Sounds familiar! I used to run a 1 HP 24 VDC motor in a go-kart at 48 VDC- more power! Fortunately, as the motor temperature got "up there", the battery charge was "down there", so it got to cool down during the recharge.
Battery technology is still nicely improving however!
For example-
http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release_ht ... e_id=80729
Electric Cars
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Dean Huster
- Posts: 1263
- Joined: Wed Dec 05, 2001 1:01 am
- Location: Harviell, MO (Poplar Bluff area)
- Contact:
Richard, my apologies for also not welcoming you to the forum. Welcome!
Purpose-built sounds like where you have to go with these things. I liked you term "lead sled" for that's the big problem with getting range. Until we can build dinky nuclear reactors .....
I did have thoughts on converting my old Rabbit (and now Golf) to an EV, but the battery/range problem kept me from it. Did I read (one of the posts, your site) that your car uses an automatic transmission rather than a stick-shift? Doesn't that contribute a lot of slip and inefficiency?
Dean
Purpose-built sounds like where you have to go with these things. I liked you term "lead sled" for that's the big problem with getting range. Until we can build dinky nuclear reactors .....
I did have thoughts on converting my old Rabbit (and now Golf) to an EV, but the battery/range problem kept me from it. Did I read (one of the posts, your site) that your car uses an automatic transmission rather than a stick-shift? Doesn't that contribute a lot of slip and inefficiency?
Dean
Dean Huster, Electronics Curmudgeon
Contributing Editor emeritus, "Q & A", of the former "Poptronics" magazine (formerly "Popular Electronics" and "Electronics Now" magazines).
R.I.P.
Contributing Editor emeritus, "Q & A", of the former "Poptronics" magazine (formerly "Popular Electronics" and "Electronics Now" magazines).
R.I.P.
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Smoke_Maker
- Posts: 76
- Joined: Fri Aug 04, 2006 6:02 pm
- Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
- Contact:
Thank you for the welcome Dean, a good way to see if a conversion is a good fit for you is to keep track of your driving trips for a month or so and then check in the EV album for a vehicle that fits your driving needs, I like to copy what works for other people instead of doing all those back of the envelope calculations, which brings me to the decision to use a automatic trans.
I built my Mazda to compete with this guy
http://www.evparts.com/about/index.php? ... Leapin.jpg
He uses a automatic trans, *I copied* a successful EV drag racer, I built the trans myself, it has "no" torque converter and uses a external hydraulic pump. You are right, manual trans are more efficient and much, much easer to convert, so unless you are a drag racer or like doing things the hard way go with a manual trans.
I built my Mazda to compete with this guy
http://www.evparts.com/about/index.php? ... Leapin.jpg
He uses a automatic trans, *I copied* a successful EV drag racer, I built the trans myself, it has "no" torque converter and uses a external hydraulic pump. You are right, manual trans are more efficient and much, much easer to convert, so unless you are a drag racer or like doing things the hard way go with a manual trans.
Richard Furniss
is it suppose to smoke like that ?
is it suppose to smoke like that ?
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Smoke_Maker
- Posts: 76
- Joined: Fri Aug 04, 2006 6:02 pm
- Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
- Contact:
The go-kart was right on the edge of smoke! hehe
Here's another on the Tesla-
http://www.wired.com/news/wiredmag/0,71 ... page_next2
Interesting line in there: "If you run a turbine with a gallon of gasoline, you can generate enough electricity to run an electric car 110 miles".
Here's another on the Tesla-
http://www.wired.com/news/wiredmag/0,71 ... page_next2
Interesting line in there: "If you run a turbine with a gallon of gasoline, you can generate enough electricity to run an electric car 110 miles".
I've wondered about this... why don't you see more people making plugin hybrids? (being defined as an electric car designed to be plugged in overnight but with extended range due to electricity generating auxiliary engine)jwax wrote:Interesting line in there: "If you run a turbine with a gallon of gasoline, you can generate enough electricity to run an electric car 110 miles".
Seems to me you could double your range for trivial fuel costs by adding an 8 hp engine running a modified alternator that charges the batteries. With 8hp you could probably run two alternators and/or air conditioning.
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Chris Smith
- Posts: 4325
- Joined: Tue Dec 04, 2001 1:01 am
- Location: Bieber Ca.
Most of the fuel energy we consume today is a Total waste.
We push 4000 pounds of junk steel like is was a Ferrari with this instant responsive attitude and IT consumes most of the energy we purchase in the form of gas.
Then we have 4000 pounds of steel junk that needs to stop and what do we do with all that kinetic energy, piss it out the window with common brake pads.
The list is long on what we waste, while becoming a hybrid is more than just electrics combined with a small gas motor, its about conserving the energy we need and use not just mere milage.
The cost of brakes, clutches, tune ups, oil changes etc are rarely ever entered into the total package but we bitch about the cost of batteries,.... and then we fall back on chicken little and tell every one the Jone’s have 4000 pounds of Detroit junk metal and IF they hit me Im dead?
Tax them off the streets and move on to a better reality.
We push 4000 pounds of junk steel like is was a Ferrari with this instant responsive attitude and IT consumes most of the energy we purchase in the form of gas.
Then we have 4000 pounds of steel junk that needs to stop and what do we do with all that kinetic energy, piss it out the window with common brake pads.
The list is long on what we waste, while becoming a hybrid is more than just electrics combined with a small gas motor, its about conserving the energy we need and use not just mere milage.
The cost of brakes, clutches, tune ups, oil changes etc are rarely ever entered into the total package but we bitch about the cost of batteries,.... and then we fall back on chicken little and tell every one the Jone’s have 4000 pounds of Detroit junk metal and IF they hit me Im dead?
Tax them off the streets and move on to a better reality.
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Smoke_Maker
- Posts: 76
- Joined: Fri Aug 04, 2006 6:02 pm
- Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
- Contact:
"A watt is a watt is a watt"
A lot of statements are dubious at best and I turn on my BS detector if the person will profit from the statement. The average automobile is less than 20% efficient (that was a statement but will I profit from it?) 80% of the energy go's up in heat and out the tail pipe. I had a hard time seeing inefficacies, I kept comparing apples to oranges (gas - electric) until I converted everything over to the same energy unit "watts" I see clearly now.
I can't wait until I get my plug-in Hybrid, hopefully by the end of the year.
http://www.calcars.org/about.html
If I can get my Prius to get the first 40 miles on electric and then the gas engine drives the car in normal Hybrid mode I would be smiling from ear to ear just knowing that someone (oil'es) wouldn't be able to afford anymore gold plated bathroom fixtures.
A lot of statements are dubious at best and I turn on my BS detector if the person will profit from the statement. The average automobile is less than 20% efficient (that was a statement but will I profit from it?) 80% of the energy go's up in heat and out the tail pipe. I had a hard time seeing inefficacies, I kept comparing apples to oranges (gas - electric) until I converted everything over to the same energy unit "watts" I see clearly now.
I can't wait until I get my plug-in Hybrid, hopefully by the end of the year.
http://www.calcars.org/about.html
If I can get my Prius to get the first 40 miles on electric and then the gas engine drives the car in normal Hybrid mode I would be smiling from ear to ear just knowing that someone (oil'es) wouldn't be able to afford anymore gold plated bathroom fixtures.
Richard Furniss
is it suppose to smoke like that ?
is it suppose to smoke like that ?
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Chris Smith
- Posts: 4325
- Joined: Tue Dec 04, 2001 1:01 am
- Location: Bieber Ca.
Electricity works.
Lighter is less energy.
50% of your heat is not exhaust.
25% of the other heat is not your radiator.
What’s not to like, most people piss their gas out the tail pipe and smile in traffic waiting for that government to step in and help them?
Enron anybody?
Shrub oil to the rescue?
Hey dick, what do you think?
Lighter is less energy.
50% of your heat is not exhaust.
25% of the other heat is not your radiator.
What’s not to like, most people piss their gas out the tail pipe and smile in traffic waiting for that government to step in and help them?
Enron anybody?
Shrub oil to the rescue?
Hey dick, what do you think?
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