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This topic arose from another thread, so I thought I'd start one of it's own.

Electric motors have huge amounts of torque down low where it is needed for a rock crawler 4x4.
Where are all of them?
I saw an article on a nice suburban 4x4 hybrid, a while back. I'll have to see if I can find it.

GM's website shows a fullsize hybrid right up front- GM Silverado hybrid

Personally I think it would be awesome, if the storage (batteries or fuel cell) problem is worked out, and the price comes down to real world affordable.

i am not sold on this hybrid stuff. it seems to me that you etiher want to be all or nothing. they released these hybrids that get 50mpg like it was an accomplishment. what a joke. any 3cyl 1500 lbs car on 12" wheels will get 50mpg. the crx got 50, the older standard civic with the 1.5 got 45, the metro got 50, the jetta gets 50......

so they release a tiny hybrid that gets 50mpg, big whoopdy doo. i think they are just trying to get some money back into their program. if that insight was getting 95mpg....thats a different story, but its not and its too freakin small.

i just think all electric would be great.

a2b wrote:i am not sold on this hybrid stuff. it seems to me that you etiher want to be all or nothing. they released these hybrids that get 50mpg like it was an accomplishment. what a joke. any 3cyl 1500 lbs car on 12" wheels will get 50mpg. the crx got 50, the older standard civic with the 1.5 got 45, the metro got 50, the jetta gets 50......

so they release a tiny hybrid that gets 50mpg, big whoopdy doo. i think they are just trying to get some money back into their program. if that insight was getting 95mpg....thats a different story, but its not and its too freakin small.

i just think all electric would be great.

I'm of the same opinion, what's the big deal, one way or the other. Gee, what the heck, throw in a deisel engine in there too. But I think electric sucks also, too many draw backs and still batteries are even more dangerous to dispose of and the polution. I am holding out for Hydro power!

Man ... all the negative energy

There are distinct advantages.

You can put the weight where you need it down low and distribute it virtually any where for a very balanced, though heavy machine.

Four wheel steering. You could have power to any wheels desired.

Did I mention torque. Gobbs of torque.

Quiet. You will be able to hear everything since it will be virtually silent.

Heck ...an electric 4x4 has already traversed terrain on a trail that no other 4x4 is cable of running.

There are three still up there if anyone is thinking about making a salvage trip.

What about a hydrogen fuel cell? That would solve the storage problem. Buses in Canada are using them in a test last I read.

What ever happened to Raytech's turbine flywheel enhanced hybrid? I was getting over 100 mpg and ran on any fuel. Generated quite a bit of heat though.

ya the entire train system in the ukraine is electric. all cargo trains and passenger trains are electric. full size trains. pretty neat if you see it. and all the busses are electric. and this has been going on for 40 years

Don't forget own trains, those diesels are merely generating juice that powers those electric motors driving the wheels. Gives a whole meaning to low end torque

HenryJ wrote:This topic arose from another thread, so I thought I'd start one of it's own.

Electric motors have huge amounts of torque down low where it is needed for a rock crawler 4x4.
Where are all of them?
I saw an article on a nice suburban 4x4 hybrid, a while back. I'll have to see if I can find it.

GM's website shows a fullsize hybrid right up front- GM Silverado hybrid

Personally I think it would be awesome, if the storage (batteries or fuel cell) problem is worked out, and the price comes down to real world affordable.

I like that new Silverado Hybrid but I think they store the batteries under the rear seat so it eats up alot of space. But having a generator that's portable is a sweet deal. IIRC it's a 2500buck option which is not bad considering what it does and does save you some gas.

BTW it appears GM is offering for 2005 DOD(Displacement on Demand) for certain models with the 5.3 v8. I think the trailblazer line will get it first then other models that use the 5.3. When my AV smartbuy is up, I'll be looking for both as options for my next truck.

As for rock crawling, someone should do a real hybrid for rock crawling. I think it would be really good and you probably could get goot ground clearance. Weight would be an issue with battries though. I think GM had a concept vehicle s10 that was a hybrid. it had two electric motors on each rear wheel. Said it had lots of torque.

Cheers,
Con

I could be wrong, but aren't electric motors with any significant amount of power and torque too heavy...along with the batteries to power them?