We all talk about converting our trucks to diesel... how about electric? Here is a person who did just that. http://www.renewableenergyworks.com/nyseaa/Hinkston/Isuzu.html

Don't laugh --- I have a 2WD Amigo that I've been thinking about converting for quite some time...

Randii (anything to avoid CA's smog police)

Cool I wonder what kind of torque that rig gets?

One thing I have to mention about electric rigs. The power that charges the batteries has to come from some where. Right. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Roll Eyes]" src="images/icons/rolleyes.gif" /> There are about 160 coal fired power plants in the western USA. Coal fired power plant release far more air plants than a car dose per BTU of energy. But no one wants to talk about that. In the coastal states (Washington, Oregon, California) this really isnÆt a problem since we use a lot of hydro electric. But in the Midwest and Texas. ItÆs a huge polluter. Just something to think about.

Yeah... the greenies like to refer to electric cars as pollution-free vehicles. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Roll Eyes]" src="images/icons/rolleyes.gif" /> More like pollution-relocation vehicles! The electric car isn't polluting much (if you disregard the ozone it creates, the in-advance increase in polution that's a side effect of creating the parts for it, and the delayed pollution of eventually getting rid of the batteries) but the power has to come from somewhere, unless it is solar-powered.

I just really hate California's smog rules and have an eventual goal of transitioning my transportation to methods that aren't so highly regulated as gasoline...

Randii

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, Helv, Helvetica, Sans">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, Helv, Helvetica, Sans">Originally posted by bob large:
<strong>
In the coastal states (Washington, Oregon, California) this really isn&#8217;t a problem since we use a lot of hydro electric. But in the Midwest and Texas. It&#8217;s a huge polluter. Just something to think about.</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, Helv, Helvetica, Sans">Even hydro has it's problems. It's clean in it's operation but wait to you try and build a new one. Go tell the greenies that you're planning on flooding an entire valley (filled with old growth trees, spotted owls etc) to build a new hydro electric dam and they will completely freak out.

Don't forget that batteries can be recycled! Right here about 5 miles from my house is a facility that takes in old lead acid batteries from around the country and ships 2000lb lead ingots back out. I live up wind of it <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="images/icons/smile.gif" />

Any way there is something to be said for an electric crawler. Certain types of electric motors (or maybe all, I'm not sure) produce peak torque at 0 RPM. Sounds like the ultimate rock crawling "engine" to me! Electric motors are even quieter than a new Isuzu with factory exhaust too! That would help keep greenies at bay. The down side would be the need for lots of heavy batteries. A small diesel engine would probably work to run a small generator/charging system.

I think one of the magazines ran an article about somone who brought an electric landrover to Moab. The truck did just fine, I think they even ran Kane creek or something with it. Unfortunatly I think I saw it in a Landrover Magazine, so I don't have the article, and wouldn't know where to start looking o track it down.

Godd Luck

Mike

Well that said there are many good viable low pollution power plants that are coming to the market. One alternative is the E85 fuel. Its 85% ethanol, 15% gasoline. I.e. corn alcohol. The only real difference in the power plant is the computer and the o2 sensors. Since ethanol has less energy than gasoline the fuel to air ratio is more than with gasoline or diesel. Plus they can run both mid octane fuel and E85. The only problem with E85 is its not available outside the Midwest, and you have to carry more fuel with E85 than with gas for the same milage. Another benefit is the price. Its about $.30 less than gas. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="images/icons/wink.gif" />

Mother Earth News ran a couple articles back in the late 70's about hybrid gas/electric or diesel/electric vehicles that some folks had put together. That got my interest. They were also running articles regularly on alcohol for fuel and gasohol. A lot has changed since then, but most is the same. Honda and Toyota have produced hybrids, but few seem to want them. I've never seen them outside California, and I travel through all the western states all winter long.

I've used E85 in an '88 Astro van, and didn't actually get any worse mileage than normal (18-20mpg), so I don't think the pundits are correct when then make such blanket generalities.

"All generalities, including this one, are false"

I think Ford's coming out with a hybrid Explorer next year. Maybe the Escape, not Explorer. Whatever. Either way...

I haven't seen the torque numbers for it but I don't think it's got a whole lot of juice. Not that soccer mom's need lots a torque to bring the groceries home anyway!! <img border="0" alt="[Hillbilly]" title="" src="graemlins/notooth.gif" />

The problem with the ethanol industry is that with out the gorvnment's financial support, the industry would not be able to survive. Or at the very least Ethanol would be expensive.

Sword King, Here in the Twin Cities I see the honda and Toyota Hybrids as frequently as I see Amigo/Rodeo Sports. I will admit, they are essentially non existent out side the twin cities, but they are here.

I'm not sure what the intent of the original post was, other than to show an electric 'zu. Personally if I wanted to be more environmentally friendly commuting or off road, I would run a Samurai with a Diesel and use low sulfur bio deisel, and call it good enough. I was merely pointing out the potential offroad advantages of an electric rock crawler. When it comes down to it, I'll take a gas engine, hard to beat the fuel refill availability, and the range in cold weather. The commercially available pure electrrics wouldn't get me to work when its cold, not enough range. I have a 25 minnute commute.

-Mike