Electric motors make full torque from zero rpm, so cars that are converted
from gas/diesel to pure electric usually keep the manual trans the car
originally had.

I asked someone with a converted Fiero one time about that..
they said 'we just leave it in 3rd gear' ..
and ....
Pual G is the EV guru here, but I beleive they just reverse polarity via the
controller to go in reverse.

converting a IC engine car to EV ..
is kinda a 'lashup' anyway.
For one thing ....you're adding a thousand piunds or so  in batteries
...which is a huge new load for the suspension and brakes to handle ...
Like, e any originally IC car will be at a disadvantage compared to
something designed and built from the ground up as an EV.

there is one  EV Vanagon already I believe.
problaby more than one would be my guess.

there is one car ...forget what it is .........might be a Porshe 924
conveted to pure EV ..
for longer trips the guy built a 'pusher trailer' ....
He took the front end of a disel Rabbit ...
and built that into a powered trailer to tow behind his EV car.
Then ..when he needs more range or more power ..
he fires up the diesel engine in the rabbit-based pusher trailer , in flight
too...
Makes a nice range extending and power boosting pusher trailer.  Pretty
clever I thought.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Angus Gordon" <birdworks@GMAIL.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Friday, December 10, 2010 5:28 PM
Subject: Re: 1977 VW van hybrid

> Thanks for the link Alistair, looks like VW was too far ahead of their
> time!
>
> While EV conversions might be best served by light, aerodynamic vehicles
> as
> Paul suggested, I would argue that there's plenty of application for a
> hybrid vehicle such as this, even with 10 or 15 miles of electric range.
> Especially with 7 seats and room for groceries.
>
> What kind of RPM are EV motors happiest at? Would the idea of powering a
> syncro transaxle through the output shaft be practical from a gearing
> standpoint? I'm thinking it'd be like being in 3.5 gear all the time, is
> that correct? Inquiring minds want to know (eying the spare syncro trans
> in
> my garage).
>
> Angus
>
> Angus Gordon
> Bainbridge Island WA
>
> www.wordless.me
>
>
>
> On Thu, Dec 9, 2010 at 9:42 AM, Alistair Bell <albell@shaw.ca> wrote:
>
>> http://tinyurl.com/22n6x46
>>
>>
>> the input nose cone on the transmission reminds me of the PTO nose
>> cone option for the syncro trans.
>>
>>
>> alistair
>>