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New-comer from BC
After a few years of energy-efficiency projects, our house is now a model of energy efficiency. The plumbs have all been picked, and now we shift focus to making our commuting more energy efficient. My professional background is electrical & electronic.
We have 2 vehicles, a 1998 Chevy Cavalier 2.2l sedan, and a 2010 Ford Ranger 4.0l V6 to take us on our climbing road-trips in the mountains.
After finding this site I bought a Scan-Gauge II, and have been using it for about 2 weeks. I like it for it's basic functions. I am now addicted to constantly checking my fuel efficiency... to the point of distraction.
I bought some white Core-plast & white duct-tape & did some aero-mods to the front of the Ranger. This cost about $12 and took an hour. I am looking forward to seeing the results.
The 98 Chevy has 340,000 km on it, and still runs great. It bears the brunt of our 140 km daily commute. Unmodified, it gets 7.5LHK (31.4 mpg (USG)). I'll be doing some basic frontal aero-mods to it, but I really want to find a way to make it into an el-cheapo limited hybrid-assist. My basic plan is to convert the basic alternator into a synch-motor / alternator which can both generate and motor. We live & commute in mountains. On downhills, I'll charge an auxilliary battery set (48V), and then switch to motor-assist on the flats. Uphills will be strictly ICE.
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