Do you wish you could turn your current car into a hybrid? Thanks to a researcher and team of students at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU), you may soon be able to do just that for around $3000.
MTSU professor Charles Perry fitted a ’94 Honda station wagon with a prototype of his team’s plug-in kit, which resulted in 50 percent to 100 percent increases in gas mileage. Electric motors were placed in each rear wheel of the car, and a large lithium-ion battery was mounted in the back of the car. As battery technology improves, Perry says the size will be reduced.
MSTU professor and team with the installed wheel-hub motor, plug-in retrofit kit.
As the hybrid-modified car is driven, power from the electric motors adds to the power from the internal combustion engine. Nothing mechanical needs to change in the car. Perry and the student team think the technology has commercial promise, and their next step will be building a manufacturer version. They’re talking with investors now, and plan to do larger field tests to demonstrate the technology’s viability. Check out the video explaining more below.
Images courtesy MTSU