Robert Q. Riley has finished designing and building his XR3 diesel hybrid prototype and now says, "Its your turn!". Yes, with a few simple tools and plans purchased from Mr. Riley, you too can (eventually) cruise the highways in your very own XR3. Engineered to travel 40 miles with lithium ion batteries powering the back wheel before switching on the Kubota diesel engine that power the fronts, the XR3 is said by its maker to get 225 mpg. The beauty of a DIY project like this is that you can do a lot of tweaking. That diesel motor could just as easily be made to run on WVO or some other biofuel. Of course, you could forgo the combustion engine (and tractor sound) altogether and add more batteries. Likewise, you can save a big chunk of the initial cost and only install the diesel.

If the thought of doing all that fiberglass work and metal fabrication seems a little daunting for your mechanical skill level, we have good news for you. During a recent interview on EVcast, the designer/engineer let slip that RQR Enterprises is now working with a kit car company to supply the some of the more difficult bits to save you time and a lot of swearing effort. Of course, you'll still have to add lots of parts yourself but if it came completely assembled you'd miss out on that extra bit of pride that comes from completing a project of this type. Mr. Riley estimates it may cost upwards of $25,000 to build the whole kit and kaboodle on your own. Hit the jump for video of the XR3 on the streets.





[Source: Robert Q. Riley Enterprises]

Here's an update for all of you who read AutoblogGreen with grease-covered hands: the plans for the XR-3, the hybrid (or PHEV) kit car from Robert Q. Riley, are now available. For just $170, you could receive:

15 or more D-size (24 x 36 inch) drawing sheets and a construction/technical manual of approximately 120-150 pages with approximately 150 photos and illustrations.
The XR-3 Deluxe Plans Package is priced at $200. The Deluxe version includes everything from the Standard version plus a CD-ROM and DVD. The CD-ROM will include electronic 2D CAD files (SolidWorks e-Drawing files and dxf files), 3D models in SolidWorks e-Drawing formats, links to free viewers, and a construction manual set up to run in a web browser with click-to-enlarge color photos, video clips, iges files for CNC machining, and more. The DVD will have 1 to 1-1/2 hours of video of the vehicle being built.

Sound like fun? You can get a better idea of what could be in your future by seeing (on Windows only) how the Front Wheel and Knuckle Assembly model comes together. The XR-3, as you can see above and in the gallery below, is a three-wheeled vehicle. Riley's website says the builder has great flexibility in choosing the powertrain, but the prototype's front wheels are powered by an ICE while the one back wheel is electric. According to Riley:

Proper phase-in between the two power systems is handled by a simple throttle mechanism, and a dash-mounted switch to select between ICE power, electric power, and dual power modes. In the dual power mode, the XR-3 will have lots of burst power for outstanding acceleration. If you were to use this acceleration potential to its fullest, fuel economy would be reduced to something on the order of 150 mpg over a 70 mile trip. Fuel economy will vary according the particular components chosen for the power system, and how heavy you are on the throttle pedal.

Think you've got what it takes to build-your-own? There's nothing to stop you now.

[Source: XR-3 Hybrid website via Jalopnik]

I just happened to be taking a trip to Phoenix this week, so I went ahead and called up Robert Riley, the man behind the XR3 hybrid three-wheeled vehicle and, previously, the Tri Magnum. I was going to head over there and take a look at the progress, but unfortunately, the timing wasn't quite right. The body and the chassis are separated as of the moment, and the drivetrain is apart for refinement.

But, I do have one piece of news to share with our readers. The vehicle will definitely be sold in kit form, along with plans to build one for yourself. There is a good possibility that complete vehicles will be available as well, being that the hard work will have already been done getting the kits ready for sale. Bolting it together after that is the easy part.

I have had a few questions that I'll take a moment to answer here. The car is currently not equipped with air conditioning, although it could be added if the plans for the vehicle were bought and modified slightly. Robert mentioned that there is a possibility that there will be an alternative plan available for version with a lengthened front end which would allow space for the condenser, plumbing and the like. Plans can also be modified to produce a vehicle with no canopy, so if you like the "wind in the hair" feeling and have the climate for that, good for you. Any other questions? Feel free to ask, and check out the official site here.

Related:

• Robert Q. Riley Enterprises is set to introduce their new XR3 hybrid 3-wheeler in June
• Technical details of the XR3 learned during our visit to Robert Q. Riley Enterprises
• In-progress pictures of a diesel\electric plug-in XR3 hybrid from Robert Q. Riley

[Source: Robert Riley]

You've gotta hand it to Mike Corbin. Mike started building comfortable seats for himself and his friends, and successfully started a business out of his hobby. Not just any business, either. Corbin is one of the leading aftermarket makers for custom cycle seats, luggage and more. But, Mike has more hobbies than just that one, he is also interested in making small vehicles which are fuel efficient and environmentally friendly. His first commercial vehicle along these lines is probably familiar to many of our readers, the Corbin Sparrow. After a little while, the Sparrow operation was picked up by Myers Motors, which you have also seen here at AutoblogGreen. The vehicle that Myers sells is known as the NmG, for No more Gas, as it is completely electric.

Corbin is now set to introduce the Corbin Raven. The Raven is based upon the same principle as the Sparrow, that many Americans do not need the very large automobiles that are currently their only choices. Except this time, the vehicle is not electric, but uses a small three-cylinder gasoline engine. Corbin projects that the vehicle should get better than 100 miles per gallon and should sell for less than $12,000.

Other vehicles such as this one are currently under development as well. One that immediately comes to my mind is the XR3 from Robert Q. Riley. This one is familiar to me, as I have seen it in its early development stage. Read more about it here.

I am rather excited about the possibilities that vehicles like these could bring. For less than half the cost of the average car that most people buy, a consumer can use less than half the gas, or even none at all, depending on the maker of the vehicle. If the cars are capable on the highway, like they should be, will a market develop for them? I hope so.

Related to the Sparrow:

• Maryland woman reports on life with her Corbin Sparrow electric car
• One-person electric cars offer yet another transportation option
• Alt Car Expo: Brad Hirsch says the Qui Moto not likely to be Myers Motors next car

And the XR3:

• Robert Q. Riley Enterprises is set to introduce their new XR3 hybrid 3-wheeler in June
• Technical details of the XR3 learned during our visit to Robert Q. Riley Enterprises

[Source: Corbin via Straightline]

Are you intrigued by the Can-Am Spyder, a three-wheeled motorcycle/automobile/snowmobile/ATV/trike crossover? If so, be sure to check out our past coverage of this genre-bender, and follow this link over to Rider Magazine where you can read their ride report of the new model. As a refresher for those of us who have been following the vehicle since we first heard about it, over 100 horsepower with good tourque from a rotax V-Twin engine in a lightweight package should make for serious fun. And, the built-in safety features such as ABS, traction control and stability control work to keep all three wheels on the ground.

If you like the idea of traveling on three wheels, but are not convinced that this is the machine for you, or if you cannot imagine not having a roof over your head, consider the impending XR3 hybrid model from Robert Q. Riley enterprises. I have seen this vehicle first-hand and can say that it will indeed hit the market, probably this year. You can have a Can-Am Spyder for for just under $15 grand, so start saving now if you are interested in getting one. And, if you do, make sure to share your experiences with the rest of us here!

[Source: Rider Magazine]

I have a brief update from Robert at Robert Q. Riley Enterprises about the status of the XR3 diesel\electric hybrid prototype. I can also share with you a few pictures of an XR3 body under construction. The process of creating a body from scratch requires building up a foam core that is larger than the desired end shape and then cutting and sanding it down to the correct size and shape. After this is complete, the fiberglass cloth is layered over the foam plug and the resin is applied over the cloth. Next, the foam core can be reduced to the proper size and another layer of fiberglass can be added on the inside, creating a foam\fiberglass sandwich. The end result is a rather strong outer shell which will never rust. Alternatively, molds can be taken off a completed body to allow other bodies to be created with the exact same specifications.

As you can see from the pictures below, the final shape is starting to show up on this work-in-progress. The right side is nearly molded to the desired shape, and the left is being built up. Robert shared with me that he is in talks with a fiberglass company to get molds created to duplicate the finished shape of this body. Under this foam composite sits the backbone frame, which I have seen, awaiting the VW transaxle and three-cylinder diesel engine at the front and electric motor at the rear. A custom windshield will be added at the front of the body shell after the fiberglass work is complete. Again, we hope to keep our readers updated as work on this prototype continues. If anybody has any specific questions, I can forward them to Robert if I don't already have the answer.

Related:

• Technical details of the XR3 learned during our visit to Robert Q. Riley Enterprises
• Robert Q. Riley Enterprises is set to introduce their new XR3 hybrid 3-wheeler in June
• Forbes weighs in with their take on "Green Cars of the Future"

[Source: Robert Q. Riley]

I thought I would share this article that I read that outlines some of the green and alternative vehicles that we have highlighted here on ABG. They speak of the Tesla, Riley XR3, Venturi and the Chevy Volt. Additionally, they weigh in on the debate of hydrogen's use in automobiles. They also offer a photo gallery, so check it out here.

[Source: Forbes]

We showed you the press release from Robert Q. Riley Enterprises announcing the impending launch of the XR3 diesel electric hybrid a few days ago. Now, we would like to share with you some technical details that we learned while we made a visit recently.

The diesel engine, mounted at the front of the vehicle, is from Kubota and is a three-cylinder 23 horsepower model. The engine is certified for B20 use, and almost certainly will run fine on B100. The engine is mated to a four-speed manual transaxle, sourced from VW. Yes, the venerable Beetle shares its transmission for this application. Custom half-shafts with CV joints connect the transaxle to the front wheels using Chevy hubs, brakes and front end components.

The frame of the machine is a custom backbone, made of steel. A bank of lithium-ion batteries is contained in the center of the frame, and another set of batteries lies at the front of the vehicle on either side of the engine. An 8" electric motor sourced from ADC connects to a jackshaft and on to the rear wheel via belt drive. There is no provision for regenerative braking.

Read more after the jump.

[Source: Robert Q. Riley]