party.

[cyberpine]

The idea is not to turn a sedan into a pickup truck. But rather to give some "light" pickup capabilities to a muscle car. Many sports cars already come in hatchback and already have back seats that fold forward to enable you to load long heavy objects. Hell, I drove an Blazer s10 for 5 years and would load stacks of plywood, 2x4s, ladders and other stuff that would nearly cause the rear tires to rub. And, if we look at the Avalanche and the Ridgeline.. these are strong unibodies pretending to be pickup trucks. IMO, where they fail is the Avalance has no midgate and Avalanche's midgate sucks.. and well.. they are both too long.

What's the difference between this and an El Camino? THE MIDGATE, UNDER BED TRUNK AND ROLL BARS. OH YEAH, MUCH MORE FUEL EFFICIENT TOO.

So.. the idea.. and it's just an idea.. look to the lines of 70s muscle cars and design the cargo area to keep that high flat light between the roof and tail with a roll bar and open.. Best of both worlds.. muscle styling.. and open cargo functionality.

Should this be used to tow a 8,000lb trailer or for thowing out 1000lb of concrete and steel.. no. But can it haul a small ATV, Motorcyle or Kayak.. yes.

[Ryland]

Kind of like a vise grip, the wrong tool for every job.

The old small Toyota pickup trucks work great because they are small, simple and solid and are to low to the ground for under bed storage.
But every time I've tried to use a truck that has a really short truck bed, I ended up wishing I was just loading stuff in to my Honda Civic hatch back, or that I had skipped the sissy truck and hooked up a trailer and really, a trailer is the ideal way to convert a fuel efficient vehicle in to a great cargo hauling vehicle because your tow vehicle can remain simple, solid and clean and a trailer allows you to have a super low deck height for easy loading.

[CFECO]

Ah... the dunes in "Yuma", Glamis Ca. actually. I remember when the store-bar-pit stop-gas station was all there was there,and the gas pumps had glass cylinders on top you had to manually pump the gas up too, then gravity feed to the buggy.
Rigeline is uni-body, but I thing Avalanche is on a Silverado full frame truck chassis, and it does have a "midgate". Oh well.

[Old Tele man]

Originally Posted by CFECO

Ah... the dunes in "Yuma", Glamis Ca. actually.

...Glamis is east of Brawley, CA; I'm talking about the "Sand Dunes" west of Yuma, AZ, south of Interstate 8 and the All American Canal.

..."Buttercup Valley" (Imperial Sand Dunes) is where they filmed "Flight of the Phoenix" and a part of one of the "Star Wars" movie. Also called the 'Algodones Dunes.'