Author Topic: Diesel Hybrid truck (consumer class)  (Read 11411 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Rover

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 788
Diesel Hybrid truck (consumer class)
« on: August 29, 2010, 03:50:14 PM »
I'm just wondering why  no commercial  outfit (major auto manufacturer ) hasn't  made a diesel hybrid truck yet?   or maybe they have?

Seems an easy way to get to the CAFE standards proposed in the US.
Rover
<Where did I bury that microcontroller?>

DamonHD

  • Administrator
  • Super Hero Member Plus
  • *****
  • Posts: 4125
  • Country: gb
    • Earth Notes
Re: Diesel Hybrid truck (consumer class)
« Reply #1 on: August 29, 2010, 05:17:44 PM »
Google suggests for "diesel hybrid truck", just for example, way back in '06, while Lehman Brothers was still a force to be reckoned with rather than wrecked:

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2006/07/milestone_hybri.php

Rgds

Damon
Podcast: https://www.earth.org.uk/SECTION_podcast.html

@DamonHD@mastodon.social

Bruce S

  • Administrator
  • Super Hero Member Plus
  • *****
  • Posts: 5370
  • Country: us
  • USA
Re: Diesel Hybrid truck (consumer class)
« Reply #2 on: August 30, 2010, 09:46:54 AM »
Damon;
Great minds think alike and find the same links :)

Rover;
To further damon's post; even in the world of RE and battery power vehicles. Diesel is right up there. biggest problem I see: When someone goes about building a vehicle that gets better mileage and the diesel's are brought in; the mileage is soo good they find adding electrics can add much un-needed / unwanted weight and complexity.
That commercial sector has the knowledge to do this BUT they must go through tons of red tape to put them into use. The red tape is for the most part and good thing.

A good read is over in "mother" and the on-going saga of the 3-cylinder diesel he's using and how well it's coming along.

Good question that needs to be asked !
Cheers
Bruce S

   
A kind word often goes unsaid BUT never goes unheard

ghurd

  • Super Hero Member Plus
  • *******
  • Posts: 8059
Re: Diesel Hybrid truck (consumer class)
« Reply #3 on: August 30, 2010, 09:55:46 AM »
You mean a pick-up or a semi?
It would take a lot of battery and electric motor to make a dent in propelling 80,000 pounds.  LOL

CAFE is basically for cars?
I think most diesel pick-ups are purchased with the same idea as a semi and would have the same issues as a semi, except on a smaller scale.  It would probably be too expensive to be retailed.

Smaller trucks (Tacoma, Ranger, S-10 sized) have not been made with diesels that sold very well.  Not sure who made what.
Last one I can think of was the VW Rabbit diesel pick-up, which I would love to have one of those with a hybrid package!
Between the diesel and hybrid, pretty sure it would be too expensive to sell.
G-
www.ghurd.info<<<-----Information on my Controller

Rover

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 788
Re: Diesel Hybrid truck (consumer class)
« Reply #4 on: August 30, 2010, 05:48:37 PM »
I was thinking of consummer trucks ~ 3/4 ton . .(f150 up, my Tacoma , etc) (makes me boil that they don't do smaller trucks in diesel to start with, I don't need a f250 350 etc ) .

I thought CAFE included fleet, (I could be wrong.. didn't go look) .

As far as larger vehicles .. not Semi, but buses, they are already doing it , I see my city's new buses which are hybrid, but I'm pretty sure its NG/electric

Yep, I see the sea of red tape too.
Rover
<Where did I bury that microcontroller?>

Bruce S

  • Administrator
  • Super Hero Member Plus
  • *****
  • Posts: 5370
  • Country: us
  • USA
Re: Diesel Hybrid truck (consumer class)
« Reply #5 on: August 31, 2010, 03:03:34 PM »
Rover;
 They are out there, but few. There's even a diesel powered VW bug, yup  ;D the new style. BUT you have to ask rather than see it in advertisement.
Most people think of big smelly Semis when it comes to diesel.

As the green people start really asking for them , there will be more, but for now they can still cost more up front when you ask for them.
I do believe Ford make one available for the F150, I know a body repairman for one of the shops here. I'll ask him if he's seen any lately.

They seem to be heading back into the BIG TRUCK mode for some reason.

Cheers,
Bruce S
A kind word often goes unsaid BUT never goes unheard

Rover

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 788
Re: Diesel Hybrid truck (consumer class)
« Reply #6 on: August 31, 2010, 04:24:04 PM »
Bruce,
 Guess I  just miss my old K5 diesel blazer, rust bucket.  ;D

 
Rover
<Where did I bury that microcontroller?>

Clifford

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 158
Re: Diesel Hybrid truck (consumer class)
« Reply #7 on: September 27, 2010, 01:09:58 AM »
UPS has been experimenting with Hybrids and "alternative fuels" for a while.

http://green.autoblog.com/2010/04/07/ups-adds-200-more-hybrids-to-fleet-of-20-000-low-emissions-vehi/

They have tried the hydraulic Hybrids.  Not a lot of info on why they aren't more prevalent.  One article claims that part of the problem is powering the electronic gizmos in the car, but I can't believe that would be sincere.  A well designed radio should run a couple of days on a 12V battery.  A dual battery system with a battery isolator should be perfect.  AC might be an issue, but all the other hybrids seem to be able to deal with it.  Personally I don't use it.

The latest generation of Hybrids that UPS is experimenting with is apparently Diesel/Electric Hybrids.

I've been running a VW Rabbit (Caddy) Diesel for a while.  Hard to beat the 45MPG at the pump, and likes BIODIESEL too.  It isn't the cleanest running of vehicles in the world.  But, for a 30 year old pickup, it gives the brand new Priuses a run for their money.

There is a small Mahindra pickup that is supposed to be coming to the USA soon.  Designed to get about 30 MPG, with some pretty impressive specs including about a 1.4 ton cargo capacity.

http://www.mahindrana.com/
http://www.mahindrana.com/pdf/specsheet.pdf

Its release has been delayed a few times, but everything appears to be a green light for a release, perhaps next spring.

GM has been making the Sierra/Silverado Hybrid pickup for a while.  I believe it is only a gasoline version though with low 20's for fuel efficiency. 

VW uses some of the hybrid technology in their "BlueMotion" line including engines that start and stop at stoplights, even with the manual transmission versions, and using regenerative braking to recharge the battery. 

The European Golf BlueMotion gets 50 MPG (US) City, 69 MPG (US) HWY.   Hard to beat that, except that one can't actually buy it here in the USA.

VW likely going to introduce a full hybrid diesel shortly.

But, unfortunately, their pickups and small delivery vehicles are lagging behind, especially in the USA.

Peugeot is likely to also have Diesel Hybrid cars available (in Europe) in 2011.

divemaster1963

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 176
  • God bless them all
Re: Diesel Hybrid truck (consumer class)
« Reply #8 on: October 16, 2010, 12:38:28 AM »
In the city that I work for we had a diesel/electric trash truck. We had it for about 16 months. got it from the local air force base that had it for about a year. In all that time the truck ran maybe 5 weeks. the rest of the time it was broke down. the main problem was that it use a six hundred volt lithum battery pack to start the movement of the truck then the diesel would kick in. And I mean KICK in. it would almost give you whiplash. The computer control for the switching process could never get operational enough to last any length of time. It keep frying the electronics. We finally got the air force to take it back. they did not want it either.

Bruce S

  • Administrator
  • Super Hero Member Plus
  • *****
  • Posts: 5370
  • Country: us
  • USA
Re: Diesel Hybrid truck (consumer class)
« Reply #9 on: October 18, 2010, 10:00:24 AM »
In the city that I work for we had a diesel/electric trash truck. We had it for about 16 months. got it from the local air force base that had it for about a year. In all that time the truck ran maybe 5 weeks. the rest of the time it was broke down. the main problem was that it use a six hundred volt lithum battery pack to start the movement of the truck then the diesel would kick in. And I mean KICK in. it would almost give you whiplash. The computer control for the switching process could never get operational enough to last any length of time. It keep frying the electronics. We finally got the air force to take it back. they did not want it either.
I would've taken it in a heart beat.
A kind word often goes unsaid BUT never goes unheard

bj

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 596
Re: Diesel Hybrid truck (consumer class)
« Reply #10 on: October 18, 2010, 05:57:18 PM »
   Me too Bruce.  I work long and hard just to get that whiplash effect ;D
"Even a blind squirrel will find an acorn once in a while"
bj
Lamont AB Can.

Rover

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 788
Re: Diesel Hybrid truck (consumer class)
« Reply #11 on: October 18, 2010, 06:34:40 PM »
the Mahindra  is too small for my tastes, lthough I only drive a Tacoma the Mahindra  is quite small. Need a run of the mill  200 to 300 hp diesel coupled with a hybrid.

but as as posted earlier, demand is not there..

grumble
Rover
<Where did I bury that microcontroller?>

Bruce S

  • Administrator
  • Super Hero Member Plus
  • *****
  • Posts: 5370
  • Country: us
  • USA
Re: Diesel Hybrid truck (consumer class)
« Reply #12 on: October 19, 2010, 10:24:04 AM »
the Mahindra  is too small for my tastes, lthough I only drive a Tacoma the Mahindra  is quite small. Need a run of the mill  200 to 300 hp diesel coupled with a hybrid.

but as as posted earlier, demand is not there..

grumble
Rover;
 I'd be happy with a little 50hp diesel :). Most of the newer cars and even a few of the new SUV(crossovers) weigh a tad under my old 83 MB300TD ( 4000lb) and according to all the info I could gather through testing and engineering classes. It takes 8hp to move 1000lbs from a complete stop up to 35mph( legal for urban uses) so 50hp would work out for me.
I would also want to be able to reconfigure the programming so the engine would not kick in until it was up to say 45mph, maybe even have the engine running at steady state for small charging while stopped ?

Course that 6.5L cummins under the hood of an F250 is nice too  ;D

Cheers
Bruce S
A kind word often goes unsaid BUT never goes unheard

divemaster1963

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 176
  • God bless them all
Re: Diesel Hybrid truck (consumer class)
« Reply #13 on: October 28, 2010, 11:03:59 PM »
I would've taken it in a heart beat.

[/quote]
I Know what you mean bruce. I got a chance to get under the truck ( without the trash in it. thank god. I hate maggots that are as big as horse flys.) the motor atached to the trans between the transmission and the engine. it was about the size of a small v8 engine. the cables going to it where 1.5 in dia. I wanted to look at the batteeries and controller but they wher in a sealed unit that had excluder markings. so that was a no joy.  ::)I wish they would have put it out for auction. put the motor in a full size truck and have a ball ;D just hope the batteries don't have problems. that would be a hit on the pocket book. >:(

electrak

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 62
Re: Diesel Hybrid truck (consumer class)
« Reply #14 on: December 22, 2010, 08:01:06 AM »
I remember seeing a company making a system that fit into the drive shaft of a truck, their comntroler at the time didn't do regen it was made for mid-sided trucks, 2-5 ton, and would assist on launch, it just used a few batteries, 36-48 volt, and could be made to fit most pick-ups.