An example of a "why didn't I think of it."
XL Hybrids in Massachusetts has developed a system that can be applied to almost any vehicle. The system consists of a 20-horsepower electric motor connected to the driveshaft of a RWD motor at the rear wheels. A Lithium-ion battery is housed in the trunk, and is charged via the gasoline engine. In the demonstration, the kit was applied to a Lincoln Town Car that gets around 15 mpg. XL Hybrids was able to get a 30% increase in the mpg. How it works is simple. The electric motor is constantly turning the driveshaft, which takes strain off the combustion engine. The team at XL Hybrids only guarantees a boost of 15-30%. Their hybrid system is gear towards fleet cars, where the overall mileage savings will add up over time. The initial offering will only be for the following cars:
2006-2011 Lincoln Town Car
2006-2011 Ford Crown Victoria
2006-2011 Mercury Grand Marquis
So police and taxi service is the target market at the moment. No word on pricing yet, but one can be reserved for $99 at their site.
I would like to apply this to my 35 mpg car now, and get Prius like 45 mpg. And what if they use a 30, 40, or 50 HP electric motor?
Eavesdropper