Full Hybrid to PHEV upgrade?

[jazclrint]

Hello everyone. Long time no lurky.

So the wife is very smitten with our Chevy Bolt and the money we are saving. Like $160/month in gas, roughly. She also desperately wants an RV trailer. We can't tow one of those with our Minivan, as much as it has served us so well as a road tripper with all the kids. We thought we had settled on an F-150 because of the rear legroom. But, somehow I stumbled on the 2009-2013 Silverado/Sierra Hybrids. So now it's F-what?

As it is it's fine and will do the trick really well. She commutes here in town which it will spend 90% or more of its time, and the big 6.0L is more than enough for towing when we will do that. Buuut I'd like to convert it to a plug-in and add a second pack in the bed. The Payload is over 1300lbs, and towing is set at 6000lbs +/- 100lbs for 2X vs. 4X. So that leaves 700lbs of payload to play with after you subtract kids, gear, supplies, and bicycles. It has a 1.9kWhr MiMH pack in it. It has 2 60kW motors in the transmission, but the pack can only output 35kW, so that's all the boost it'll give. It only goes up to 30mph in EV mode. I'd like to get it over 45mph. I feel that if I can manage that she has a shot at a round trip to work and back on all-electric. Also, I want to put in a 32A level 2 charger. I could just put in a 16A, but my wife is a bus driver and is home for a couple of hours for lunch. That's enough time to top the pack off for sure with a more powerful charger.

I have looked into making the motor more efficient, but this truck already gets the most fuel-efficient 6.0L Vortec GM made. So, I feel that's the wrong tree to bark up for better fuel mileage.

I have scoured the internet and found no information on converting one of these GM's to a PHEV. And there's nothing up to date on converting full hybrids to plug-in either. It looks like that market never took off.

Ideas, thoughts, links to forums or websites or people that could help, or finally talk me out of it? Before we get one I'd like to have a realistic idea of how much I'd need to spend. That usually kills my flights of fancy faster than anything.

Lastly, the cool thing about this project idea is that the truck will do the job just fine while I build a pack in the garage. So honestly I could take my time.

[Warren]

Another option;

https://youtu.be/LZl6WlHuPF8

https://youtu.be/f435VMSNclo

[jazclrint]

That's pretty cool. My only thing is I am satisfied with how the truck will act when towing. Both electric motors will kick in when the power is needed. Before ending up in the GM hybrid trucks this 6.0L Vortex was an HD motor, so it'll tow just fine. I am much more concerned with everyday commuter range and mpg. But it does make me feel like just adding a second battery pack might not required reprogramming the controller, if that is even possible.

Really, we haven't bought a truck yet, so I'm just arm chair engineering at this point.

[jazclrint]

Battery pack: given that I will not have the size constraint of a motorcycle, I am thinking of adding a 7kWhr-ish pack running at 300V with is own BMS. The stock pack has it's own BMS and is about 1.9kwhrs at 300V. It also can only output 35kWhrs, where the motors are rated at 60kW each, and there are 2 of them. They are housed in the transmission itself. I might have to upgrade the transmission cooler if I manage to start sending more power to the motors.

Anyway, what is a good budget build for a pack that size? And a BMS that can control output and input?

I'd like to add a used 32A or 40A charger so my wife can charge at home on her lunch break. Any ideas? Better yet, how do I get the truck to not move while charging, so me or my wife don't drive off with the charging cable still on plugged.

Any ideas?