LocostUSA.com

Anyone tried a fully electric powered se7en? Looking for info on layout, type of motor, controller, batteries and setup.

It did see a picture of one of the Facebook, rear motored type thing. I'll see if I can find it again.

Thanks it would be interesting to see. My thoughts are the batteries up front in the engine bay, and possibly attaching the electric motor directly to the rear axle and spin the pinion flange directly.

youtube has lots of electric westfields

All Wheel Drive

The fastest car I've seen at an AutoX was electric and a motor on each wheel I think.

Seems like this would have unsprung weight issues but maybe that takes a back seat to the "giddy-up" factor.

Maybe it had inboard motors it was a long time ago.

I do remember him waiting till everyone else had ran then he went out and laid down a blistering lap that epically eclipsed the prior FTOD!

As I recall it was a space frame and composite wedge body with a full under tray.

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Honey anyone?

Welcome to the forum.

I explored the electric motor option. I think that a seven with an electric motor is a great idea. Personally however I was given a word of caution by a few guys on one of the electric conversion forums. I was advised that where I live (Ontario) it would be nearly impossible to find an insurance company interested in an electric home built car. This may not apply to you where you live but it is worth checking before getting yourself in spending. In researching the subject and posting on the electric conversion forum I have learned a bit. One of the things I recall is that for a seven size of car 35-45hp electric motor would be adequate. The electric motor has an enormous amount of torque and you would not need a bigger motor. I was also advised that AC is better (and more expensive) than DC. The former is capable of regenerating electricity in braking and deceleration whereas DC is not. I was also advised to use a gear box. Yes the electric motor is so torquy that you can do without gears and clutch but on highway it is difficult to cruise at the speed limit if you have no gear. On batteries there are so many schools of opinion that your best bet is to join the electric conversion forum yourself and ask. A battery pack is more expensive than the motor and of course everything depends on the voltage amperage you would put together, range and speed.

Good luck. Keep us posted.

I know some of the FSAE cars are electric and incredibly fast. That might also be a good resource for you.
http://students.sae.org/cds/formulaseri ... ric/teams/
They can certainly move.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-NCH8ct24U

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2015 & 2016 EMod Florida State Autocross Champion
2013 & 2014 DSP Florida State Autocross Champion

Scrap Metal Build Log viewtopic.php?f=35&t=14558

This is my take and please correct me if I'm wrong: I think that we're fairly close to an electric revolution in home-built cars, but there's not quite a template to do it cheaply yet. I'd like to be able to take a Leaf donor, which would make for a plenty quick Locost, but all the Canbus crap hasn't been entirely navigated. If one doesn't go the EV donor route, the good components are pricey.

But I get ahead of myself. A lot depends on what an acceptable set of performance criteria is to one. Some people could happily live with 40 HP. Personally I'd like to have at least what a Leaf imparts. A 2014 leaf is 3,300 lbs, of which 1000 lbs is the engine and drivetrain. The Leaf feels sprightly at lower speeds - largely because most or all of its 180 ft/lbs of torque is available at zero RPM. Now if you built a 1600 lb. car around that drivetrain, you'd have a very quick car indeed. The range would still be limited, and the thing is gearing limited to 90 MPH, but that's plenty for an hour or two of backroad fun and/or an autocross.

It's the future. I'm willing to embrace it - as long as I can still have my ICEs.

I too keep my eye on the Leaf as a donor. Or the Volt for that matter. I wondered if the manufacturers were gonna treat these cars like the old EV circa 1996, where the cars go back to the manufacturers when the leases are up?

I of course saw the Wheeler Dealer episode where they upgraded an already converted Biturbo. I recall that the cost was quite salty?

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Geek49203 aka
Tim Wohlford
Louisville, KY
Hayes front, S10 +2 rear, Lalo body.

While the idea of an electric car is great for a city commuter, I don't think I'd want something like a Locost as an electric car. A Locost is supposed to be light and nimble, and adding the 1000lb drivetrain mentioned from a Leaf would make for a pretty heavy locost. I think heavier vehicles are probably more suitable for electrification, because the weight penalty isn't as noticeable when the overall weight of the vehicle is taken into consideration. Adding 1000 lbs to a Locost that probably weighs 800 with the conventional drivetrain removed is going to have a much bigger effect on handling and driveability than adding the same 1000 lbs to a typical family sedan that probably weighs over 2500 lbs minus drivetrain. For an autocross or drag car that doesn't need any kind of practical range though, it could be pretty exciting.
Kristian

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V6 in a book frame build. Now registered.
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T-Bird --

Yeah, my comment has been that the electric cars on the market are great replacement for mass transit. Which of course kinda defeats the reason that the gov't is paying people to buy them?

But it would be nice to have, effectively, the fastest golf cart in the retirement complex.

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Geek49203 aka
Tim Wohlford
Louisville, KY
Hayes front, S10 +2 rear, Lalo body.

I built a half-scale electric Locost last year that got me thinking a full scale one wouldn't be too hard. For simplicity, I'd just get a big industrial DC motor in the 30-40 hp range and bolt it to the transmission. There's an electric VW Beetle at the Bay Area Maker Faire each year with this setup. Under a grand for the motor and controller. Not great range, but more cash would buy more batteries.

Your are right to a degree. Not many seven however weigh 800 lbs +drive train. I think that a reasonable pack of lithium ion batteries with controler can possibly be assembled under 500 lbs. Yes of course will you ask...what will be the range of the machine. This is where one should start watching the new developments

"50 kWh Bosch EV Battery will Soon Weigh Just 190 Kilograms"

That's what I just read on the web . 50KWh is a lot of steam if you think that the Smart packs 4.4KWh (range 85 miles).

Another project I'm thinking about... a really really fast Barbie car for the grand daughter?

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Geek49203 aka
Tim Wohlford
Louisville, KY
Hayes front, S10 +2 rear, Lalo body.

It's not super fast, but it'll leave any Powerwheels in the dust.