[zeropointbug]

That would be considered a 'mild' hybrid with that setup. But the payback on that setup is minimal. The only hybrid setup I would use, would be a very small, efficient engine running to recharge the batts, with a big powerful motor doing all the work for accelerating and cruising.

Thanks, I know, I have a lot of 'hobbies' so to speak. But ultimately, I want to start up my own company to make small runs of these things, and just expand from there.

You are right though, "why don't auto makers do something" as they have massive resources to R&D battery technology, as the batteries are, and always have been the limiting factor in EV's. But, we are also to blame as well, really, for not asking for more of this kind of tech. But there are technologies out there that would change the world as we know it, they just don't get the massive funding that they need. Like Europositron in Finland, they have a battery that has 1330Wh/kg density (10x Lithium Ion), and they say the limit is ~1700Wh/kg, and only $40/kWh. That, my friend, would change everything.