Quote:
Originally Posted by droptail
Actually it seems to me the 4x4 will make it quite easy compared to other options? Of coarse I'm 3-days new into this.
Yes, I'll be doing it here at JSC Engineering, Inc.
I considered driving the front, but I believe there is an advantage to drive back through the transfer case the other direction, using my 5-speed manual.
I am trying to outline what my requirements are, and subsequently what I will need as far as motor, controller & batteries.
This is for some stop & go that I sometimes hit.
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Agreed, being able to run through the transmission gives you some mechanical advantage, but there is some extra driveline loss involved with running through a transfer case, not to mention extra weight and complexity. If you're driving the front diff directly, you won't have great acceleration, but generally you don't need that in stop-and-go anyway.
Something else you might consider is an e-wheel, like this guy did on his Insight:
Mikes Insight - MIMA Honda Insight Modified Integrated Motor Assist
Basically, it mounted underneath where the muffler was, and was geared to a top speed of 45-65 (depending on voltage), with the wheel retracting above that. You have a ton of open space under the bed and could do something similar, geared to top out at, say, 40-45 mph at 72V, and then have it retract above that speed. Again, not great acceleration, but probably sufficient for stop-and-go (and puttering around town at 25-35 mph) and a lot lighter than transplanting in a 4WD setup. By having it retract (he uses an air cylinder), you don't have the drag of the transfer case and hubs, and you wouldn't need a transmission, at least on flat ground. The Etek motor also has regen, so you could recover some of that energy while stopping and going.