DIY Electric Car Forums banner
Cancel

3 Wheel Drive Hybrid 3 Wheeler (ATC)

2557 Views 3 Replies 3 Participants Last post by  mrdude33, 
A
Hi everyone! First post.

I bought a 1985 Honda 250sx ATC (3 wheeler), and I absolutely LOVE it. I primarily use it in some light dirt and tall grass, and it performs beautifully. But there have been a few times that I've attempted to take it through deep mud and water.The results were less than ideal. And to make it even worse, I have to watch my cousin's smug face go by me on his 4x4 quad while I'm stuck in the mud. So I've hatched a plan:
What if I took an electric hub motor (or any motor really), and stuck it in the front wheel?

Now I know that many would say "By the time you get done doing all of this work, you could've bought a 4x4." Perhaps, but I REALLY like this 3 wheeler, and I think this would be so cool. I own a Fisker Karma and I LOVE hybrid vehicles.

There is plenty of room for a battery pack under the seat, but I don't think I'll need a ton of juice. I'm not wanting to drive the 3 wheeler under electrical power alone (although it would be cool). I'm primarily going to use it for crawling through the mud, where traction is limited for my 2 rear wheels.

There's probably many details that I'm not considering, but that's why I'm here! I'll happily accept any advice or knowledge. I'm not sure what my budget for the project is, because I'm not sure what I can expect from the end result.

Thanks in advance for any insight :)
Save Share
Reply Quote
1 - 4 of 4 Posts
K

· Registered
Joined
·
1,666 Posts
#2 ·
You can expect to be dissapointed !
Hub motors are notoriously weak, especially in low speed/high torque situations ..like crawling through mud !...so your chances of success are slim.
PS.. I thought those 3 wheelers were considered suicide machines ?
 
A

· Registered
Joined
·
2 Posts
Discussion Starter · #3 ·
Dangerous no doubt but not a suicide machine by any means. As long as you're riding within your/its limits anyway.

Sucks that hub motors won't be able to supply the power I'm looking for. That seemed like the easiest approach to a waterproof setup. What about maybe a gear reduction starter? I know they're only made to run for a short period of time, but I'd only be looking for maybe 30 seconds to a minute. Just long enough to get out of the particularly rough bits. And they've probably got ample torque...right?

Thanks for the response!
 
1 - 4 of 4 Posts
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
DIY Electric Car Forums
A forum community dedicated to DIY electric car owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about electric vehicle conversions, builds, performance, modifications, classifieds, troubleshooting, maintenance, and more!
Full Forum Listing
Explore Our Forums
All EV Conversions and Builds Batteries and Charging EVDL List Technical Discussion New Member Introductions
Top