patman

iTrader: (3)

have you actually figured out how much it will cost for the electricity to charge your batteries to propel this thin around town? i think if you calculate it out you will find that it is more than gas costs you. if you want to go electric, my not just get a golf cart? they have the really riced out ones now, so you will be 'cool' and it is designed around the electric motor, so it would be extremely mroe efficeint than anything you build.

i am not trying to get you down on the project, i just dont see any practical advantages. however, if that is unimportant to you, then go for it, i'll be glad to help you out with some info if ya need it.

pat

unW7WZ

I once saw a documentary on an experimental military vehicle similar to (but also a replacement to) the Hummers. It had 4 100 hp electric motors, one per wheel, a battery array, and an indirect hybrid deisel motor for charging. The coolest thing I think, was that each whel could spin independently from the others, allowing for 360 degree rotation.

My thoughts are try something along these lines. It would be so cool to see a 7 rotate, if someone is riding your ***, you can rotate and look directly at them while moving. LoL

** As for the deisel, drop that idea, for weight purposes. As for simplicity, this truely would be the simplest, simply because the entire drivetrain is gone. This will increase weight reduction a GREAT deal. Just stick the motors where the DT used to be. Run shafts to the wheels (and if you want to get a little more complicated use cv joints at the wheels). Also this would open up the entire drivebay for batteries.

Syonyk

A golf cart isn't street legal. Also, electricity can be generated by other means. Gasoline can't.

As for spinning a '7 around with independent motors, that's well beyond the level of complexity that I can handle.

-=Russ=-

patman

iTrader: (3)

actually, believe it or not, golf carts can be made street legal. that was just a joke tho.

Drift_Kid

http://www.evparts.com/about/index.php?show=mazda.ihtml
thers a link about the electric rx. my dad is a big fan of it and they have the electric drags like 20 miles from my house at elast once a year and i must say watching this thing fly down the track is very impressive especialy sience all you can hear is tires squeeling

OverDriven

Sorry bro, but my guess is if you actually have to ask this question...then this project will never be finished.

Whizbang

well, you got to start somewhere.

Aaron Cake

iTrader: (1)

I don't have one yet, but it's in the works. Planning for a 10 second (or thereabouts) drag car.

Check these out:

Fast:
http://www.austinev.org/evalbum/047.html
http://www.austinev.org/evalbum/120.html

Average:
http://www.austinev.org/evalbum/179.html
http://www.austinev.org/evalbum/260.html

Don't let the naysayers influence you. These people have NO CLUE regarding EVs.

Crash Test Joey

iTrader: (1)

I don't think he was asking how to do it. I think he was asking if anyone with an RX7 had done it before.

Personally I think it's a cool idea. Not within my skillset to pull it off, but I'd love to see something like that in person.

As for the torque down low, well, I went a different route with that since the 13B didn't have enough - and it uses lots of gasoline, but I don't mind

patman

iTrader: (3)

hehe those are some nifty links aaron. still isnt something i would do, though. and even though i suppose i am considered a naysayer, you might be surprised at what i know about this particular subject. I am also a member of the WVU challenge x team, which is a design competition for hybrid vehicles, and while i wouldn't do it to a 7, i do think that hybrid is the way to go at this point....until a better source of electricity becomes commonplace, and better batteries are available.

something else you may want to look into is ultracapacitors.

pat

Thaniel

I'm glad to see the EV conversion discussed. I have been thinking about it. My rx-7 goes to work and back and that's about it. Of course I don't want to sacrifice acceleration. Good acceleration is one thing most factory EV's don't seem to have.

Nice links to the converted EV's.

Thanks.

turbogarrett

iTrader: (1)

There was a red, electric powered fd on ebay a year or so ago. Not something I would build, but interesting none the less.

Syonyk

patman - there are a LOT of people who flat out don't drive long distances. I understand what you're saying about a hybrid, but in a lot of places, 30 mile range on a charge is overkill. Also, hybrids, great as they are, still have the same sort of problems with a cold start. Gasoline engines suck when they're cold. Take a hybrid, start it, drive it 5 miles, let it get stone cold. Repeat for a tank of gas, and see what kind of mileage you get.

An electric car as an "in town" car makes a lot of sense for people - get in, drive hard. No worrying about the engine warming up, no dealing with cold starts. If I had a car with a 25 mile per day range, that would cover all my driving with the exception of highway trips, and if I wanted, I could tow a trailer with a small generator in it for power on the highway.

Thanks for the links, Aaron. I had searched for a while, but never ran across those.

OverDriven: The fact that I'm asking about it doesn't mean I don't know how to do it. I brought it up for discussion only after thinking about it quite a bit and realizing it was something that was within my grasp, technically. The only thing holding me back right now is money (the whole college student thing isn't nice on the wallet).

-=Russ=-

patman

iTrader: (3)

ahhh...so if you are at college, that means that you pprobably don't directly pay your electric bill....the plot thickens. I do see what you mean about cold starts hurtign your efficiency, although with a hybrid, it would be minimal, since small engines warm up much faster. My main concern thus far is that the electricity required to charge the batteries would cost significantly more than the gas to just run the car.... then again...if you had some solar panels....but i digress. Anyway...i still like the hybrid thing... and here's another point: if you used a very 'lopsided' hybrid, that is... a really small engine and big motor, then you could just never run the gas unless the battery was low...saves you towing a trailer anyway.

what will solve the EV problem is better power storage.... right now the energy density stored in gasoline is way better than that of a battery, even the best batteries.

pat

Aaron Cake

iTrader: (1)

With Li-Ion batteries, a 300-400 mile range is easily possible. Not entirely cheap though.

digitalsolo

iTrader: (2)

Don't forget polymer Li-Ion batteries. Can be formed to specific shapes/sizes, with Li-Ion capacity/cycling. Very cool stuff.

Syonyk

Right... and I'll just run the 3000 ft extension cord out of my dorm room to the parking lot?

No, I pay for my own electricity, and live off-campus now.

For the cost of doing an electric conversion, I can pay for a LOT of gas. That's not really the point here.

-=Russ=-

patman

iTrader: (3)

well... i sort of figured that... the quote above was a joke. so...are you an environment type of guy....or what? i'm still trying to figure out exactly why you are doing this.... i mean... just for the sake of efficency when cold, and no other reason? or if you just want to be cool, thats fine, i understand, i just still havent figured this whole thing out.

pat

Syonyk

Dude. I drive a '7. The emissions control stuff is gone. My exhaust feels like mace. That should answer the question about environmentalist.

Mostly because I can. It'd be a cool project, and I'd love to be able to drive a '7 hard in town through some of the nicer corners, without having to take a 5 mile "warmup drive" to get things up to temperature first.

-=Russ=-

projekt

yeah 500lbs in batteries definately beats waiting 5 minutes for your car to warm.

damn those internal combustion engines!!!

patman

iTrader: (3)

well...an electric car will be heavier, but not that much heavier...you have to consider all the things that you can get rid of..

transmission, exhausst, gas tank, fuel lines, intake, cooling system, charging system, etc.

i left out engine and attachments, since its weight will be approximately replaced by the motor and control system.

KillRaven

have you tried these links?

http://fveaa.org/membercars/bills/

or

http://www.austinev.org/evalbum/120.html

or -nice pictures

http://fveaa.org/projects/paulh/


Try a search for the "White Litnin" RX7. Used dual motors for drag racing.

KillRaven

digitalsolo

iTrader: (2)

Pssssst. 9 month old thread.