This company wants to turn your F150 into a plug-in hybrid

I really like this idea. I would think lead acid might be cost effective battery alternative. I like the idea of letting the engine IDLE the entire time. This keeps all the systems functional - AC, heater, PS, PB, headlights. Some of the excess power can be used to charge the batteries. What does a modern 5L engine use at 700 rpm idle - 1.5L per hour? To travel 30-50 miles on 1.5L in a truck is pretty good in my book. The batteries can be fully charged at home upon return. Put that same vehicle in DRIVE and it behaves like the regular gas guzzler.

Servoguy: Do you have some specs on hydraulic motors that can do the job? I like the idea, but last I checked (quite a few years ago though), the efficiency of the hydraulic motors was *abysmal*. I like the idea of hybrid conversion kit... I have a lot of fun in my 69 Dodge Dart (400+HP), but since it only gets 8 MPG on premium gas, I don't have a lot of fun for long... I'm keeping the car. It would be nice if I could get it out more often; 30 mpg to a burn-out contest is an awsome idea...

I am fascinated by the fact that everybody seems to be focused on electric hybrid vehicles. Batteries are very poor energy storage devices, and electric motors are big and heavy. A better approach is a hydraulic diesel or hydraulic gas hybrid. All of the technology except the details of the controller is already available. Here is the clincher: The efficiency of regenerating into batteries and then turning the battery energy back into mechanical energy is about 36%. The efficiency of regenerating into a hydraulic accumulator and then turning the accumulator stored energy back into mechanical energy is about 90%. Accumulators are cheap and have very long lives and can be charged and discharged very quickly. All that has to be done to make a big impact on fuel consumption is to recover the energy lost in the brakes. That gets the average car up to about 40 mpg around town. A retrofit kit for SUVs and pickups is very feasible and a lot less than $60k if it is done with hydraulics.

The 12 kWh NiMH battery pack is good for 16 horsepower output for 1 hour. Or 64 HP for 15 minutes.

This looks to me like no more than a fashion statement. Much better millage or electric range is needed to make such a vehicle practical.

The problem with putting batteries in the cab is that they generate heat when they're being recharged. I have NiMH power tools and I notice the battery packs get hot when I run the tools. This would cook the driver in no time. People that convert pickups usually put the batteries in the truck bed right behind the cab (keeps the center of gravity as far forward as possible). In any case, in two years Li-Ion batteries will probably be cheap enough to use instead. One could also cover the pickup bed with solar panels when nothing else is being carried (like, most of the time). This area is over 4 square meters, where 6' x 8' = 48 square feet). During the day this would contribute about 4 kwh to the battery packs. Such a truck might use 12Kwh to 20Kwh for a daily commute.

I guess all of the researchers short and don't need to move the seat all of the way back.... They do better by adding the batteries as side saddle pods under the bed. No mention of the road speeds running electric only.