I like your vids.. but my question is I drive a v8 and put about 80 bucks a wk into the tank. Give or take this only cost me 4k a year in fuel.. your batteries cost allot and only last how long? 2-4 years maybe? plus no room and can only drive for so many miles? it would be nice if you could get 400 miles and the batteries did not take up the whole car. plus its slow!
The driver of this car is a single guy, so not having a back seat isn't an issue. The entire project was less than $4000, or in your example, one year of gasoline. He lives in the city, so there aren't too many times he has to go any great distance. It is his second car, so if he does have to drive cross-country, he has another vehicle available to him.
This car is cheap to run, quiet, does freeway speeds, and has almost zero maintenance.
@BenjaminNelson Watch out on those throttle position sensors sometime they are affected by cold temperatures and the car can take off by itself at idle speeds I know it happened to me one time and I since replaced it with a hall effect.
Ben here. I did the video, Tom did the car and on-screen acting.
The motor is a Baldor brand. Sorry, I don't know if it's a delta or wye. It is just a stock, AC, industrial motor. A big part of the inspiration for this project was getting a number of parts from closed-down factory equipment.
Does using a transmission reduce the amount of power the engine takes? For example, if I put one of these engines into a rear wheel drive RX-8 would it require less energy while cruising in 5th gear then if I took out the transmission and linked engine shaft straight to my driveshaft? Or is it still the same principal of using transmission gears to reduce the rpm (and thus energy needed) that the engine has to produce?
@jonwhunt As far as I know on ICEs you need the gears because the motor can run only around the maximum torque peak efficiently; using gears allows a very small motor to start and drive a car, or a large motor to drive it much faster. Electric is different because you can start from 0 RPM with max torque and run up to 3000RPM (or 13K on a Tesla) but this depends largely on the motor and inverter you use; sometimes it's cheaper a simple inverter + gears even if these consume power (friction).
@jonwhunt It is important to say that not every el.motor can be used with every inverter, AND not every inverter has the same performances. Some have 90% efficiency only from half "throttle" to full, others from 20% to full because they are designed differently (and usually cost more having more power parts and control electronics).
I don't know how much the taken out parts weighed. An electric car usually ends up being heavier because of the batteries. The car battery did get taken out too.
Wow, this has to be one of the better series on the tube. Very informative and straight to the point. Summed up what i've learned from dozens of videos and websites in just this one 4:34 video. Amazing.
All you guys who do this are real American patriots and are leading the way to a better future for our country!!! Thank you!!!! You have me dreaming for the day when I can do this myself!!!!!
I believe that the way the AC drive (controller) works, it will automatically regen anytime the car is going faster than the pedal is telling it too.
I think the idea is to have a switch or button that turns the drive on and off. That way, the driver has control over the regen, but it would be on by default.
I know this is a slow-going project, but it is going to be one GREAT car when it's done.
Hey Tom; good to have you back,looking forward to whats coming,you give a good description of what your doing and where your going from there.Keep up the good camera work .Thanks also Ben!
I like your vids.. but my question is I drive a v8 and put about 80 bucks a wk into the tank. Give or take this only cost me 4k a year in fuel.. your batteries cost allot and only last how long? 2-4 years maybe? plus no room and can only drive for so many miles? it would be nice if you could get 400 miles and the batteries did not take up the whole car. plus its slow!
UpNorthLiving2011 1 year ago
@UpNorthLiving2011
The driver of this car is a single guy, so not having a back seat isn't an issue. The entire project was less than $4000, or in your example, one year of gasoline. He lives in the city, so there aren't too many times he has to go any great distance. It is his second car, so if he does have to drive cross-country, he has another vehicle available to him.
This car is cheap to run, quiet, does freeway speeds, and has almost zero maintenance.
BenjaminNelson 1 year ago 6
@BenjaminNelson Watch out on those throttle position sensors sometime they are affected by cold temperatures and the car can take off by itself at idle speeds I know it happened to me one time and I since replaced it with a hall effect.
anewlow23 1 month ago
Tom. Excellent job. Could you tell me name of the motor. Is it delta or wye?
dsealp4746 1 year ago
@dsealp4746
Ben here. I did the video, Tom did the car and on-screen acting.
The motor is a Baldor brand. Sorry, I don't know if it's a delta or wye. It is just a stock, AC, industrial motor. A big part of the inspiration for this project was getting a number of parts from closed-down factory equipment.
BenjaminNelson 1 year ago
Does using a transmission reduce the amount of power the engine takes? For example, if I put one of these engines into a rear wheel drive RX-8 would it require less energy while cruising in 5th gear then if I took out the transmission and linked engine shaft straight to my driveshaft? Or is it still the same principal of using transmission gears to reduce the rpm (and thus energy needed) that the engine has to produce?
jonwhunt 1 year ago
@jonwhunt As far as I know on ICEs you need the gears because the motor can run only around the maximum torque peak efficiently; using gears allows a very small motor to start and drive a car, or a large motor to drive it much faster. Electric is different because you can start from 0 RPM with max torque and run up to 3000RPM (or 13K on a Tesla) but this depends largely on the motor and inverter you use; sometimes it's cheaper a simple inverter + gears even if these consume power (friction).
marcheseDS 1 year ago
@jonwhunt It is important to say that not every el.motor can be used with every inverter, AND not every inverter has the same performances. Some have 90% efficiency only from half "throttle" to full, others from 20% to full because they are designed differently (and usually cost more having more power parts and control electronics).
marcheseDS 1 year ago
The way you explain stuff is very very good.
ironoarsman 1 year ago
how much does the parts taken out weigh?
you didn't show the car battery which I hope you will also take out
DanFrederiksen 1 year ago
I don't know how much the taken out parts weighed. An electric car usually ends up being heavier because of the batteries. The car battery did get taken out too.
It's in my Electro-Metro now!
BenjaminNelson 1 year ago
I would be quite intrested in hearing the parts weights. it would aid us in making educated guesses on future vehicle weights and design better.
DanFrederiksen 1 year ago
Wow, this has to be one of the better series on the tube. Very informative and straight to the point. Summed up what i've learned from dozens of videos and websites in just this one 4:34 video. Amazing.
DHMIII 2 years ago
All you guys who do this are real American patriots and are leading the way to a better future for our country!!! Thank you!!!! You have me dreaming for the day when I can do this myself!!!!!
pipersall 2 years ago 5
Great work Tom.
pipersall 2 years ago
Ben, do you know if he ever got the Regen braking straight or did he just go to a switch inside the car for it?
isegoria1 2 years ago
I believe that the way the AC drive (controller) works, it will automatically regen anytime the car is going faster than the pedal is telling it too.
I think the idea is to have a switch or button that turns the drive on and off. That way, the driver has control over the regen, but it would be on by default.
I know this is a slow-going project, but it is going to be one GREAT car when it's done.
Take THAT Chevy Volt!
BenjaminNelson 2 years ago
OMG! I had NO IDEA that a TPS could be used as a pot box!! That marker on the hood trick could have saved me a few headaches too....
Excellent video!!
vpoppv 2 years ago
Hey Tom; good to have you back,looking forward to whats coming,you give a good description of what your doing and where your going from there.Keep up the good camera work .Thanks also Ben!
vinmassa 2 years ago
Many cars use a 0-5K potentiometer in their "drive by wire" throttle. This can be repurposed to directly run many motor controllers.
BenjaminNelson 2 years ago
3:18 useful and informative.
SirTragain 2 years ago