Going Green... Good for Jeep Driving?
One of our polls asks the question about alternative-fueled Jeeps, and the 1st choice there mentions an electric vehicle's ability to deliver full torque-- a keystone for off-road vehicles-- at 0 or 1 RPM, basically right from the start. This is due to how electric motors work; for example, here's a quick quote from a currently well-publicized electric car, Tesla:
...100% Torque, 100% of the Time
The Tesla Roadster delivers full availability of performance every moment you are in the car, even while at a stoplight. Its peak torque begins at 0 rpm and stays powerful at 13,000 rpm.
This is the precise opposite of what you experience with a gasoline engine, which has very little torque at a low rpm and only reaches peak torque in a narrow rpm range. [A gas-only engine] forces you to make frequent gear changes to maintain optimal torque. With the Tesla Roadster, you get great acceleration and the highest energy efficiency at the same time. All while requiring no special driving skills to enjoy it. This makes the Tesla Roadster six times as efficient as the best sports cars while producing one-tenth of the pollution...
Would the same benefits of super low torque and fuel-saving, environmentally conscious powered Jeeps improve your off-road driving experience (such as making trails quieter while saving you fuel $), improve the public's acceptance of off-road driving in general, or perhaps impact your off-road driving in another positive or negative way?
Feel free to check out the poll, or add comments below to discuss how something like a hybrid-electric (recharges itself on the road Toyota Prius-style) or battery-only-electric (needs to plug-in Chevy Volt style) Jeep might impact the world of off-road driving, either recreational at Jamborees or even competitive as in rock crawling events. It would also be interesting to hear from any members who have done or considered an electric vehicle conversion of their own Jeeps.
(1 vote)
Electric off-roading
Submitted by awillard69 on Wed, 03/12/2008 - 10:36.
I think it would be a blast to off-road with an electrically powered Jeep. It would make for a quieter trail ride, hearing nature and actually sneaking up on it, instead of the rumble of the pistons announcing your arrival.
But, I don't feel the technology is quite there. One of the major draw backs to the current generations of such setups is the energy storage. The batteries are heavy and cannot operate all day on a charge. Most of the longevity is based on moderate driving with a sleek, efficient (aero, rolling resistance, etc) vehicle - not a ~2 ton rolling brick. What about moisture in the off-road environment, how well would the electrics hold up?
When you run out of gas, someone can bring you some (or you can "borrow" from your buddy courtesy of a rubber hose 
) . When you run out of battery charge, how do you get charged enough to make it out? Maybe we should hold out for some other power-cell solution.
With gas well over $3, maybe there will be more progress in this area.
Green Samurai Part III - Finale
Submitted by reporter on Tue, 04/08/2008 - 15:15.
Xtreme4x4 recently aired an episode on a "green" Suziki mod-- basically running a diesel engine on used or new fryer oil (yes, the kind you cook with 
). This has been done before by daily drivers, but seems like a new thing for off-roading that, according to them, works well (diesel-like torque) and saves cash (free fuel!). Of course it could possibly be adapted for Jeeps, especially with the diesel-engine-dropin being reported by Chrysler.
Green Samurai Part III - Finale
April 05, 2008 (XT2008-03) With the world going “green”, the Xtreme Team is doing their part in the off road community by giving the Suzuki Samurai a veggie oil fuel conversion. That’s right, waste vegetable oil will fuel this killer off road mini-monster with a VW turbo diesel powerplant. Final touches are made including details on converting a diesel burner to run on French fry grease!
Anyone running a diesel Jeep, modified or factory, definitely drop a comment if you have, or are willing, tried bio-fuel in your rig.
How much does it consume?
Submitted by awillard69 on Tue, 04/08/2008 - 15:57.
I'd like to know how far can you go on a few gallons fry oil. More or less than you do with gas or diesel?
If it gets crummy miles per gallon, say less than 10, maybe it doesn't matter if the oil itself is cheap, or even free. But, how many gallons do you have to tote around with you?
Would it work for a short range commuter, like 5-10 miles? Does the heat time for the oil make it impractical for shorter trips? What about winter temps? And if so, what is the lower limit of practicality?
MPG on fry oil
Submitted by admin on Tue, 04/08/2008 - 16:36.
Good questions... I saw the show but don't recall if they actually mentioned MPG, so maybe check their website (see link above) and/or I'll see if they mention it on that episode if I get a chance to re-watch it. FWIW, I'm guessing the MPG on fry oil would be something close, but perhaps a bit less, than Diesel fuel, but that's totally just a semi-intuitive guess. Hey, maybe you can give a shout out to the guys over at Xtreme4x4 for us? 
Send them a link to this entire post and see if they can give us some answers because I'm sure a lot of other wheelers would also like to know... the idea of free, environmentally friendlier (according to Xtreme) fuel is a pretty cool idea if practical.
Xtreme4x4 episode
Submitted by awillard69 on Wed, 04/09/2008 - 08:15.
I snagged it on my MythTV setup, I'll watch it again, but, I don't think they addressed the long term "economy" of the setup. Just that it uses "free" fuel.
I sent them an email contact with a link to this thread. Hopefully, they will respond directly to here. Or at least to me so I can post their response.
Nice going! Can't wait to
Submitted by admin on Wed, 04/09/2008 - 14:41.
Nice going! Can't wait to hear if they get back to you and what might be the project's actual or projected mileage. Then all I might need is that Diesel retrofit for my TJ and I'd be set.
Ditto!
Submitted by awillard69 on Thu, 04/10/2008 - 07:34.
I second that idea!
No reply
Submitted by awillard69 on Wed, 04/16/2008 - 15:05.
Well, it's been a week. They haven't posted any comments here ( that I can see ) nor have they responded to my direct email. I guess we're stuck looking for answers on our own.
No prob, thanks for
Submitted by admin on Fri, 04/25/2008 - 12:47.
No prob, thanks for checking; sometimes those shows are pretty busy with production and/or mail, so maybe they'll get back sometime later... meanwhile I'll post if I see any related news.
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