A Look At The Poulson Hybrid

The Poulson hybrid system on a Honda Civic.








Ever heard of the Poulson hybrid? It is a different animal, to be sure, but it allows vehicles to run on battery electric power and achieve much greater fuel economy.

In a nutshell, here's how it works:

- an external wheel motor is attached to the two wheels of a car that are not driven by the combustion engine.
- a lever arm is attached from the motor to the frame of the vehicle allowing the motor to turn the wheel.
- a battery pack is placed in the trunk with an outlet so that the user can easily recharge.
- a toggle switch is placed by the driver so that he can turn the system on and off and the motor controller is programmed for torque control.
- a relay is added to the brake system so that a light application of the brakes turns the wheel motors into generators thus giving the battery pack a little charge.

That's it! A really simple solution for making any vehicle a plug in hybrid electric vehicle. A couple of downsides are that the torque bar that is attached to the frame is relatively unsightly and the motors are not controlled by the accelerator pedal. If the system could be controlled by the pedal, then it would be perfect for in town driving. Nonetheless, when the vehicle is driving at cruising speed, the Poulson system can greatly improve fuel efficiency.

The Poulson website: