So if you are using a 3000 wait generator then it would be making 25 amps. If that is half what the car is drawing then you say if you had a 6300 wait desil generator 52 amps. Then it would be able to drive indefenatly. So does you car draw about 50 amps at 144 volts wile driving? Is about 50 amps the max standard draw? Will it draw more than 50 amps at 70 mph?
Sounds about right. I have mostly been driving this car on a 72V battery system. Its top speed is 45mph at that voltage. When I ran it at 144V, I got it up to 73 mph.
It runs at about 75-100 amps to just cruise along at 45mph, so 50 at 144V would be about right. It would draw more at 70 mph. Wind resistance becomes the single biggest factor at high speeds. It might be 100 amps at 144v. That's about 19 horsepower.
The generator was rated at 3000 watts, but since it was a free/non-working generator, I had to fix it up myself. I never managed to get the full power out of it.
To drive indefinately, you would need a generator capable of outputting the average amount of energy you use while cruising. In this case, a generator roughly twice as big. I think a generator built from a 500cc motorcycle engine might work well.
The issue with "and connect it somehow to the wheels" is challenging, because this is a front-wheel drive car, and the electric motor is already connected to the drive train. The non-driven rear wheels have no way to attach an engine. A four-wheel drive car could be turned into a hybrid by connecting the engine to only two wheels, and an electric motor to the other two. That's something I would like to try in the future.
@GEdwardCook How do you get your Propane tanks home? By boat? ;)
I've found a safe way to do it. I put the empty 20 lb BBQ tanks in my wife's Toyota and ask her to get them filled..
That one simple step eliminates 95% of the risk (to me anyways)! ;)
And, if she starts getting under my skin, I'll just make an call to HomeLand Security and inform them, my wife is driving around with a "POWERFUL BOMB!" in her Corolla.. ;) See you in 20 years baby!! LOL!!
btw, with regards to using a small scooter/motorcycle engine as a range extender maybe the mars/etek type motor would be a good pairing for such. say around 10hp/kW might be fitting your geo's needs.
if you use a DC etek it might be fairly easy to make it start the engine, maybe 12V on a relay same as a starter motor will do the trick. you will however need some electronics to step up the etek voltage to the pack voltage.
maybe simpler to just use a starter motor and some high voltage AC motor
Typically, electric motors have a rating plate that states that information. This electric motor was out of a forklift. It did NOT have a rating plate on it, so I don't know what the "official" specs on it are. I HAVE successfully run 144V at up to 500 amps through the motor. That means it theoretically could qualify as about a 96 hp peak motor. I would not want to continuously ran that kind of power through it. (The batteries wouldn't like or support that either!!!)
The batteries in the car are sealed Lead-Acid AGMs. I got them used for $12 each.
Lithium batteries are great, but out of my budget. The price of lithiums are continually dropping. I hope that the mass manufacture of Lithium batteries for the Volt, Leaf, and other cars makes them more affordable for DIY hobbyists and homebuilders.
@BenjaminNelson I've the same case in my creation "very low cost electric bike" a project that I've been following for the last 10 years or so with my own pocket. Now looking forward to make an electric rickshaw taxi. Wish you all the best.
Since the generator isn't supplying all the power to the motor, I assume you don't use an entire tank of propane. Do you have a rough estimate how much propane you use to get those extra 10 miles?
I'd think that a 1 cylinder 250cc motorcycle engine hanging under the rear connected to a disc PM diy motor/generator would be neater and provide enough power for indefinite driving, maybe 10kW. it could run on green ethanol which is cleaner in every way than gasoline.
@BenjaminNelson ok, bit on the low end. if you tire of that setup maybe find a motor that's used in a powerful scooter of the kind that has a really smooth sound and new so they have taken the bare minimum efficiency steps. a setup that can cruise you at 100km/h with a smooth sound tucked away in the spare tire and below space should have long term appeal. honda SH150i 153cc engine claims 11.6kW. the new honda CBR250R is 19.4kW. old CBR250 was 27kW. connect to motor/gen like this v=dUGi50F_bwc
@BenjaminNelson of course you have to create a starter/generator controller for it but them's the breaks : )
I find that in this EV game every single thing has to be done from scratch because noone is doing it remotely right. except for the base components like transistors and capacitors. those are pretty good. but everything else including the cars are done wrong.
@DanFrederiksen A big part of why I have been doing projects like this is that there is NOTHING similar commercially available. Even when it does, (such as the coming Volt and Leaf) it still isn't cheap.
I've been driving my street-legal electric car for two years now (Total cost, about $1300.) Hybrids are more complicated than pure electrics, but serial hybrid sure seems like the way to go. I'm sure I'll keep experimenting!
@BenjaminNelson yeah the Volt doesn't excite me, much too heavily built. I'm a big fan of lean EV with a tiny powerful range extender just in case you need it but so small and optimized that it doesn't burden the EV. and it's entirely possible especially if the cars are made with lighter materials and more aerodynamic because then the cruise power needed is very small. a 50cc engine could literally power a 4 seater at motorway speeds and could fit in the glove compartment
I love the concept of an extremely light and efficient vehicle. However, registration and insurance of a vehicle as a car would be a nightmare. I also built an electric motorcycle. No problems with anything there, as they don't crash test them, and people build custom motorcycles all the time. A micro-hybrid system might be great on a motorcycle or possibly a fairing-covered bicycle.
I just saw the TRON remake, so fairings are on my mind....
This car as an EV has a 20 mile range. That's on the very low end for homebuilt EV conversions. It only has six batteries in it. I am shooting for a 30 mile range with the generator.
Most people would be surprised at how short their average real world trip is.
Lately, I have been doing a lot of travel in the 20 to 30 mile range. I had to take my gas pickup truck for those trips. If I could only go a little farther in the Metro, I could greatly increase EV trips.
I made and instructional video on how to build an electric car. You can order a copy at 300MPG.org
I have also done presentations at events such as at the Midwest Renewable Energy Association and the MOTHER EARTH FAIR. Check my other videos for a recording of the electric car presentation I did at the MOTHER fair.
Yep, this car has several drain plugs in the bottom of the spare tire well. I just opened them all up. The muffler runs out through one of them, and the other two act as vents.
Is it possible if i attach a small 8KW Alternator to the engine with certain gears ??
Bestundesun 3 weeks ago
Hi, Can you let me know the connections, I just got hold of a Honda 8 KW generator so I wanted to know how do I connect it.
What batteries should I choose The laptop battery (14.8V | 4400mAh ) at $25 per piece
and lead acid batteryi.e Motorbike Battery (12V) @ $85 SO what do I go for ??
These prices are from India
Bestundesun 1 month ago
It seems that at high speeds it might be more efficient to just run on the stock gas engine.
my73737373 2 months ago
@my73737373
Apparently, that's what the Volt does.
BenjaminNelson 2 months ago
So if you are using a 3000 wait generator then it would be making 25 amps. If that is half what the car is drawing then you say if you had a 6300 wait desil generator 52 amps. Then it would be able to drive indefenatly. So does you car draw about 50 amps at 144 volts wile driving? Is about 50 amps the max standard draw? Will it draw more than 50 amps at 70 mph?
my73737373 2 months ago
@my73737373
Sounds about right. I have mostly been driving this car on a 72V battery system. Its top speed is 45mph at that voltage. When I ran it at 144V, I got it up to 73 mph.
It runs at about 75-100 amps to just cruise along at 45mph, so 50 at 144V would be about right. It would draw more at 70 mph. Wind resistance becomes the single biggest factor at high speeds. It might be 100 amps at 144v. That's about 19 horsepower.
BenjaminNelson 2 months ago
How many waits is that generator? How big of a generator would you need to drive indefinitely?
my73737373 2 months ago
@my73737373
The generator was rated at 3000 watts, but since it was a free/non-working generator, I had to fix it up myself. I never managed to get the full power out of it.
To drive indefinately, you would need a generator capable of outputting the average amount of energy you use while cruising. In this case, a generator roughly twice as big. I think a generator built from a 500cc motorcycle engine might work well.
BenjaminNelson 2 months ago
can you add a small scooter engine 250cc and connect it somehow to the wheels with chain or somewhat,can this move the car lets say 50km/h
daswada9 2 months ago in playlist More videos from BenjaminNelson
@daswada9
The engine on the generator I used was 220cc.
The issue with "and connect it somehow to the wheels" is challenging, because this is a front-wheel drive car, and the electric motor is already connected to the drive train. The non-driven rear wheels have no way to attach an engine. A four-wheel drive car could be turned into a hybrid by connecting the engine to only two wheels, and an electric motor to the other two. That's something I would like to try in the future.
BenjaminNelson 2 months ago
@GEdwardCook How do you get your Propane tanks home? By boat? ;)
I've found a safe way to do it. I put the empty 20 lb BBQ tanks in my wife's Toyota and ask her to get them filled..
That one simple step eliminates 95% of the risk (to me anyways)! ;)
And, if she starts getting under my skin, I'll just make an call to HomeLand Security and inform them, my wife is driving around with a "POWERFUL BOMB!" in her Corolla.. ;) See you in 20 years baby!! LOL!!
Xringer 10 months ago
btw, with regards to using a small scooter/motorcycle engine as a range extender maybe the mars/etek type motor would be a good pairing for such. say around 10hp/kW might be fitting your geo's needs.
if you use a DC etek it might be fairly easy to make it start the engine, maybe 12V on a relay same as a starter motor will do the trick. you will however need some electronics to step up the etek voltage to the pack voltage.
maybe simpler to just use a starter motor and some high voltage AC motor
DanFrederiksen 10 months ago
pretty cool man, congrats
EnfieldTuning 11 months ago
how much bhp and kg of torque it has?
kostis007 1 year ago
@kostis007
Typically, electric motors have a rating plate that states that information. This electric motor was out of a forklift. It did NOT have a rating plate on it, so I don't know what the "official" specs on it are. I HAVE successfully run 144V at up to 500 amps through the motor. That means it theoretically could qualify as about a 96 hp peak motor. I would not want to continuously ran that kind of power through it. (The batteries wouldn't like or support that either!!!)
BenjaminNelson 1 year ago
Sounds like the motor has good torque...Can you burnout at all?
B1r6m4n 1 year ago
@B1r6m4n
Yes, I can do a burn out in first gear with no clutch.
I can also move the car from a dead stop in fifth gear.
BenjaminNelson 1 year ago
using lithium ion batteries would definitely extend your range. What type of batteries are you using?
Numberonebikeslover 1 year ago
@Numberonebikeslover
The batteries in the car are sealed Lead-Acid AGMs. I got them used for $12 each.
Lithium batteries are great, but out of my budget. The price of lithiums are continually dropping. I hope that the mass manufacture of Lithium batteries for the Volt, Leaf, and other cars makes them more affordable for DIY hobbyists and homebuilders.
BenjaminNelson 1 year ago
@BenjaminNelson I've the same case in my creation "very low cost electric bike" a project that I've been following for the last 10 years or so with my own pocket. Now looking forward to make an electric rickshaw taxi. Wish you all the best.
Numberonebikeslover 1 year ago
Since the generator isn't supplying all the power to the motor, I assume you don't use an entire tank of propane. Do you have a rough estimate how much propane you use to get those extra 10 miles?
Liv2xplore 1 year ago
nice. what's the power of the generator?
I'd think that a 1 cylinder 250cc motorcycle engine hanging under the rear connected to a disc PM diy motor/generator would be neater and provide enough power for indefinite driving, maybe 10kW. it could run on green ethanol which is cleaner in every way than gasoline.
DanFrederiksen 1 year ago
@DanFrederiksen The engine of the generator is 220cc, and it is an outrunner permanent magnet generator. It's rated for 3400 watts continuous.
BenjaminNelson 1 year ago
@BenjaminNelson ok, bit on the low end. if you tire of that setup maybe find a motor that's used in a powerful scooter of the kind that has a really smooth sound and new so they have taken the bare minimum efficiency steps. a setup that can cruise you at 100km/h with a smooth sound tucked away in the spare tire and below space should have long term appeal. honda SH150i 153cc engine claims 11.6kW. the new honda CBR250R is 19.4kW. old CBR250 was 27kW. connect to motor/gen like this v=dUGi50F_bwc
DanFrederiksen 1 year ago
@BenjaminNelson of course you have to create a starter/generator controller for it but them's the breaks : )
I find that in this EV game every single thing has to be done from scratch because noone is doing it remotely right. except for the base components like transistors and capacitors. those are pretty good. but everything else including the cars are done wrong.
DanFrederiksen 1 year ago
@DanFrederiksen A big part of why I have been doing projects like this is that there is NOTHING similar commercially available. Even when it does, (such as the coming Volt and Leaf) it still isn't cheap.
I've been driving my street-legal electric car for two years now (Total cost, about $1300.) Hybrids are more complicated than pure electrics, but serial hybrid sure seems like the way to go. I'm sure I'll keep experimenting!
BenjaminNelson 1 year ago
@BenjaminNelson yeah the Volt doesn't excite me, much too heavily built. I'm a big fan of lean EV with a tiny powerful range extender just in case you need it but so small and optimized that it doesn't burden the EV. and it's entirely possible especially if the cars are made with lighter materials and more aerodynamic because then the cruise power needed is very small. a 50cc engine could literally power a 4 seater at motorway speeds and could fit in the glove compartment
DanFrederiksen 1 year ago
@DanFrederiksen
I love the concept of an extremely light and efficient vehicle. However, registration and insurance of a vehicle as a car would be a nightmare. I also built an electric motorcycle. No problems with anything there, as they don't crash test them, and people build custom motorcycles all the time. A micro-hybrid system might be great on a motorcycle or possibly a fairing-covered bicycle.
I just saw the TRON remake, so fairings are on my mind....
BenjaminNelson 1 year ago
Can you give any specific numbers on how many miles you can travel on average?
kidmecha 1 year ago
@kidmecha
This car as an EV has a 20 mile range. That's on the very low end for homebuilt EV conversions. It only has six batteries in it. I am shooting for a 30 mile range with the generator.
Most people would be surprised at how short their average real world trip is.
Lately, I have been doing a lot of travel in the 20 to 30 mile range. I had to take my gas pickup truck for those trips. If I could only go a little farther in the Metro, I could greatly increase EV trips.
BenjaminNelson 1 year ago
You are one smart fella! Do you plan to write a book or offer a course to show more people how to do this? Power to the people!
mrbr549 1 year ago
@mrbr549
I made and instructional video on how to build an electric car. You can order a copy at 300MPG.org
I have also done presentations at events such as at the Midwest Renewable Energy Association and the MOTHER EARTH FAIR. Check my other videos for a recording of the electric car presentation I did at the MOTHER fair.
BenjaminNelson 1 year ago
What about a mode where you leave the Metro parked for a few hours with the generator charging...
hoppes9 1 year ago
@hoppes9
Yep, already built in.
I just turn the car on, fire up the generator, then turn the key back to off to turn off the EV system, but leave the generator and charger running.
BenjaminNelson 1 year ago
@TheSteveDSD
Yep, this car has several drain plugs in the bottom of the spare tire well. I just opened them all up. The muffler runs out through one of them, and the other two act as vents.
BenjaminNelson 1 year ago
Nice. I like it.
edstar83 1 year ago