The Electric Hubcap^TM is an electric motor add-on accessory to change gas (or diesel, propane...) vehicles into highly efficient plug-in electric hybrids that normally run on batteries recharged by home electricity, turning on the gas engine and putting it in gear only on longer trips when the batteries have run down.

For all its absurdly small size and light weight, this powerful electric motor has the torque to turn the car wheels directly, with no gears or transmission. Someday not so far off, all vehicles will be propelled this way.

The Electric Hubcap^TM has important advantages over any other electric drive system.

First, the old I.C.E. drive system and mechanics are unaffected. The vehicle can run on either electricity or gasoline "as usual" to fulfill all driving needs including long trips, with much less pollution, fossil fuel usage, and cost.

Second, because it is the most efficient type of electric motor with an efficient, low RPM design and because it turns the wheels magnetically with no gears or transmission, it moves the car perhaps 50% more efficiently. Thus it uses only 2/3 the energy. It will also have regenerative braking, which has been estimated to further extend range by up to 20-30% in city driving. Thus, the electricity goes farther, minimizing the battery power required and the impact on the electrical grid should people switch en masse.

The frugally used batteries need only power a typical day's driving, eg 30-50 Km, beyond which the "regular" gas engine is used. (Three or six deep cycle lead-acid batteries total the weight of an extra passenger or two, not half a ton, and will repay their cost with only about six or twelve avoided gas fillups!) If the Turquoise Batteries complete as expected, even the weight and long-term cost of lead-acid batteries will be cut by four-fifths. The "regular" car battery under the hood may become about the size of a couple of coffee mugs.

I plan to put in optional "battery charge while driving" on gasoline, so on an extended highway trip one can alternate between periods of gasoline and electric driving, which I hope will reduce overall gasoline consumption somewhat even beyond plug-in range.

Car wiring changes: The Electric Hubcap system needs to be enabled by the ignition key on "Acc" or "Run" to prevent theft and accidental vehicle movement, and either the turn signals et al must operate with the ignition key on "Acc", or else an additional switch needs to shut the gas engine system off even with the key on "Run". These changes will not affect normal gasoline operation.

For city dwellers who rarely do extended highway travel, a gasoline additive to prevent the gasoline in the tank, fuel line and carburetor or injection system from going "stale" after six or more months may be advisable.

Car pulling away driven by prototype Electric HubcapTM on October 20th 2008, proving the direct drive concept works. Power was insufficient. "Production" version has over double the thrust. Image is from the Movie (BTW: Anybody want to chop the end off this movie and send me the shortened version?)

The Electric Hubcap^TM can turn any old car into an ultra-efficient plug-in electric hybrid needing 1/3 less power, batteries, etc, than typical electric car drives, delivering 50% more vehicle performance per watt or per horsepower. It turns the wheel directly by magnetism: no gears or transmission. A simpler, more efficient, lighter, and more economical way to move a car can scarcely be imagined: From amidst the bewildering array of new ideas in the news - various motors, compressed air engines, water injection, "bio-diesel" and whatever - this is the future of transportation! And, the motor is so simple it can be made at home. Turquoise Energy plans to manufacture various key parts to facilitate this as well as whole kits, and sell them by mail order or through automotive parts distributors.

When doing the motor, I didn't see any good batteries available at economical prices, and so I've been developing some great new battery chemistries, configurations and constructions (and learning a lot of chemistry!)... but I'm still experimenting. Expect exciting batteries, probably makable in a small facility if not at home, in ate 2009 or early 2010.

Workshop courses on making the Electric Hubcap^TM motor, titled Hybridize Your Car and having that goal for each participant are expected to commence in spring 2009. Please contact me for more info. Note that the motors are easy to make, and that Turquoise Energy intends provide complete construction and installation instructions, and have the harder to make parts for sale, on line in the future. If you are so inclined and want to be driving a hybrid, or perhaps want to make your own career hybridizing cars, learning how could pay off!


Carmichael with "production prototype" Electric Hubcap^TM motor's stator. It mounts on a 10.5" disk brake rotor (from a brake shop garbage can!) and the center hub is a standard trailer wheel hub. At center is the optics board of the opto-electronic commutator that times the coil drives to the rotor magnets. The three phase electromagnets (black cylinders) are driven via the three heavy wires, top right. This, plus the axle, magnet rotor (another 10.5" disk brake rotor, with supermagnets glued on), cover and mounting brackets constitute the entire mechanical components of the system!