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it's awesome to see all you smart people working out, in some detail, what I had just been idly wondering: what's the cheapest quickest way to hybridize a normal car?
I see the wisdom of working with RWD, but my line of thinking is FWD since that's what I have ('95 Toyota Celica hatch) right now. I was thinking of putting an electric motor inline with the halfshaft. As all of you note, the problem is connecting the power shafts.
The winning mod, for me, will have these attributes:
- EZ to install (I am a barely competent mechanic)
- not unusually expensive parts or labor
- reliable for say 50k miles
- quiet
- low/zero maintence
- efficient
Here's my (sorry) untested, half-baked thoughts:
1. Put a rubber wheel on the output shaft of the electric motor. mount the motor so the wheel rubs on the shaft itself, or the CV joint case (depending on the gearing and clearance you have).
2. put a small chain drive (say a moped-sized sprocket) sandwiched between the transaxle and the CV joint. I don't like chain drives for maintenence reasons, and noise, but they are efficient.
3. direct rubber/rubber drive on tire. mounting this motor is near-impossible, surely.
-joshhh
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