Dual Fuel, electric rear wheel drive, gasoline front wheel drive

[freebeard]

A Google Image search shows independent semi-trailing arms in the Metro, so—major surgery.

But I saw the link MetroMPG posted in Permalink, about the VW Twin Drive. It has an ICE into an electric motor into the differential. The engine (no flywheel) runs at a single speed and the electric motor is used <30mph.

I can see that packaged in the form factor of a VW or Porsche 901 trans-axle.

[ECONORAM]

If I recall, that type of setup was done back in the 80s by a guy using a Briggs & Stratton engine to run a generator, which drove a forklift motor driving the transmission...

[freebeard]

That sounds like it wold be:

ICE -->generator-->wires-->electric motor-->transmission-->differential

compared to:

ICE-->clutch-->electric motor-->differential

Sort of like Prius vs Volt. With an electrically reversible motor couldn't you eliminate the transmission?