Quote:
Originally Posted by KLP
My second idea is to install a larger engine in a very light weight car and run a very high gear and final drive ratio to run the engine basically at almost idle at highway speeds? Any thoughts, ideas, suggestions??? Thanks
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If you are doing that, a better idea would be to install a small engine, but still run a high gear and final drive ratio to run the engine nearly at idle
. The bigger the engine, the more wasteful it is (for many reasons, such as that if there is a bigger compressed volume in the cylinder at idle... then you need to add more fuel to that even at idle. A 3-cylinder geo metro / suzuki swift / pontiac firefly? engine is ideal - only 3 cylinders so less mechanical drag, and the engine is small.
If you are going to build a whole new car, the way to go would be to get a geo metro / suzuki swift 1.0 manual, and get a spare 1.0 manual gearbox from a breakers yard. Get a machine shop / engineering firm to make a different final drive on the gearbox so that the revs are much lower, and fit that gearbox. Then, fit a full undertray, and as many aero mods as you dare.
Later down the line you could then fit an electric motor, but I think a 1.0 metro with modded gearbox and aero mods would be a very good start for hypermiling in the US. Also fitting low rolling-resistance tyres would help a lot.
P.S. If it took 10 horsepower to drive along at 60mph, a 10 horsepower would 'never' reach 60 in theory... a 10.5 horsepower engine would probably take 2-3 minutes to reach 60! (since, once you got to 55, it might be taking 9.7 horsepower for wind resistance... so... from at 55mph you only have 0.8 horsepower from a 10.5 horsepower engine to accelerate with!. For a highway capable car, I wouldn't go below about 25 horsepower in a metro sized car with aero mods.