Any ideas or specs on how much torque it adds in ft/lbs to the engine power?

Interesting concept. Curious how much it would actually help a stock 2.1L
vanagons times. 0-60 and maintaining ft/lb of torque on hills would be
interesting % to see.

They do not offer any specs that I could find on the website.

It would be pretty maint free once installed. vs. other options. like turbo
etc.

Could also possibly move the vehicle in a pinch I suppose if needed to get
it off the roadway in the event of the fuel / electrical probs.

Doug

----- Original Message -----
From: "David Bohannan" <fjazzbass@GMAIL.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Wednesday, September 28, 2005 5:46 PM
Subject: Re: And now for something Completely Different

Here, look at this:

http://peswiki.com/index.php/Directory:Electrocharger

May be promising? I dunno, haven't had the time to think about it yet...

Dave

On 9/28/05, David Bohannan <fjazzbass@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> My brother had pointed me to a link for a supercharger that replaced your
> alternator...it was basically an electric assist motor that bolted in
place
> of the alternator...
>
> As soon as I find the link I will send it out...some school had been
> researching it and they said it would be available some time 05...
>
> In essence they said you would see like 25% gain in gas mileage....
>
> Dave
>
> On 9/28/05, Edward Maglott <emaglott@buncombe.main.nc.us> wrote:
> >
> > I bet you could homebrew something like this. Motor/generator to drive
> > the
> > front wheels with some kind of clutch to disengage it when it is not in
> > use. Maybe a simple driver actuated control that would put power to it
> > when you wanted to use it to move the van. And some kind of actuator on
> > the brake pedal that would engage it in regenerative braking mode as you
> > slow down. There would have to be some kind of safety that would
> > disengage
> > it under hard braking so it doesn't throw off the brake bias. Probably a
> > pretty simple computer program could take over the application of power
> > to
> > the electric motor based on gas pedal depression, battery charge level,
> > etc. Hmmm, this might work better in an auto trans van. Actually
> > starting
> > and stopping the gas engine would add more complexity, and now the auto
> > trans doesn't seem as good since the engine has to be spinning its input
> >
> > shaft while the vehicle is in motion. Ok, leave the gas engine running,
> > the electric motor will still help you out and recapture the energy
> > wasted
> > by braking. There is room under the van between the frame rails for some
> >
> > batteries.
> >
> > Edward
> >
> > At 05:58 PM 9/28/2005, you wrote:
> > >I have been following the discussions on Fuel Economy, and Diesel
> > engines,
> > >and all the other ways to save $ and Fuel. I am wondering what else can
> > be
> > >done on a stock Vanagon. I drive a 86 GL myself.
> > >I was wondering how hard it would be to hybridize a vanagon. Add a
> > little
> > >helper motor/generator like in an honda insight? Could you take a
> > synchro,
> > >and put the motor/generator up front? What other Ideas could be done?
> > >
> > >Just puting my .02 out there.
> > >
> > >Matt
> > >
> > >
> > >--
> > >Any opinions stated here are my own, otherwise someone else would have
> > >said them.
> >
>
>