Jim@HiTek wrote:
I sort of disagree...electric propulsion for an RV IS feasible. I worked at Hyster for a decade designing and operating wire guided electric forklifts. We had forklifts that would work 8 hours long, weighing in at 33,000 lbs, and operating on battery only. (Though the top speed was limited). HP in the 200-250 range. Using a GE EV-1 speed controller for efficiency.
So with that background, I've often thought it would be pretty easy to remove the diesel engine and tranni, add a forklift battery pack and diesel generator, and 250 HP DC motor, and using the EV-1, head on down the road.
I'd love to work on this project. You set it up Futureboy, get us some investors, find a shop in the Mojave desert, and I'm in. A used diesel chassis shouldn't cost much. There's lots of big empty shops around Edwards AFB too.
From a standing start, a 250 HP motor would draw 2600 Amps from a 72 volt battery. Once rolling, it wouldn't need but a 10th of that...260 Amps. Hmmm. Where's my scientific calculator??
BTW, OP, the software to control even a forklift was NOT trivial. Tens of thousands of man hours of development went into the software rich EV-1000 when GE upgraded...we rejected it. It didn't work worth a **** and their software engineers couldn't get it to do what the old EV-1 analog system did easily.
I agree with you on the big picture but not on the details.
Generator plus battery supply will need to have 400 - 600+ HP to keep high end buyers interested. High end buyers are needed to fuel this development. A 360 HP isb might be a good start as it is close to 400 HP, it is a bullet proof low hp diesel, and you shouldn't need too many batteries to provide 400 - 600+ hp on demand for hills and accelerating.
The cost reduction of getting rid of an engine or generator plus the ultimate dry camping battery supply should keep costs down so the premium is justifiable.
If the diesel is in the rear and the electric motor is in front of the drive wheels you could get a longer more stable wheel base high end buyers would be drawn to. Electric motor should not require servicing regularity the diesel will require so the location is not as significant.
