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This Nissan Leaf Is Hiding A 13,000 RPM Secret
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- Published on Feb 13, 2023 veröffentlicht
- Check out Derek’s Instagram: derekbruceyoung
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Autos & Vehicles
maybe i missed the mention, but the trailer backup camera for watching the stock dash on the bike engine made me laugh with how clever it was. awesome build.
I had this in my notes. Not sure why I forgot to mention it. But yes, he kept it simple by just leaving the bike dash in the back (short wiring harness) and just pointing a cheap camera at it.
Had to go back to see that in the video, that ingenuity is great!
It's not stupid if it works!
Oh for real!! I had to go back to 6:18 cuz i didnt notice that! For me its just awesome solution. Not just convenient, but dope af!!!
I hope he is going to learn from your experience with cornering and will dry sump it before having to replace the engine rather than after. Otherwise looks fantastic. All hail
Fortunately, he kept the deep oil sump instead of shortening it like I did. So it should be fine.
I put in an oil gauge before I went lapping to monitor this and the deep sump seems to have been enough (thankfully!)
@Derek Young Awesome car, Derek! 👌
I think the transverse mounting helps with oil starvation too. Kawi pickups are in the rear iirc
You don't need to make room for the engine to fit under the hood if it's mounted in the rear. So much room for activities!
This type of build is definitely the future of modern Hot Rodding. Currently EV's don't go to smog or inspection. Drive around on EV for every day driving and then turn on the ICE for some AWD fun!
Some new super cars are already doing Hybrid drive systems like this.
I LOVE THIS BUILD!
luckily vehicles over 25 years old also dont go for emissions
What I also like about this build is that it is fitted EV on just the front wheels and ICE on just the back wheels. If one of the systems fails you can still drive around
@S_K also it's a 4x4 technically.
that's how my bicycle is setup, electric motor in the front and pedals on the back, I have so much grip in sketchy paths in the woods, so I imagine it works well on a car too.
@satibel True 4x4 is great for many reasons, but having a clear split is special here and like that specifically too
This is such a neat project. The dial that can control which power unit you’re using or a mix is really cool and must make this much more enjoyable to drive on a more regular occurrence. Seems very well thought out and I really like that a Nissan leaf, an otherwise boring car, was used for something so interesting!
I bout to put a Hayabusa engine in my Chevy Cobalt coupe
This thing is really neat, and there's only one downside I see: it's a small hatchback that weighs the same as an e39 M5, with 100hp and 2 seats (now, anyway) less. That much weight means expensive tires. Still, it's the coolest affordable hybrid in history. It's completely unique and I bet it's a wild sensation to drive. Much respect Derek!
I'm looking into a "1290 Super Duke engine in a Miata" idea because that L-twin is dry sump from the factory (and the TORQUE). Someone talk me out of it.
Nobody talks him out of this, we need to see it happen
Definitely make a video out of it. We'll be cheering for you
It's a KTM, isn't it? So, an European engine, you're going to have a fun time than a long time...
@Calvin Nyala the ktm 1290 platform is a pretty solid engine
If a manufacturer or engineering could do this and still keep a backseat plus some modest cargo space, I would buy it in a second. The combo of EV when wanted + crazy fun engine is unbeatable.
Can you imagine having the whole engine as a modular box you just plug into the back when you want it?
"More wrecklessly stupid than sportbike riders" 🤣😂🤣 That line seriously got me really good. Epic work on your videos as always 🔥🔥🔥
This is honestly the coolest car I have seen. As an engineer, this hits home on so many different levels.
Excellent Matt - not only a great project, but one that uses very few new resources - so extra crispy green too... 😃 Algorithm thingied... 👍
What an awesome project idea! Thanks for sharing this with us. Man that last clip of it screaming down the track is hypnotic!
As an EV enthusiast (and driver): this is seriously cool 😁👍
It would surely be cool if this could be done to all the old (10 yr old) EVs that are going to the junkyard...
@Rexor the leaf is a bit of an outlier with it's shitty battery cooling
it is amusing how most petrol heads pretend that all old EVs will be dropping dead in 10 years....
due to the longevity of the leaf's, crappy air cooled battery pack...
@Matt sure but i doubt all the new EVs will last for 20+ years like most gas cars just because of the cost of that huge battery pack , that's IF they even continue making these tailormade battery packs for each car. I think this EV car thing is BS and not environmentally friendly in the LONG term.
@Rexor I'm not sure I'm following your logic.
That is a conversion I had never thought of. It is amazing how the two powerplants can work together.
spice is boost, space is the future
I always thought something like this would be great for a small car! Especially if you can use front wheel, drive, electric rear wheel, drive engine and use the front wheel drive to region boost, as well as to give you a boost on takeoff
This is such an amazing car! Great job on the video!
Thanks for joining us on the moto-powered adventure!
Once the idea infects the mind, the question becomes, "Why not?".
I really like the dial it in power spliter.
That thing is awesome. Thank you Matt for showing us, and Derek for building it! :)
I concur with the many that have said that this is definitely the future of modern hot rodding. Great build.
Thanks for bringing it to us Matt.
All hail the algorithm.
Matt, what a fantastic video! I have never had much interest in a Leaf, and the idea of adding a powerful motorcycle engine to one sounds wonky at first blush - but you did an excellent job of showing what a straightforward modification this can be, and what a fun and in some ways practical specialty car it can produce!
I thought you were the only wizard Matt, but it seems there are more, working studiously in hidden garages, ready to transform the possibility of a grey, non-fun, EV-only future into a bright, shiny, kick-ass, screaming one, full of total-fun hybrids 😁. Well done Derek 👏👏👏. Love it! And thanks Matt for publicizing 👉👉👉. I bet future Matt has been waiting a long time for this. 😎
Seems awesome, I hope a couple cars like this hit the market. Not sure how manufacturers would handle the usability problem though
Great video. Like the part where you explain the logic behind making such convertions. And the part where you use the parts that exsist and fit rather than custom build for 10x the price
I love this. I had a Range Extended i3 and it was a great mix although I wondered what it would have been like if the scooter motor could do some of the lifting. Now I know!
turbocharging would help!
Thanks for the video.
That Leaf is insane and I love it. Take a Leaf which is a on the interesting scale 1 out of 10 drop in a ICE engine that sounds amazing and new Leaf goes to 10 out of 10. Sounds amazing driveling is way more fun and exciting.
We need more insane and crazy cars in the world current cars are boring.
Thank you Leaf modder for bring us something insane and exciting.
First time watching your videos, and throughly enjoyed it!
Crazy project, smartly written script, well delivered.
Looking fwd to watching more.
I've thought about doing the reverse - take a FWD manual car and put a diff and electric motor on the rear. The Toyota Matrix/Pontiac Vibe is a good candidate because they can be flat towed with the FWD manual configuration, and an AWD model is available, so the rear suspension and diff are bolt-on parts. Bonus if you get the 6 speed Vibe GT/Matrix XRS. The Prius/Rav4/Sienna rear motor/diff may even be an option.
Another option is taking a RWD pickup and putting a front diff out of a 4WD with an electric motor. Just has to be a flat-towable transmission.
My pick for this is a 2nd gen Probe GT.
ive always fantasized about adding a ''stealth mode'' to a car which would just be a small range EV motor so i could leave the house quietly and return. so its actually amazing too see someone has done it and has the best of both worlds very cool
Amazing! i would'nt be surprised if more people decide to do something like this soon.
9:30 First thing that comes to mind is the Honda CRZ. It had a gas motor, an electric motor to help along and even was a manual. But the powertrain was to weak for how it looked, the tiny 1.5 engine and only 14HP electric boost didnt do much...
I thought about a conversion like this but this guy just did it :)
actually love the idea, hoping it can recharge itself if the engine is running !
This car is beautifully maintained. Even the brake fluid is super clean. Much respect to the owner. Well done revelations team once again
I would never usually click a Nissan leaf video...unless it's from superfastmatt!
I want a build like this. That's an amazing idea. Use an EV powertrain to make a bike engine feasible.
On your recommendation I made my first order from Send Cut Send, a simple process and a lot easier than carving 3/16" stainless with an angle grinder.
I wonder if updating the lead battery to something 1/4 the weight and same capacity would be a massive performance improvement.
Honestly i love this so much, out of all the weird cars on this channel, i think this is the one that i would enjoy owning the most
That is absolutely brilliant. I love that sort of ingenuity.
I hope Derek has Complete Control of this car when he drives it 😏
But seriously why tf hadn't I followed him years ago when starting to watch Battlebots 🤔
You can actually see the robot hanging on the wall of my garage @5:59
The last scene of a Leaf emitting a high rev motorcycle sound made me smile and laugh like a child! What a brilliant contraption!
Leaf also has really nice weight balance (exactly 50/50 if im correct?) So it inherantly is quite dynamic to push in corners. Not fast, but fun.
Stock is 56/44, pretty good for a front driver. The car is now 51.5/48.5. The CG isn't quite as low as the stock car as the moto engine is pretty high, but with 600lbs of battery near the ground, it still feels great!
Awesome! Nice build, it's cool to see the ev being a base, I thought this was going to be a battery strip and you'll be left with a light car otherwise, but this is an amazing concept to keep the modern creature comforts but the auxiliary power.
Question though: how is the leaf recharging while the bike is running, is it just the regen braking?
Yes, regen through the road during low throttle events keeps the battery charged.
I'm impressed, that's a really great project car. This would be the perfect daily driver. Such a car would be a good fit for me... if it was a Miata.
I absolutely love this. Never would have thought of it but now I want one.
A nice quiet cabin with modern tech and decent sound isolation, no worry about crusty several decades old seals, modern handling and the brake upgrade up front just bolting in is the cherry on top.
Matt overstated the comfort levels, sound wise. Even in EV mode the chain makes a good bit of noise. There is however, a heated steering wheel.
@Derek Young I love that you're responding to the comments here, I hope you end up making a detailed walkthrough on your channel. Even without editing it would still be fascinating.
In regards to comfort, I guess it's important to keep things in perspective. It's never going to be silent, but compared to the S600 it's an S-class :P
I think a collab would be pretty darn epic - make it happens gents!!
Straight to the point, all packed in a 10 min video. You have a like and subscribe from me!
Good coverage of a very interesting project! I'd like to see a little more of that parallel shift linkage.
Coolest build I've seen in a long time. Imagine if you had a more powerful electric motor in the front it would be a monster if you could keep weight down.
I'm working on getting my hands on a Leaf Plus inverter. The Leaf hacking scene reports seeing 150kW (up from 80kW) from the stock motor, even with the stock 24kWh battery. Total system HP will go from 280 to 370, which should be fun! Weight is another challenge...
This is one of the coolest and sickest cars I've ever seen (not talking bout looks NISSAN!) Superb job Derek!
Very cool with the side ducts for the air intake and layout. However the exposed chain and sprocket at the bottom made me wonder why there wasn't an aluminum splash shield to protect from the elements.
It’s a motorcycle engine. They are always exposed to the elements.
This is brilliant! the bottle of oil on the passenger side is priceless :)
Has to be one of the coolest car builds I have seen online. I wonder what it runs 0-60, 1/8th mile and 1/4 mile. I know it's more track focused but curious.
Thank you! It's hard to launch but 5-60 is ~5.5s. haven't been to the strip yet. I took it to the track to test it at the limits but really it's a back road car.
I think the idea of a motorcycle engine in a car is fantastic. I have always been a huge Metropolitan Nash fan, and that's the first thing that comes to mind. That's the answer for these cars with a super small engine bay, or electric, (hint). Your next project Mr. Matt, if you decide to accept it, is to put a Hayabusa motorcycle engine in a Metropolitan Nash, or make it electric. The state department will disavow any knowledge or involvement in your mission, if discovered. Good luck Matt.
Yesssss! A Metro.
That is so freaking cool. I spend way too much time dreaming of ways to hybridise ICE cars… never considered doing it around the other way ;-)
Any plans to make an electronic control module to synchronize all this automatically?
I think a side channel of "how it's built" featuring other similarly innovative builds would be gold. Algorithm Gold.
I have seen that leaf in person, it's a masterpiece.
I would love that engine in my Honda Odyssey. Slowly running all the way to the top of the rev counter and then going in the next gear. The length of van will allow you to muffle it down as much as possible while also putting a valve to open when you want it to be as loud as possible.
"just wash off the blood and you're good to go" 😂😂 as a Fireblade rider, I'm not sure I should be laughing but that was hilarious.
we are definitely going to see more of these apocalypse type builds as we head into the future. this shit is sooo cool.
Matt your video made me cry... Now I know it sounds odd but let me explain. I used to race a ZX10R but for various reasons I had to give it up, when I heard the engine roaring in the Leaf it brought back all the memories and feelings. Be careful dude, I'm a sensitive person :( Awesome videos as always, one of my favourite youtubers.
never a leaf looked so good (even o think that gen leaf is better looking than the last one) insanely fun, want two!
Love it. Any chance for a follow up on how the engine is charging the batteries? Worst case it could push the rear tires into the regen on the front tires, but I suspect that would suck.
That is very likely how it works, and is how the new Corvette e-ray works
he literally did say that the leaf motor doesnt mind being ``helped`` by the rear drive... So yeah, by that, i would also say that the rear literally just does its thing as matt said, entirely separate from the front drive...
When they're both contributing to propulsion this works fine, and how normal AWD EVs have worked forever. But if you are trying to get the ICE motor to charge the batteries by going through the regen, that means that the rear wheels are pushing and the front wheels are trying to slow down. Besides the additional tire wear and all the inefficiencies on both sides, it would lead to some interesting traction dynamics when you're off-throttle going around a turn and all your tires are already using 30% of available grip sending power to each other.
I have a 2015 Leaf and I'd bet money he's just using the regen braking from the front EV drivetrain to charge the batteries. The knob on the right would logically split the throttle demand between the EV drivetrain and the motorcycle throttle. So it wouldn't be difficult to create a situation where the rear is powering the car forward while the front is trying to decelerate. The EV drivetrain wouldn't know the difference. It would just look like a big hill
Yes, regen through the road. The rear wheels push and the front wheels drag. How this happens is based on the the bias of the EV and ICE motors. Most of this is via Leaf settings. "B" adds higher regen, "ECO" disabled EV power for first 1/4 of pedal travel. In this mode, the EV will regenerate during this portion of throttle position while the ICE pushes the car forward effectively charge sustaining. The car typically is only regening at 20kW, which is barely enough to feel and definitely doesn't upset the handling. It can drive as long as there's gas in it (it only holds 5 gallons which is good for about 100 miles). I drove it from SF to LA and back (+ canyons, + trackday) and didn't plug it in.
I just love the see if it runs just as well, and what it all takes to make such a thing possible. But I guess "Why?" is good too...
The best Hybrid! Would be cool to have the trunk less occupied by engine stuff but looks awesome
Looks like it could surprise you when the light turns green. Wow, that’s what the rear end of a leaf looks like!!!
Love it. It's the polar opposite of what I intend to do - graft a very basic, 20-mile range EV motor setup into a very silly petrol car, but I suppose the result is the same. Yin and yang. Hail the algorithm.
Very cool setup !
Does he plan to make the integration of electric with ice engine more automated than the dial. I know it's more detail, most likely very complexe and not necessary, but it would be immensely cool !
Out of interest, what do you suggest I try to accomplish? I'm looking into more things to do w the DBW -- namely a 2-step system to get this thing to launch.
FWD EV with RWD ICE seems like a great way to make a low (ish) effort high-performance track car. No mechanical wizardry required to combine the best of both worlds and you can even recharge the EV on the straights if you set up the electronic wizardry for it. Then EV torque your way out of the corners for maximum smiles per gallon.
Oh yeah, all hail the algorithm.
I find it amusing every Tesla nurburgring lap record, excluding Plaid, is beaten by various years of stock Honda Civic Type R. Which the Plaid gets beaten by an Audi RS4 that are all a fraction in cost to the full EV counterparts. For that track the ABSOLUTE track record is Porsche 919 EVO hybrid even beating the Volkswagen IDr EV by around 45 seconds.
That works far better than it should. I am impressed
Great job on the video Matt! Thanks for making it.
That Leaf sounds amazing. Now i wonder if i can convert my Altima into having a decent transmission.
The thumbnail made me think you were going to review a silly Leaf..... but this was immediately awesome. Why do people ask "why?". Even if it's not your jam, these projects are just so fun to see simply to steal some of the problem solving mindset.
A 10 000% improvement of the Leaf. Brilliant!!!!!
Me: Hey dad listen to my new Leaf.
Dad: Sounds like a Leaf Blower
Add a supercharger, and it'd be a Leaf with a Blower.
This is the kind of back alley misfit build I love to see. Can't wait to see it at willow or ach.
This is awesome, I’d love to see more on it.
Wow this is really amazing, incredible work!
Sounds so good. I am jealous. I have a 2011 leaf with a muxsan pack which is starting to die causing issues when rapid charging. This may well be the best thing i could do to my car.
It's a great idea, considering doing something similar but in reverse. Fwd mid-high end, rwd ev for low end
Seeing that little Leaf screaming is a thing of beauty
The fact he threw a plug in hybrid badge on there made this thing amazing and funny 😂
as a electrical engineer this video lights new ideas to my mind. Thanks dude
Just imagine how it would be with a turbo ZX-14 engine!
i understand you can charge a leaf by towing it and drag the brake so it regens. I guess it would work with this setup as well.
I like a challenge. Figuring out how to make it work is my favorite part.
Derrick's answer to the "Why?" question is inspiring: "Why not?"
Now this is perfect. Sure, not perfectly immaculate, but the idea is just right and that's how it should be. Thanks for sharing this.
All hail the algorithm! What a build. Thanks for showcasing it!
This is the coolest modified car I’ve ever seen and I actually had plans to build something very similar a couple years back.
This is actually a really good idea. If the ICE ever breaks down (Common issue with project cars), you still have the electric motor to get you home or to a shop.
It's happened! I had to stop to charge but made it home. Also the car has been mobile for all but maybe 5 days during this whole build due to the redundant powertrain.
@Derek Young Good deal. Have you considered trying the same in a Chevy Bolt EV? Even without a boost from an ICE, it's a pretty quick car. It would be pretty neat to see if it can go even faster. They're starting to get pretty cheap now.
@Sean Place I actually own a Bolt and would love to do this but they're still worth too much $$ to cut up (for now at least).
I'm with Derek - I'd love a manufacturer to build something like this. Like a PHEV but more revs!
Made me google “Nissan Leaf for sale” right away.
I would buy one of these without question over a ton of other vehicles.
Component manufacture and vision is top notch.
I think new meta is making a 6x6 from a 4x4 and most rear axle is electric motor.
I would love to see you build one with your expertise...
I am so glad I found your channel man. Your sense of humor is on point.
This is similar to what I want to do, except with a JetCat RC helicopter jet turbine engine (about 20hp at 150,000rpm). I can't remember who, but some company made a jet/electric hybrid kei sports car in the 70's.
When people hate on EVs, these are the projects I think they forget about. Hot Rodding is hot Rodding regardless of it being a hybrid.
I met Derek and his fantastically interesting car at a Cars and Coffee in Menlo Park last year. Super cool car and engineering. Pleased to see it here. Also, it’s an EV, so no smog check!
Ive been wanting to do the same thing to an HHR SS but the opposite and put a good electric motor in the back for AWD!
such a well made car, and great video, thx!