Whatsup Penny pinchers?
 

Hey guys, clearly I can't spell "pinchers"

Kinda new to the hybrid scene.

I have a goal, and that is 60mpg on the highway in a car.

The car I want is an old school 240Z. Originally I wanted to convert it to full electric but due to ridiculous amounts of added weight and some silly legal requirements courtesy of the State of Georgia (such as EVs can only go "35mph") I decided as of yesterday I need to make it a hybrid.

Obviously I came to the right place. :thumbup:

For now I aim to learn as much as I can before I save up enough to embark on the journey. From what I can gather that journey will be one involving a lightweight gas powered generator and a high torque electric drivetrain with a few batteries as a buffer (or for a few miles in "stealth mode")

Sounds like you need to do some additional research. There are now OEM highway capable electric cars out there. They are definitnely liscensed for the road, there has to be a way for you to get yours on the road.

Also, it sounds like you're planning on using lead for the conversion? Lithium does cost a lot more, but also lasts much longer and is much lighter. You should take a look.

That being said, show us some pics and give us more info! :) Welcome.

Neighborhood electric vehicles (NEV) and low speed electric vehicles (LSV) have speed limits like that, but electric vehicles that meet vehicle safety requirements don't have restrictions other then the posted speed limit of the road you are on, basically it comes down to if it's registrable as a car and still meets all the safety other requirements you can drive your EV on the road because you are just swapping the drive train, some states are picky about it being a hobbyist vehicle, the category that hot rods are in, as they no longer meet stock specs.

Is your goal to build your own car or just to find a way to increase your mileage? also how set are you on the vehicle you have and what is your route like, how many miles per day do you drive, how many people do you carry with you and so on, in other words what do you need out of your vehicle?

My goal is to completely replace the power-train in an early 70's 240z, they weigh just over a ton when stock and have plenty of working room. I'm fairly dead set on this choice. The only other one I'd consider would be a Porsche 914, but they don't look half as good imo.

I need it to be able to make a high speed 70 mile drive with no issues, 2 seats are fine in my book. It also must be able to drift at above 50mph. These are the most important requirements.

LiPo is definitely desired, although my wallet doesn't feel the same way :p

Once I start the project in a few months I'll thread it up in EcoModding Central. Thanks for the support!

Mate, just in case you haven't already... check out HybridZ.
Their Windtunnel Test Results and Analysis section is aimed at racing, but still a great read for an S30.
Also in the Other Engines section, there is an EV build.

I'd love to try this, but I cover too much daily distance for current (affordable) battery technology.

Pete.

Yup, I've been all over that site, lots of good stuff. The only issue I have with HybridZ is that I can't register with my hotmail or gmail accounts which confuses me.

I've been following that electric build but I have no desire for a half ton of lead in my car.