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THE PROJECT
The Dixie Hybrid bio-diesel vehicle has been created as a joint venture between the Area 30 Career Center in Greencastle and the Research and Development Department at Dixie Chopper in Coatesville.
The unique project is sponsored by Dixie Chopper, the York Automotive Family, Duke Energy, Co-Alliance, CountryMark Co-op in Indianapolis, Lucas Oil, Citizens Bank of Mooresville, Battery X-press in Yorktown and Putnamville Collision. The project was completed for $30,000 from those sponsors.
The project was started and completed during one semester of the school year at Area 30, which has students from Greencastle, Cloverdale, South Putnam, North Putnam, Owen Valley and Eminence high schools.
THE VEHICLE
While major manufacturers spend millions of dollars and years of research to prototype a vehicle, the Dixie Hybrid Bio-diesel EV was prototyped for $30,000 and installed in a Dodge Neon by high school students under the guidance of teacher Bob Williams with special assistance from the Dixie Chopper R&D crew. It is an option in the here and now, not 10 to 20 years down the road.
The Dixie Hybrid is different from the present crop of vehicle hybrids in that it is a “series hybrid,” operating much like a locomotive. The diesel engine only runs the generator to power the electric traction motor and assist the 14 AGM deep-cycle batteries. A parallel hybrid, such as those sold by Toyota and Honda, has both a gasoline engine and electric motor attached to a single transmission which moves the vehicle.
The series hybrid is the most simple and cost-effective way to build a hybrid vehicle. The Dixie Hybrid is a bio-diesel EV and runs on 100 percent soymethylester (a renewable fuel) and can achieve approximately 50-65 mpg with a top speed of approximately 70 mph. Obviously it is a step in the right direction toward reducing America’s dependency on foreign oil.
Soymethylester is one of the cleanest fuels on the market It is available locally from Co-Alliance.
Currently, the Dixie Hybrid is just an attention-getter. However, if the interest is there, it could be produced (perhaps even locally) by using a compact vehicle - less motor and transmission - and installing the Dixie Hybrid System.
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