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So I was thinking about my truck and wishing it could be a hybrid. So I thought it would be interesting to pose this as kind of a cyber project. I don't know if this is the right place to do this, but thought I would throw it out.

As an engineer I appreciate the advantage a team can have on a project. So lets put together a retrofit package for my big gas guzzler. Who knows, with as many trucks on the road as there are if a retrofit existed that was simple, reliable and relatively affordable there may be a market.

So what would it take? I don't know much about hybrid systems, but do know electronics quite well. I am a test engineer with a lot of systems engineering experience.

The truck is a 2001 Ford F350, Crew Cab, 4X4, Long Bed, 7.3L diesel, 6-speed manual. I used it as a tow rig. The requirements would be as follows:

The kit shall be affordable(yeah not a great requirement but its a cyber project)
The kit shall not add more than 3000lbs to the vehicle weight.
The kit shall have enough power to accelerate the pickup from a stop with a 10,000lb load.
The kit shall be able to generate charge for the batteries from braking.
The kit braking shall be selectable(diesel do not have engine braking, this would be nice).
The kit shall require no user input.
The kit shall have an installed cost less than $10,000

Feel free to add to this.

Am I nuts for starting this, does anyone care, is this the right place to do this? I think this would be great and if you consider how many pickups are on the road, if this could increase efficiency of a pickup by say 20% and say 20% of the pickups did it that would be a HUGE impact.

This crossed my mind also.One cheap way would be to get a "bunch" of 1500 watt hr alternators(10-12).Drive them directly off the driveshaft in pairs of two via chain drives.Bolt them to the bottow of the bed,and use motorcycle type chain tensioners.It would require some sort of clutch for the sprockets which would be around the driveshaft.They would "engage" and be driven when you lifted off the gas.Their power would go to a "battery" that could put out a max of 1000 watt-hrs before requiring recharging (roughly 1.5-2 miles at 30 mph) with a peak power draw of maybe 20,000watthrs/hr). The battery would drive a ~20hp electric motor that would directly drive-via chain with tensioner-the driveshaft(once again it would need a clutch). The driver motor would probably have to be mounted in the bed, but maybe it could be mounted under the bed.
Engaging -disengaging-these clutches would have to be "soft" or it would break .Batteries in the bed of course.
This wouldn't meet really add much "pulling" power to the typical V-8, and it certainly could drive the vehicle without the ICE motor(well 20 hp can drive a 6000 lb vehicle, but it would accelerate it very, very slowly).
My crude guess on weight- 200 lbs of alternators
100 lbs of sprockets chains for alternators
125 lbs for 20 hp motor+ drivegear
400 lbs of batteries
The main virtue is that you could buy the alternators,batteries,and big motor fairly cheaply,-not sure where you would source the 20 hp electric motor-I would plan to run it with the 10 batteries in series-120 volts-maybe a big air compressor motor?
Maybe $200 for 10 alternators- $500 batteries-$200 electric motor.
What voltage does the HCH II run on?It might be a good starting point for a motor,and it is about 20 hp I think.
Charlie

So I was thinking about my truck and wishing it could be a hybrid.

NetGain is currently offering such a retrofit right now for med/large RWD vehicles - EMIS - Engine Motor Interface System:
http://www.go-ev.com/EMIS.html

YouTube news report on EMIS:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfP-vBfXreg

Someone converting their Chevy Avalanche:
http://webpages.charter.net/dhrivnak/toppage1.htm

I had another YouTube vid of someone test driving their Ford Ranger with the EMIS system installed, but I can't find it now.

cheers
Darin

Cool links Metro, looks like I still I don't have an original thought.:D

Cool links Metro, looks like I still I don't have an original thought.:D

Well it doesn't meet all your requirements, so there's still plenty of room to develop further. Don't throw away your thinking cap yet! :)

Yeah the thing I worry about the EMIS setup is how much torque it can handle. It's the basic idea I am looking for but for my truck I may need more power and a stronger motor assembly. My truck is fully capable of putting out 600lb-ft of torque at the transmission output. With the new turbo and injectors that power output may go up significantly.

I was thinking something mounted on the rear axle might work better as a parallel setup instead of in series.