A Hybrid Car With Detachable Engine Proposed

thecarchik writes "The SCI hyMod five-door minicar concept is the brainchild of a Romanian team made up of an engineer, a designer, and an automotive journalist. It uses what its designers call a 'dedicated logistics center' for the transformation from electric to gas-powered, in which the back end of the car containing a battery pack is removed, and replaced with one containing a gasoline engine module that drives the rear wheels. In normal urban use, the battery pack powers an electric motor that drives the front wheels. The hyMod combines elements of range-extended electric cars like the Fisker Karma and the Volt, plus a tiny, compact range extender, and perhaps even the Better Place automated battery-pack swap station."

Too much hassle.

[couchslug]

Swapping would still be less convenient than carrying a generator, and without the generator range would be severely limited.

This is an overly complex solution to a simple problem. Until batteries improve, drive a PHEV.