XR3: 225 mpg hybrid car kit


I can't say that I am a big fan of the looks of this car, but the 225 miles per gallon is hard to beat. The car has an electric rear drive system with a Kubota diesel system when the lithium batteries run out. Apparently you will be able to purchase an XR3 kit soon. There are a lot more pictures on the website, including the build process.

Read more about the XR3 hybrid car kit

Posted by Marc de Vinck | Aug 16, 2008 01:45 PM
DIY Projects, Green, Transportation | Permalink | Comments (5) | Email This | Bookmark and Share | Digg this!

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Posted by: ellisgl.myopenid.com on August 16, 2008 at 6:29 PM

The word "Tweaks"

The word "tweaks" was in the "Article".

My sugguestions
1.) The article says "Fiber glass", I would change that to carbon fiber.

2.) Get rid of the neat looking rims, and use a cover that would make it a little bit more aerodynamic.

3.) Solar panels on the car to help with recharge.

4.) Get rid of the exterior mirrors and use camera - more aerodynamic advantage

5.) Bring the back further to make a smaller point.

6.) Make a "golf ball" pitted under carriage.

7.) Any part made of Iron or Steal that can be replace with a lighter material would be replaced. Aluminum, Titanium , etc..

The would what I would do first to increase my millage.


Posted by: hammerthumb on August 17, 2008 at 7:54 AM

RE: The word "Tweaks"

Hi,

With regards to #2 would covering the wheels cause issues with brake cooling?

With regards to #7 carbon fiber can replace a lot of the steel in a vehicle. There is a question in my mind about safety. Steel will bend and twist in an impact. Carbon fiber will de-laminate and shatter. When properly designed both do well at converting the impact energy to heat before complete failure. However, in a non-racing environment I wonder about the real world efficacy of the carbon fiber to protect the occupants who are not wearing Nomex suits, helmets and 5 point harnesses. Bring on the crash test dummies I say!


Posted by: ellisgl.myopenid.com on August 17, 2008 at 7:49 PM

RE:RE: The word Tweaks.

You could also use ceramic break pads, with a rotor that is slotted, cross drilled (or dimple drilled) and vented.

Well, if he did it right - i didn't see if he did do this - you would have a cage of some sort around the cab. The reason I said carbon fiber was to make it a tad bit lighter. Lighter car = less energy to move = MPG boost. Of course it's probably a lot less of an MPG boost than it would take to justify the cost.


Posted by: Monk on August 18, 2008 at 10:10 AM

I have purchased the plans for this, fiberglass is used due to cost. This is meant to be built in a home garage, so things are kept simple. Design changes can be made by the builder.



Posted by: Ade on August 20, 2008 at 4:51 AM

Oh Dear...

Bad choice of nomenclature. In the UK the XR3 was Ford's underpowered, lack-lustre answer to the Golf GTi in the 80s.

The XR3i was a slight improvement but the term XR3 still conjures up images of reverse baseball-hatted bad boyz.


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