Has anyone built from scratch?

6362 Views 26 Replies 11 Participants Last post by Thumper, Feb 28, 2011

Lupinthief

Discussion Starter · Feb 27, 2011

Hi. I'm fairly new here and have been fascinated by the wisdom and information available here. I am, however, intrigued because there seem to be very few people building from scratch and those vehicles which are aren't usually for road use.

I reckon that if a car were build from scratch and some concessions were made to the necessities of weight, rolling resistance and aerodynamics, and one modified one's expectations of what the car could do (i.e. accept that there is limited boot space etc.) then the performance and range for a given elecrical setup could be significantly improved.

I've built a few vehicles and reckon (if using LiPos) that a 2-seater vehicle could come in well under 300kg without passengers, if not close to 200kg and have a CDA of under 0.2 if well designed.

Has anyone tried to build from scratch or have any advice on such a policy? There must be something I'm missing.

Thoughts and inspiration welcome

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Woodsmith

· #2 · Feb 27, 2011

Ahem! (Stands up and waves hand!)

It's all very well suggesting that though.
Most, almost all, people either don't want to, are unable to, or can't afford the time or money required to build from scratch. Also not every country makes it easy to build from scratch and be road legal either.

There is a lot of work involved and it doesn't always yield the desired results from a DIY approach unless a great deal of skill, or luck, is used on getting the design right to even get close to matching a good mass production car in terms of handling or aerodynamics.

If you have the skills and experience it would be good for you to share what you have done or your plans for your EV.

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Woodsmith

· #8 · Feb 27, 2011

Lupinthief said:
Very true, but I'm not talking about a viable production vehicle or even one with resale value above that of the components. I'm talking about an efficient design which has practical performance, is minimal and which is safe enough that I am happy to drive it. I admit it is ambitious and not to everone's taste but I think it could be practical for getting from A to B, and I don't see why rain should be a problem. Strong winds, however, might be a concern.

These cars were driven through cities and raced on the highway overtaking and being overtaken by two or three trailer road trains so they're not as vulnerable as they may appear.

It sounds like a good concept but the other thing in reality is that it would need to not just survive being overtaken by trucks but also the occasional contact.

In the real world you would want something that is also easy to get in and out of in a suit or a dress, carry the shopping/baby/dog, has good visibilty both driving and parking, etc.

The is a big difference between one off concepts that prove what is possible and a realistic day to day vehicle.

What market or use are you aiming to design and build for?

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Woodsmith

· #17 · Feb 28, 2011

I'd also second Todd's reasons.

I want to have the feeling of personally creating something from the ground up and only using those parts that I cannot (or cannot justify to) make for myself.

I am aiming for a 70mile round trip at 70 mph to get myself to work and back with the option of carrying a little light luggage/shopping and/or a passenger.
Though I could do that with a standard converted vehicle I can build a little lighter to save battery pack capacity and have a vehicle that only meets my requirements and not requirements that I don't need.

Also for the effort involved in finding the time and money to invest in it I want something that I will 'love' and 'cherish' more then a random cheap mass market hatchback that I have no personal connection with.

I look forward to how your designs develop here, Lupin.

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Woodsmith

· #19 · Feb 28, 2011

That's good.

As much as this forum is mostly DIY conversions the builds and scratch builds are great to learn from and read about and would hopefully inspire others in detail as well as in the overall concept.

The best thing about scratch builds is when they are completed, working and on the road.

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