Wow. It's been 2 years since I daydreamed up the topic for a December 2005 MetroMPG.com article called "
All I want for Christmas is a plug-in hybrid pusher trailer".
In that post, I mused out loud about "hybridizing" the Blackfly ... not by tinkering under the hood, but by adding a 3rd pair of wheels!
My idea was the reverse of something I'd seen a couple of creative EV owners tackle to extend the range of their 100% battery-powered cars:
The Porsche in this photo is a pure EV. Its trailer is a fully functional front half of an early 80's VW Rabbit: ICE-powered (Internal Combustion Engine), automatic transmission. The Porsche owner installed a simple set of controls to "drive" the pusher trailer: an ignition/starter switch and throttle control.
The owner claims this setup is completely stable in all driving conditions.
The idea for the Metro was the mirror image: an electrically-driven trailer for around town use. Since most of my city trips are low speed/short distance, I figured I could pull it off technically, and end up with something like this:
(from MetroMPG.com - All I want for Christmas is a plug-in hybrid pusher trailer)
Having successfully built the ForkenSwift, I still think about this idea.
I really think it could work - and it would get around the issues of owning two vehicles (parking, insurance, maintenance) - an EV for town use, and an ICE for longer trips.
And obviously, other people do too. I still get mail on the subject. I'll post one reader's response in a few minutes.