With $200, a full machine shop and some mechanical savvy, you can now build your very own XR3 plug-in electric vehicle. Robert Q. Riley Enterprises, a product design firm in Glendale, Ariz., is selling plans for its three-wheeled, two passenger diesel-electric hybrid — the XR3 — to do-it-youselfers. Licensed as a motorcycle in most states, the XR3 uses a diesel engine to power the front two wheels and an electric motor to power the rear wheel, and can reach highway speeds. For $200, you get the 149-page construction manual and a CD stock full of CAD templates. At the high end, the company estimates construction of the vehicle will cost over $25,000, which includes a $9,000 lithium-ion battery pack.
The car can toggle between power sources with a simple flip of a switch. The company claims that in diesel-only mode, the car gets 125 mpg, and with its 3-gallon tank can go over 300 miles on a fill. In all-electric mode, the li-ion battery pack can provide a range of 40 miles, while the hybrid option provides a fuel efficiency equivalent of 225 mpg. But DIYers can choose to scale up the vehicle’s power systems. With a bigger fuel tank the XR3 can get a 1,000 mile diesel-only range, whereas by adding more batteries the car can get over 100 miles per charge, the company says. It’s all up to the builder.
The diesel and electric systems aren’t integrated through a computer like most hybrids. Instead, there’s a simple throttle integrator, so that once in hybrid mode, the electric motor only kicks in to help when you’re accelerating quickly. “Think of it like the passing gear in an automatic transmission,” founder Robert Riley tells us of the electric motor. “The idea is to avoid running on electric power but save it for high acceleration needs.”
The company has just finished filling some 2,500 back orders for these plans. According to Riley, the company has gotten interest from bigger players including ZAP, an electric car maker that makes a similar three-wheeled vehicle. Riley serves on the advisory board for Mattruck, a startup that plans to import the all-electric SARGE Truck from China next year. He hopes to be able to connect with Mattruck’s Chinese manufacturers to make XR3 kits.
If you’re not such a DIYer but want to add a plug to your Prius, check out list of installers who will retrofit your hybrid car for you.


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