wildchild
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| posted on 11/4/06 at 05:00 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by James
Emission free, costs 20p to fill up and sticks a couple of fingers up at the oil companies, the Middle East and the big motor companies. Yay! 
Emission free assuming you have a wind turbine in your back garden.
I'm not convinced by a pure electric vehicle but it's got me thinking on the possibility of a hybrid vehicle. How about something that
could do say..
30 miles on pure electric at up to 40mph
200 miles at up to 60/70mph on a tank of some combustible liquid.
Managing rolling changeovers between the two would be the biggest challenge methinks.
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Spyderman
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| posted on 12/4/06 at 04:40 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by wildchild
I'm not convinced by a pure electric vehicle but it's got me thinking on the possibility of a hybrid vehicle. How about something that
could do say..
30 miles on pure electric at up to 40mph
200 miles at up to 60/70mph on a tank of some combustible liquid.
Managing rolling changeovers between the two would be the biggest challenge methinks.
One way around that problem would be to have a generator instead of an engine and drive system.
When running at higher speeds the generator would be assisting the batteries. At lower speeds the batteries would cope on their own. When the
batteries droped to a certain voltage level the generator would kick in and could even be left charging if parked in an open area.
This would enable you to be less restrictive in your journeys (not needing to recharge at regular intervals) and would only limit your speed,
encouraging economical use.
I realise that there are loses in converting energy forms, but in using every thing to help like regenerative braking it can only encourage better use
of energy. Having two separate sources of energy available just encourages abuse of both. 
Anyway the above method is copyright to me, so go and find your own way!
Spyderman
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Syd Bridge
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| posted on 12/4/06 at 04:50 PM |
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Why try and redesign what is available already?
Try a classic Mini, but it does need a more efficient modern engine.
I've been involved in an electric project for a few years. Hybrid with a small diesel hooked up to a generator is the most useable.
And, electrics are not pollution free! They just move the pollution from the exhaust pipe to the power house. Unless you have a hydro station/wind
turbine/solar/ other source than fossil fuel, to charge it up.
Cheers,
Syd.
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wildchild
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| posted on 13/4/06 at 07:25 AM |
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Main reason for me to build a custom chassis would be that I think it should definitely weigh less than 400kg (as an absolute maximum). There's
not many cars that you would be able to strip down to that!
Oh, and I'm 6'4, which makes a Mini a little bit uncomfortable!
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Simon
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| posted on 13/4/06 at 07:40 PM |
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My commute is 3 miles each way,. Technically, I could get away with cycling, except I don't have a bicycle and don't want to damage the
environment by getting someone to mine the steel to make it with
"Emission free, costs 20p to fill up and sticks a couple of fingers up at the oil companies, the Middle East and the big motor companies. Yay!
"
James
There's nowt wrong with them, if that's your gripe. You'd be better pointing a finger at No11 (Gready Bastard, sorry Gordon Brown)
who takes about 75p in the pound for doing NOTHING. At least the oil co's dig the stuff out of the ground and who face big tax bills without the
Chancellor increasing cost 4 fold
My idea for an EFV (but bear in mind I think the whole global warming thing is a load of old nutsack anyway (very effecient way of increasing tax!)
would be two s/hand bicycles welded togther. Couple of car batteries to power, solar panel on roof.
Simple really
Oh yeah, forgot to mention, if we use more oil and empty the resevoirs, we'll have huge holes where we can put all the melted ice caps
ATB
Simon
[Edited on 13/4/06 by Simon]
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Syd Bridge
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| posted on 14/4/06 at 12:03 PM |
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As odd as it sounds, electric vehicles are weighed WITHOUT the batteries. Thus making a small commuter vehicle under 400kg's is easy,
and it goes into dvla as a 'lightweight quadricycle'. Much easier rego rules and simpler sva.
Cheers,
Syd.
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wildchild
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| posted on 16/4/06 at 11:06 AM |
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I think if I was going to try and make a hybrid I would probably put it through SVA before fitting any of the electric drive stuff.
Isn't there a very restrictive maximum power on quadricycles?
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Syd Bridge
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| posted on 16/4/06 at 12:44 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by wildchild
I think if I was going to try and make a hybrid I would probably put it through SVA before fitting any of the electric drive stuff.
Isn't there a very restrictive maximum power on quadricycles?
Power restriction applies to mopeds. If your 'quadricycle' is under 250kgs(or something near that, I'll have to check again.) then
it is a moped. 2,3,or 4 wheels, makes no difference, if it's under 250 it's a moped, but only if power and speed are restricted.
If it can go more than 50kph, then it's a motorcycle, motor tricycle, or quadricycle; regardless of power. Also, quadricycles have an upper
weight limit of something like 400kg's before it is a 'car'. (a BEC would nearly achieve this!)
If you're thinking of doing a hybrid, make it plain electric to start, then fit the petrol engine after sva and rego.
If it has a petrol/diesel engine of any sort when presented for sva and dvla, then it is a fossil fuelled car with electric transmission.
Been doing this cha cha for far too long!
If you want more info, get me on u2u and I'll dig out the rules. I've been playing with hybrids and electrics for more than 10 years.
Cheers,
Syd.
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wildchild
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| posted on 18/4/06 at 08:41 AM |
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It's more of an intellectual exercise than a serious project at the moment - I've got to get the Seven built and out of my dad's
garage first!
But it's definitely something I'd like to have a go at in the future. I figure if I start thinking about it now, I might have a fairly
sorted design in my head/on paper by the time I can actually commit to it.
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wildchild
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| posted on 18/4/06 at 11:02 AM |
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I've just been looking at the notes for the Motorcycle SVA here:
http://www.vosa.gov.uk/vosa/forms/application%20for%20ministers%20approval%20certificate%20for%20vehicles%20(msva%201).pdf
and it defines a heavy quadricycle as
weight - up to 400kg
power - up to 15kW
while a motor tricycle is
weight - up to 1000kg
power - no limit.
so if you have 4 wheels, you have the power limit.
I imagine you could get round this by putting it in as an electric vehicle (as I imagine the electric side of the hybrid setup would be less than
15kW), but what would be the legal/registration implications of adding an IC engine post SVA? Would it stop being a quadricycle?
edit: or of course, you could make it a three wheeler, but I've said before I think a fairly high driving position is important in a commuter
vehicle, so i'd be worried about trying to build a stable 3-wheeler.
[Edited on 18/4/06 by wildchild]
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ned
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| posted on 25/4/06 at 10:40 AM |
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just spotted this:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4930794.stm
might be useful/interesting reading?
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jon_boy
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| posted on 25/4/06 at 11:04 AM |
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dihatsu charade?
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wildchild
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| posted on 25/4/06 at 11:56 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by ned
just spotted this:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4930794.stm
might be useful/interesting reading?
too slow
http://www.locostbuilders.co.uk/viewthread.php?tid=43571
as I said in that thread, I actually know a couple of the guys working on this so it's nice to see it getting a bit of publicity.
a locost version would be very cool, although it would require some serious engineering.
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JonBowden
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| posted on 26/4/06 at 09:21 AM |
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Looks well cool to me.
As another way to achieve the lean in corners, what happens if you put the roll centre above the centre of gravity ?
Jon
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wildchild
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| posted on 26/4/06 at 11:31 AM |
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http://www.locostbuilders.co.uk/viewthread.php?tid=19502
I think you could probably make it 'work', but you might get some interesting characteristics and you'd want to make sure it was
well damped.
I wonder as well if you could make it tilt like a bike (ie manual control of angle) but with some sort of power assistance.
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