7 A Convenient Response to an Inconvenient Truth

[FlyNavyP]

Awesome - why can't the auto industry support rapid protyping and production?

[DoublePines]

So when you shift from third to fourth on the road are you using the clutch or is there no need for it? Great car and love the vids

[marionrickard]

I do not use the clutch at all. There is no need. Just shift, with a little pause in the notch and it will drop in.

Jack

[norbiii]

...continuing last message.....Please do not make the same mistake with the mini, whenever it will be rolling..

The most annoying and common mistake is this with most of the electric car videos out there. When you want to show the sound, do it right.

[norbiii]

With all my respect sir. Why did you remove the original sound fom the video? Noone cares about the elevator music you put behind your -very educational and useful words, but we -who dream about a car like that for ages- want to hear the silent whizz of the vehicle,

With your future videos please have in mind keeping the original sounds and keep quiet during the recording( no wind issues then), then do the audio dub over that in the "studio".

[myself248]

Very cool, not just the project but the perspective, about the history and efficiency. I haven't heard your name, Jack, since the Boardwatch days, and it's great to see you're still doing cool things.

This was quite fun to watch! It sounds like it was a fun project and the finished car is beautiful. How do you resist the temptation to keep tinkering? Some new instrumentation here, better battery management there, maybe an AC motor and drive system overhaul to add regen braking.... feep, feep..

[marionrickard]

Well, we've moved on to a Mini Cooper Clubman project, and I'm having a lot of fun DRIVING the Speedster.

But funny you should bring it up. We're probably going to start a second Speedster redux using AC motor, drive system overhaul, regen braking, etc. etc.

No one recalls the Boardwatch days. A different life. Same Jack Rickard

[astronmr20]

All very good,

Except for the crocks. No man should wear crocks in public. Ever.  I don't give a shit how comfortable they are-- you bring asshattery on yourself and ruin your cause by wearing them.

That is all.

[marionrickard]

I have about 10 different pair of CROCS and I love em.  That's about all I wear anymore.

Jack

[passion356]

Where is the 1957 Porsche ?, I see a fiberglass replica...

[k9forkids]

no one ever claimed or assumed to have an original 356. and if you had an original 356, you would not want converted it to an Electric Vehicle, so anyone with some fucking common sense understands right away that this is a replica.

[jawbonin]

Part 1, he ids this as a rep

[marionrickard]

Regenerative braking is problematical with DC series motor conversions. I estimate real world range extension more in the 7-8% range, but your point is a good one.

Our current project is a 2009 Mini Cooper conversion using an MES-DEA AC induction motor and 3 phase controller. It will feature regenerative braking, which is much more practical with AC designs.

[AndY1ksi]

Great videos!

I drive Vectrix electric maxi-scooter and I know the pleasure of driving electric.

What I'm missing with your conversion is regenerative breaking. It would add another 10%-12% to your range.

Have you thought of implementing that?

[marionrickard]

The transmission of course has synchros to aid in smooth shifting. With this, and the clutch, you can shift gears smoothly to match the spinning wheels, driven by the kinetic energy of the car in motion, to the spinning shaft of the engine, driven by the mass of the shaft, flywheel, and most importantly, the cylinder compression.

In an electric car, the only thing to match is the mass of the electric motor rotor, which weighs a few pounds and spins freely. So the syncros can do it sans clutch

[creamyfilling102]

so ur saying the rotor weighs so little that shifting w/o the clutch involes no timing issues? the synchros can handle the weight? that's really cool. i never thought of that before.

[trevorlsciact]

I understand why with the amount of torque you don't need to shift much, but why is it that you don't need the clutch?