When You Can’t Decide Between Electrical And Jet Power, This Buggy Has You Lined

Technically, what [Macona] constructed with a surplus Solar T-62 turbine just isn’t a dune buggy, however a sand rail, however it does have the delightfully uncommon mixture of electrical and turbine drive that’s completely price wading by means of a 53-page forum thread to learn about.

The turbine got here naked as surplus, however [Marcona] used a pair of Kia/Hyundai HSG water-cooled motor-generators to show it again into one thing very very like the APU it possible began out as. That’s APU as in “Auxiliary Power Unit” on this context, the little generator that retains the lights on when your aircraft is sitting on the tarmac. That went into the kind of body you’d as soon as have put a VW bug engine in — and the 150 HP off the shaft of the turbine beats something you’ll get with Wolfsburg’s little boxer motor, even after losses within the generator and motors. Even higher, the entire meeting, which makes use of the electrical motor from a Mitsubishi Outlander, possible doesn’t weigh any greater than the inner combustion engine and transmission, so no matter you name this little off-roader it ought to maneuver properly. It actually appears to in the demo video embedded beneath.

What it doesn’t do is sip gasoline, the T-62 being rated at 19.3 gallons/hr at full load. Fuel effectivity is unquestionably not the motivation right here. He’s completely not saving cash, particularly not with what jet gasoline prices nowadays. It’s a type of tasks accomplished purely for the enjoyment of it — the place if it’s important to ask why, you’re barking up the improper tree. The car isn’t but avenue authorized, however [Marcona] is engaged on it.

If you do like the concept of this type of collection hybrid drive, Edison Motors of Canada is engaged on bringing it both to semitrucks and heavy trucks, and that is motivated by gasoline financial savings.