Guess its something we need to start looking at (assuming we're still allowed to build our own cars in 10 years time).
I thought it was out of reach for Seven type vehicles as the Tesla Roadster (Lotus chassis derived) was a porker, but seems Westfield did a decent job
on their iRacer.
I know bugger all about electrics, but there are plenty clever folks on here, so how about we start pooling the knowledge!
Cheers guys. Electric motors are appearing on eBay now at sensible money - if only getting them to work outside the OE application meaningfully was
easy (and at similarly sensible money!).
quote:Originally posted by scootz
Cheers guys. Electric motors are appearing on eBay now at sensible money - if only getting them to work outside the OE application meaningfully was
easy (and at similarly sensible money!).
easy - just pick up a tesla as a donor and strip it ;-)
If it ain't broken, fix it anyway (just because).
Building - BMW powered Haynes Roadster/442E hybrid.
Long before the Westfield iRacer pictured above, there was the WiSPER (Westfield in Structural Plastics Electric Roadster).
There are established companies who will sell you everything you need to convert a car to electric power, so IVA permitting, I don't see it as a
big problem, as more advanced battery technology becomes available.
While most electric converts seem to ignore the fact that their "clean" electricity is primarily produced by dirty coal, oil and nuclear
power plants...
this is much more interesting and environmentally sound -
quote:Originally posted by Mr Whippy
While most electric converts seem to ignore the fact that their "clean" electricity is primarily produced by dirty coal, oil and nuclear
power plants...
The picture is changing rapidly, though.
This year has seen both the first 'coal free' day of electricity generation in the UK, and also the first day when 'renewable'
sources generated more than fossil fuel (oil, coal, gas).
Recently traveled in a Tesla taxi in Amsterdam. The driver/owner was not overly chuffed with it - "leccy Mondeo" - was his turn of
phrase.
Whilst it was quiet you could sense fairly easily that pedestrians simply couldn't hear it - risky IMHO. Pedestrians are generally so tuned to
hearing traffic as much as seeing it I do fear leccy cars present a hazard for people crossing a road.
there is an electric radical racing in Australia that is quite rapid, but the battery and control technology are very expensive for the lap time.
im building a BEC at the moment, but the electric idea keeps popping up in the background, especially once you can get similar performance per kg
economically.
quote:Originally posted by 907
I sometimes feel a little nervous in a left lane when the right lane has one of those monstrous 4x4's in it. Roundabout, traffic lights etc.
A few blips on the throttle usually makes them aware of my presence.
I would not want an electric Seven, or any low sports car for that matter.
It would be like riding a super bike with no crash helmet.
Paul G
As a giant 4x4 driver, I am already aware of your presence. The time that a low car is an issue or risks you being "missed" is on country
lanes where you're lower than a hedge coming head on. At traffic lights, roundabouts etc you're just as visible as anyone else, if not
more, from a higher vantage point
quote:Originally posted by 907
I sometimes feel a little nervous in a left lane when the right lane has one of those monstrous 4x4's in it. Roundabout, traffic lights etc.
A few blips on the throttle usually makes them aware of my presence.
I would not want an electric Seven, or any low sports car for that matter.
It would be like riding a super bike with no crash helmet.
Paul G
As a giant 4x4 driver, I am already aware of your presence.
Me too, but if I wasn't, blipping your throttle wouldn't save you - my Range Rover is exceptionally well sound-insulated and my stereo is
usually turned well up, to compensate for the fact that I'm as deaf as a post after donkey's years of driving aeroscreen'd kit
cars!
I do find the reactionary comments on this thread quite amusing:
Battery safety: if electric cars had gained dominance first, can you imagine the wailing and gnashing of teeth if someone proposed a new power source
that relied on a fragile tank of highly volatile fuel (which emits carcinogenic vapour when being refueled), in combination with an electrical system
that's just waiting to produce sparks in an accident... and emits noxious and environmentally damaging gases as exhaust, to boot?
Pedestrian safety: much the same concerns resulted in laws demanding a man with a red flag walking in front of early cars. We got used to the
transition from horses to cars, and I'm sure we'll get used to the transition from IC to EV.
If you're paying a such a lack of attention that you risk getting hit by an EV, the LCF's and MAMILS are gonna get you sooner or later
anyway. If there is a sufficient uptick in road casualties as EV's are adopted en mass, it's not rocket science to fit them with
some sort of noise generator.
It very much looks like EV's are going to gain dominance in the next few years, so we might as well get with the program?
Point about fitting a noise generator noted and that may well be a solution.
Indeed if EV cars increase then pedestrians will find ways to adapt. Thinking further, what bothers me as much (if not more) is the number of people
walking about with earphones on making hearing things less likely as well.
I think you're also right about trying to make a change from EV to IC - people don't always want to change easily (or without moaning).
I guess my point was to highlight a potential problem with the change from IC to EV. That said humans are quite adaptive and will no doubt cope with
the change. Having potentially cleaner air to breathe seems a pretty strong argument for making the change
Based on the GTM Libra. (though remains to be seen if it ever bears much resemblance when its done. They have been trying to buy a couple of cars to
develop. They even did a bit of press in manchester last year with owners cars.
quote:Originally posted by scootz
Cheers guys. Electric motors are appearing on eBay now at sensible money - if only getting them to work outside the OE application meaningfully was
easy (and at similarly sensible money!).
Does anyone have links to suitable motors at sensible money? I certainly can't find anything on Ebay, anything with any serious grunt is either
fortunes, 3 phase, or both. I do recall a chat with Stig Mills some years back when he said that AC is much better than DC, but obviously you get
losses translating from one to the other, but I wouldn't have thought we want 400V+ of 3 phase going around the car!
I do agree that there is going to be massive uptake of battery vehicles over the next few years, but I still haven't heard where all the
material for batteries is going to come from (I don't believe there is enough Li on the planet, so we need an alternative), nor how we are going
to cover not only our existing electricity usage, but the vastly increased requirements from all these battery vehicles, if we are trying to do this
with solar & wind.
Also, might be a tiny hiccup if it's a cloudy windless day! :s
I have heard about global power hookups, ie, generate your solar in the desert & then "export" it, but don't see how
that's going to work without far better collaboration between countries than we currently have
We seem to have largely given up with hydrogen power, but it's not stopped these guys
LINK
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