Does anyone convert front wheel drive to hybrids with electric rear wheels?

It seems like it would be far simpler to add the electric motors to the back wheels than tap into the drivetrain upfront.

Does someone already do this or are there other even simpler ways to convert cars already on the road to hybrids?

This would be for those of us who don't have enough money to go out and buy a new Prius.

to be efficient

Detroit needs to "Entirely" rethink the passenger car.

Big bulky overweight air dams plowing their way down the road does not work.

The whole reason the California Hy-bred Research Project did not work was because they attempted to base it around an existing car design. The reason the Tesla Motors car does is because the redesigned it from the ground up

It's almost comical in it's simplicity... he actually puts the motor on the outside of the wheel (or uses a hub motor controlled from the outside? not sure), and locks it against a bar that runs from the outer wheel to an attachment point on the frame.



I'll try and find his website.

Poulsen has an in-wheel motor just as you describe

http://www.poulsenhybrid.com/poulsen.html


This one looks like it's for rear wheel drive cars with a drive shaft.

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/14966401/detail.html

Conversion usually doesn't work very well. This one is pretty obvious, and I think about it every time I need to back up my highly inclined driveway in the winter time. Of course, I don't believe that hub motor system would work in reverse anyway.

Hub motors contribute to the unsprung weight which affects ride and handling. They also add to the rotational mass of the wheels which would dampen acceleration and inhibit breaking.

From the second link:


You really need to redesign the whole car with the electric drive portion in mind. I agree with FreakinDJ, they need to get the weight and drag down. Until this year, no one cared how much they paid for gas to give mileage a serious consideration.