Using Rav4 rear drive to hybridize a Ridgeline?

[jojogunn]

The RAV4 hybrid uses a separate EV drivetrain in the rear. There is no mechanical connection to the front drive. The battery pack is under the backseat.
Could it be possible to use the RAV4 ev system under the bed of a first generation Honda Ridgeline? The bed has an underfloor compartment, probably big enough for the battery pack of the RAV4.

[freebeard]

The RAV4 axle is similar to the Toyota/Lexus part. I laid on the ground and looked at one once. IIRC it has twin motors which might mean an electronic locker. The Lexus is an open diff.

No help on mixing and matching Honda parts, unfortunately.

[Ecky]

I think there's an easier way. The RAV4's rear drivetrain is an all-in-one motor, reduction gear and differential, but the Ridgeline already has a bolt-in rear differential. Better still, that rear differential already has off-the-shelf axles which plug into off-the-shelf rear knuckles, because the Ridgeline was offered in AWD. No need to reinvent all of that.

My advice would be, rather than to try to fabricate into place Toyota's motor and differential, to gather all of the rear driveline stuff from an AWD ridgeline (knuckles, axles, differential), as if you were to be doing an AWD conversion. Except, rather than putting a driveshaft between the rear differential and a front transfer case, simply bolt an electric motor of your choice to it.

You'll need a controller and battery, but you would need that for the RAV motor too.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by Ecky

My advice would be, rather than to try to fabricate into place Toyota's motor and differential, to gather all of the rear driveline stuff from an AWD ridgeline (knuckles, axles, differential), as if you were to be doing an AWD conversion. Except, rather than putting a driveshaft between the rear differential and a front transfer case, simply bolt an electric motor of your choice to it.

Finding a motor suitable to fit the same space a driveshaft would be supposed to go is far from being the easiest task, yet I remember some years ago there were plans to release one commercially. On a sidenote, too bad repurposing the setup of a CR-V or Accord hybrid into a Ridgeline would be mostly out of question.

[JSH]

Originally Posted by Ecky

My advice would be, rather than to try to fabricate into place Toyota's motor and differential, to gather all of the rear driveline stuff from an AWD ridgeline (knuckles, axles, differential), as if you were to be doing an AWD conversion. Except, rather than putting a driveshaft between the rear differential and a front transfer case, simply bolt an electric motor of your choice to it.

You'll need a controller and battery, but you would need that for the RAV motor too.

This is the simplest solution.

For reference the same thing has been done by large companies. That box in front of the rear axle on this 1st gen eM2 contains a motor with a driveshaft to the standard rear axle.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by JSH

That box in front of the rear axle on this 1st gen eM2 contains a motor with a driveshaft to the standard rear axle.

In a longitudinal-engined RWD platform, seems like clearance issues are not so hard to overcome.

[JSH]

Originally Posted by cRiPpLe_rOoStEr

In a longitudinal-engined RWD platform, seems like clearance issues are not so hard to overcome.

The Ridgeline has a driveshaft running from front to back. Placing the motor were the center carrier bearing is located seems doable. The Ridgeline has 7.6 inches of ground clearance.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by JSH

The Ridgeline has 7.6 inches of ground clearance.

I didn't mean ground clearance. Take a look at some random RWD platform and you'll see the amount of space it takes for the transmission, and a transfer case whenever it applies. Besides providing more room for a motor, it would also be easier to fit the battery packs in a way that would eventually lead to a better weight bias.

[JSH]

Originally Posted by cRiPpLe_rOoStEr

I didn't mean ground clearance. Take a look at some random RWD platform and you'll see the amount of space it takes for the transmission, and a transfer case whenever it applies. Besides providing more room for a motor, it would also be easier to fit the battery packs in a way that would eventually lead to a better weight bias.

Sure there is a lot more room under a truck with a ladder frame than on a unibody. However, there appears to be space under the Ridgeline for a mid-mounted motor driving a stock rear end.

As Ecky said, it is would be far simpler to use stock Ridgeline rear suspension parts and only need to fabricate one motor mount than to completely fabricate a rear suspension to use a RAV4 motor.

jojogunn already said he is thinking of putting the battery is the rear trunk which seems like a very logical place for the battery, charger, and controller.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by JSH

Sure there is a lot more room under a truck with a ladder frame than on a unibody.

I didn't even refer strictly to a truck with a ladder-frame when I mentioned any RWD platform. Odd enougn, even some unibody platforms with FWD drivetrains such as the Ford Contour for instance are surpisingly roomy enough to go RWD and EV, as it was originally intended to eventually resort to both a transverse engine with FWD (and it also had AWD available in Europe for some versions) or even a longitudinal engine with RWD.