Just starting out

Pstechpaul,

250 kw is about 335 hp if I am not mistaken, Which after a little more research into motors may be somewhat more than I need.

Duncan,

I think you just about have my idea pegged! I'm not exactly trying to build a Tesla, but something similar to it where i have all the control over the design. I have been thinking about my requirements and two things come to mind. Range being the first. I live in Austin, TX and would like to have the ability to travel to some of the major cities on a single charge. That being said 250 to 300 miles would be ideal. Secondly i would like a good deal of power to be able to get up and go. I do a considerable amount of interstate driving, so being able to get up and around people would be nice if needed. I assume that the 250 kw that i stated would be peak power, only used when say going uphill or to pass someone. I will have to figure out specific figures later, but are electric motors rated by their peak power? I read the amount of kw produced depends on your controller and if your motor and batteries can handle the load. I think i need to buy a book and do more research on this matter as I feel so lost! Any suggestions?

-Jake

Sorry I've been away for a while with work. So Duncan this will be my first car. My father has experience building cars, when I was little he was always doing something or another, restoring cars in his spare time. I realize this will be a tremendous amount of work, but the challenge is what makes me want to do this even more. That being said, the budget can be flexable, as I will have plenty of time to buy the parts needed. I have been doing a little research on batteries and the prices of lithium-ion are dropping yearly so I am not too concerned about this. Currently I drive the 300 mile trip up to see my family in East Texas maybe once a month, but when this car is done I am planning on about two trips a month, maybe a few more. Lastly as far as needs I want it to be street legal and have the same amenities as a traditional car. My brother has some background in electrical engineering and programming so I plan on integrating some cool electronics further on down in the production.