Comments for Turn My Big RV Into a Plug-In Hybrid?

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Turn My Big RV Into a Plug-In Hybrid?

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Aug 26, 2008
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Bigger vehicle electric drives ??
by: Dan Bentler

Doing a motor home huh??

Good thought. Nothing new here. Kenworth is building a hybrid truck and has sold one to Dunn Lumber in Seattle. Maybe talk to Kenworth?

I am in planning pipe dream stage of going into business doing electric on heavier vehicles up to say 10,000 or so. I will not compete with Kenworth - they are too good and too experienced and have more engineers than I. They also have more leverage purchasing power with engine (Cat Cummins GM etc) and driveline components (Eaton Clark etc) than I.

OK so what will work?
Electric only either AC or DC would be great when in town and between a lot of stop lights. That is where electric drive excels.

A small generator would share the load imposed on the battery when running and recharge the battery at stop lights or parked.

Where electric only falls apart is on long hauls. You will need an additional power source unless you want to drag 10 ton of battery.
One method is have a large generator (30 Kw or so) to drive the motor and float the battery. Fairly weight intensive and probably not best option. As a retrofit this may be best option.

SECOND is to take the lesson from submarines. Run on battery until you need the engine. Clutch the engine onto the motor and drive line and drive both with engine AND switch the motor from motor mode to generator and recharge the battery. Getting complicated and expensive here but it is nothing new - just takes engineering and bucks. Would require complete redesign of driveline.

Dan Bentler

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Aug 26, 2008
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Submitted by: Dan Bentler

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Doing a motor home huh?? Good thought. Nothing new here. Kenworth is building a hybrid truck and has sold one to Dunn Lumber in Seattle. Maybe talk to Kenworth? I am in planning pipe dream stage of going into business doing electric on heavier vehicles up to say 10,000 or so. I will not compete with Kenworth - they are too good and too experienced and have more engineers than I. They also have more leverage purchasing power with engine (Cat Cummins GM etc) and driveline components (Eaton Clark etc) than I. OK so what will work? Electric only either AC or DC would be great when in town and between a lot of stop lights. That is where electric drive excels. A small generator would share the load imposed on the battery when running and recharge the battery at stop lights or parked. Where electric only falls apart is on long hauls. You will need an additional power source unless you want to drag 10 ton of battery. One method is have a large generator (30 Kw or so) to drive the motor and float the battery. Fairly weight intensive and probably not best option. As a retrofit this may be best option. SECOND is to take the lesson from submarines. Run on battery until you need the engine. Clutch the engine onto the motor and drive line and drive both with engine AND switch the motor from motor mode to generator and recharge the battery. Getting complicated and expensive here but it is nothing new - just takes engineering and bucks. Would require complete redesign of driveline. Dan Bentler

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Aug 19, 2008
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Highway PHEVs don't do as well...
by: Anonymous

I too long for the day when I can travel this great country on electricity alone. Currently the main issue with driving an RV on electricity is that the typical profile of an RV is highway driving at constant speed. You don't see much regenerative braking benefits.

The upside, is that cruising requires less power than accelerating and an appropriately sized battery may keep you coasting for quite a while.

Unfortunately the total road load of a bus cruising at a constant speed of 60 mph on level ground is over 100 kW. That would mean to drive just 60 mi [1 hour of driving], you would need 100 kWhr of batteries...that is a lot.

You could supplement this with a bit of gasoline in any ratio you want. But you still need lots of energy.