Can I Build My Own Plug-In Hybrid?

by Ray
(Beaverton Oregon)




I want to add electric motors to my Dodge pickup, to be able to plug in and charge for running errands, 15 mile round trip to work in the winter, etc. and keep the gas motor for hauling and longer trips. Is it feasible to build your own plug-in hybrid?

Hi, Ray!
Sure, it's feasible, and there are a couple of different ways to do it.
One way, as in the video above, is to keep your gas-guzzler's guts intact, and just add a motor as an electric assist. The system in the video is NetGain's EMIS, and I've written an article about EMIS you can read if you're interested in how it works.

Another way is to convert your pickup completely to electric, ripping out its gas-burning guts, and then add a generator to recharge the batteries while you drive if needed.
Alain St. Yves has done a couple of diy plug-in hybrid conversions along these lines very successfully. He calls them his "Green Vehicles".

Best of luck in your project, Ray!

Regards,
Lynne




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