Electric Assist?
 

The idea occurred to me to fit in-wheel electric motors on my Sentra's rear wheels (FWD car) and use them as electric assist when low speed is all that is needed to go from stop to stop sign in town, when extra power is needed or to help keep a cruising highway speed at lower engine RPMs or even to extend coasting. Ideally the motors would be not very strong, light and capable of high RPM. The idea is to, say, neutralize the aero losses and "free up the car" to glide longer. I'm just guessing since none of you seem to have done it that there might be some insurmountable technical issues. Is there something like this out there? Is high RPM with low power consumption possible?

Also, the motors would have regenerative braking. They wouldn't have to be fully integrated into the car's electro-mechanical systems. They could just supplement the battery, instead of having an alternator. There would be a separate control for engaging the motors and for regen braking (separate from the car's accelerator/brake, I mean).

Any thoughts?

I've always heard that regen is a huge pain to set it, but the idea is definitely possible, depending on how much money you want to put into it, :)

A lot of members have thought of this. It is a great idea with potentially great gains. However, as SVOboy alluded to its usually cost prohibitive as it is quite an in depth project.

manufactures could easily do regen braking on cars.. its not really complicated.. hard for the home-brewer to make yeah, but so is a internal combustion engine.. and regen breaking seems ideal for all the abs computer controlled braking and traction controls out there. actually a hybrid with wheel motors seem the best way, you get power and regen at the wheel on each wheel and each can totally be controlled independently.. it would almost ultimate 4 wheel limited slip.

Not to mention .. you would most likely never need break pads ever!! the only breakpads I can see is parking break pads..

Also thing of how much room is consumed by drive axles etc in a car.

Thanks for the feedback guys. Please excuse my ignorance but there is a technical point that I'd like answered by someone more knowledgeable than I am:

High speed and low power consumption...is it possible or are those requirements mutually exclusive?

Define "low power consumption" :)

But in general, I'd say: mutually exclusive in a heavy, unaerodynamic vehicle (which I define as something like a Sentra, or even a Geo Metro for that matter).

It's possible in something purpose built -think: solar racer.

How dare you call my Sentra unaerodynamic!? Take that back right now!

Don't worry, we all drive bricks around here.

He might take it back if you ever go basjoos on it though.

Go basjoos on it!

Ah yes, well, anyone can drive a brick, but MY bricks have a parachute on the back. :thumbup:
How many of you can top that? :D

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Im...Trac-front.jpg
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Im...lTrac-rear.jpg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Im...lTrac-rear.jpg
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Im...Trac-front.jpg