I wonder how good of gas mileage a hybrid x would get? Do you guys think it would surpase a diesel?

 

then I see no point. Just like the diesel which I didn't buy, it takes a LONG time to make up for the extra cost in gas savings.

In my case, at least 5-7 years

George

 

the advantage of a hybrid system really depends on the type of driving that you do.

The main sources of wasted energy in cars are (very general):
•wind resistance
•braking
•idling while stopped

In around town driving, the hybrids shut off the engine at lights so it doesn't idle and uses regenerative braking to charge the battery instead of heating up the pads while braking

In highway driving, there is little braking or idling (which is where hybrids have the advantage) and the main source of wasted energy in this case (wind resistance) cannot be captured and saved.

So basically, if you use the X mostly on the highway, the hybrid system wont help much... but, (assuming it isnt crazy expensive) in mostly city driving, it might have merits.

What I want to know is why nobody makes diesel-electric hybrids for cars (i know trains have them), because diesels are more efficient that gas motors.

Isaac

 

Diesel/elec hybrids, would seem alot more efficent. Is there any car or truck on the market right now with that combo?

 

If-I-might-digress, the coolest mod to create a hybrid X would be a "real full hybrid". I add the moniker "real" to denote a hybrid more like a locomotive... that is a Diesel connected directly to a generator with wheel mounted electric motors (no transmission, transfer case, etc). From a 4WD standpoint, this would rock. All time 4WD with no annoying features. To get (roughly) 100HP in each wheel, you'll probably need larger wheels (20" maybe? None of you are going to complain too loudly about that).

Then the discussion on the board would be all about how many batteries one would need to store the power of the trailler going down one hill so you could get up the next.

 

It depends on what the cost of the whole thing will be. Would maintenance be increased? Would I lose power? Would I lose some space, clearence, etc, etc. Now, lets talk of the cost of this modification. How much and when will I get payback?

If I cannot get payback in 3 years, counting interest on the money spent for the conversion, you bet I will pass it up.

 

Instead, what if you connected a 6.8L v-10 to the generator Thats more like it for us v-10 guys That way i can keep my v-10 emblems.

 

My 2000 diesel Ex is suffering old age and some of ford's better ideas. (Or the lack of)

Its getting around time to either put some bucks into it or recycle it.

Looking at the taho and yukon hybrids, they look pretty darn good for milage. but ooooooo the cost.. 70k is just too rich for me and i loose the cargo capacity. (less than half)

The suburban looks cool. But the gas milage, lack of diesel option, leaves me feeling pretty blank.

And the few remaining options aren't much better.

So what to do with my aging Ex?

Spend some bux and overhaul it into a hybrid? mmmmaybeeee...?

If I can find a shop that will do the conversion i think i'll have a go at it.

I'm seeing several options ranging from putting a seperate electric motor on the front drive and keep the rear on diesel. Maybe the other way around?

Electric motors on all four wheels.. maybe. Say good by to that diesel option. Though, I don't think i want to be totaly reliant on batteries.

Regenerative braking on an Ex? ohhh yeah.. save those rotors. Ford seriously goofed when they put those pint sized things on. But let me guess.. the vast majority of Ex users will only be soccer moms...

So yeah, i'm going to take a serious look at the posibility.

Zurc.

 

Just bought our EX last week. As far as my wife knows, it is a hybrid. We get great gas mileage and we can even go over 400 miles on one tank of gas.

 

Just so we're all clear, "incentives" and "tax breaks" are euphemisms for "other people's money paying for my stuff".

Mark,

 

If you thought $70k was too rich for your blood for a new Yukon you won't even be in the ballpark trying to convert your Ex into a hybrid. The amount of fabrication necessary to retro-fit a hybrid-electric drivetrain into that chassis is going to be astronomical and if you can't do it yourself and have to pay a specialty shop to do it, you're mind is going to be blown on what they'll charge you. Just to buy the hybrid-electric drivetrain that's big enough for the Excursion is going to cost you $15-$20,000. Remember, they're relatively new on the market and trying to get a cheap one from a Prius isn't going to have what it takes to motivate an Excursion so you can forget about that option.

I have a custom performance shop and we do a LOT of custom work ALL the time, I'm talking about $100,000+ restorations and resto-mods, and I wouldn't attempt this unless I stumbled onto a running but totaled Yukon Hybrid for dirt money and even then I would be happier with a new custom/uprated interior, an engine/tranny rebuild, a new custom tune, some new suspension, a full repaint w/newer LED tail lights and an '05 front end conversion and I'll have $100k left in my pocket!

If you do decide to go down this path I will definitely be subscribing to this thread!

Good luck!

 

Please don't feed the trolls.

BTW, All Excursions are hybrids. They burn both fuel AND air!

It's odd to post in a thread from 5 years ago....

 

This idea is crazy.
You will NEVER even break-even with all the money you have to put into it.
Electric motor(s), batteries, etc....

Another story you will never hear from the tree-huggers is the enormous environmental load on the manufacturing of the batteries for these things.
Look it up on google and you find more.

 

WoW. What a bunch of nay sayers.

I didn't look at how old the thread was, i just searched for ex hybrid conversion and ended up here.

20k will buy 1 tank of fuel per month for about 11 years.

I wouldn't bother to honk the horn at the tree huggers. They are doomed to failure. History says so.

And yeah a restore is a financial adventure.

So maybe your all correct. I should put the ex in the recycler and go buy an electric bike for a couple grand. I can "break even" in a year or so. No insurance, no licence, no fuel. Just a small rise in the hydro bill. The wifes rover will keep us on the road for a few years yet so no worries.

Man!! what a boring thought.

So i wonder how much horse power is needed to get an ex to 30mph using an electric motor?

Zurc.

 

Even if you put a full prius electric drivetrain to each wheel, you're at 220hp total.

Yes, we're nay-sayers. We think you're clearly out of your mind. so prove us wrong. Don't get us wrong, we'd love to be wrong. But with the amount of knowledge here and people that are quite skilled, if it was possible it'd already be done.