New Poll: What Vehicle To put the Mother Earth Hybrid In

[California98Civic]

Beautiful Citroen, steel, heavy. Mother Jones hybrid, small, low-power. Work?

Originally Posted by Rokeby

I nominate the Citroen DS, an aero winner:
Look way, way at the back of the junk yard.

[Rokeby]

Originally Posted by California98Civic

Beautiful Citroen, steel, heavy. Mother Jones hybrid, small, low-power. Work?

Maybe, maybe not.

As passenger car operators, we tend to associate the word hybrid with lightness.
But there are hybrid vehicles where lightness does not appear to be a major design
consideration:





That said, I think the Citron DS series meets the OP's stated basic parameters:

1. Has to be cool.

2. Must be big enough to go across country comfortably with a family of 4.

3. Has to be inexpensive to purchase.

So far, the VW Bus or a Geo Metro is tops, but the VW Buses are too, well,
ordinary ( been done enough ) and the Metro is too small.

I am looking for different, yet something that would generate positive
attention as it went down the road.

However, there are considerations that might rule the DS out, such as
battery location.

[rmay635703]

Originally Posted by cleanspeed1

I am taking suggestions for the Mother Earth Hybrid Conversion.

Here are the basic parameters:

1. Has to be cool.

2. Must be big enough to go across country comfortably with a family of 4.

3. Has to be inexpensive to purchase.

So far, the VW Bus or a Geo Metro is tops, but the VW Buses are too, well, ordinary ( been done enough ) and the Metro is too small.

I am looking for different, yet something that would generate positive attention as it went down the road.

I still say put down the $1800 and get a brand new unused 07 Miles ZX40, go to Ohio and pay the $300 to have it titled and OK'd for highway use pay another $150-$200 and get the Daihatsu charade transmission.

The van is small but has plenty of headroom for anyone and easily seats 4.

[rmay635703]

what ever happened to this thread? Did he go on vacation?

[bennelson]

Originally Posted by Rokeby

Maybe, maybe not.
As passenger car operators, we tend to associate the word hybrid with lightness.
But there are hybrid vehicles where lightness does not appear to be a major design
consideration......

In the case of those vehicles, the busses take advantage of the Regen capabilities of an AC motor during their start and stop travel.

The trucks mostly use the hybrid system to as "Idle-Prevention" - to keep the great big engine off while a hydraulic boom or other equipment is being used.

I believe the Mother Earth News Hybrid system was a serial hybrid, using a DC electric motor for propulsion, with a gas engine coupled to a DC motor/generator to create the energy.

I don't think that it was designed with regenerative braking. So start and stop is not a good thing for the car.

The comments we've seen so far for various types of station wagons may make the most sense. They are longer, and have more space for batteries, etc. than a standard car, but they aren't any taller or wider, so no aerodynamic penalty to pay. The S10 Crew Cab wouldn't be bad either.

[SwamiSalami]

how about a 1983 Vanagon with a 2012 Subaru 2.5i PZEV boxster?