|
Yes the hydraulic part is for the acceleration and regen braking not for driving. I have watched my OBD2 meter carefully for the last 2 years and most of the gas is used up in accelerating, much less cruising at speed. If I can use the hydraulics for getting it up to speed then use the gas engine to cruise that would be what I want. The RPM may be more than 1000 but I want it less than 2000 in the top gear at 50-55mph.
As for fabrication I have access to a shop and one of my good friends is a machinist who can make me whatever I need for cheap. I built a kit plane several years ago so I have the skills to pay the bills.
I looked at the Metro today. I was a little disappointed. It is not what I would consider to be particularly 'safe'. The mods the cornell team did were temporary and not really meant for a daily driver. Still debating on whether I want my 11 year old son riding around in it. Have to think about it a little more. It's the perfect donor car for this job and about 100 hrs of work have already been done in the right direction I want to go but the car has 200,000 miles on it not 20,000 like advertised so it makes it much less sweet of a deal.
What I meant were that lead acid are pretty heavy, lith ion are too expensive and you can't really but just one large powerpack right now.
I have to decide it I want to get an old insight and do major aeromods to it to try to get 60+mpg or mess around with the metro which may or may not ever get close to that.
Decisions, decisions. The insight would be safer and should easily get 55+ with <$1000 worth of aeromods (boattail, wedgenose, bottom pan, catamram wheels). It would also be very reliable and very safe. Also it is made out of aluminum so I can drill into the body panels with relative impunity for rust. The problem is the interior cargo space, I need room for my kites and snowboard/skis and the insight just doesn't have it. The metro does. If I built a decent boattail out of aluminum sheeting I could throw one or two more kites in the trunk which would make it just enough room I think.
The metro is way cheaper, but at 200,000 miles for an american car it will likely die soon. I have a pt cruiser with 160,000 miles that has not passed inspection for over 8 months, it will never pass (computer is wacked) and I have a Honda Oddessey with 170,000 that is acting like it will easily go another 100,000 miles.
If a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is. That was kind of the deal with the Cornell mule. I'm going to see now if they will sell some other equip like a 3 phase AC motor and controller with it, if not I'm not sure I want it. Decisions, decisions.
The question is really what direction do I want my energy to go. Is the statement
Dammit Detroit build a hybrid that is more efficient with current technology?
or
Dammit Detroit build a car that is VERY lightweight and VERY aerodynamic ?
That is the question. Right now its feeling more like the latter.
Karl
|