DIY Electric Car Forums banner

Low cost electric Beetle

25K views 14 replies 7 participants last post by  jraub14 
#1 ·
Hi all

I am new to converting cars to electric so I have decided to do my first conversion on a simple, cheap VW Beetle.

By using a Beetle I plan on making the conversion a simple as possible as the Beetle doesn't have power breaks, power steering or any complicated wiring.

I aim to make this conversion as cheap as possible as it is my first one. My requirements are as follows: The car must have a maximum speed of about 100 km/h (60 mph) and have a range of about 50 km (30 miles)

I am not 100% sure on the voltage I need or the battery capacity. I am also unsure on the motor size and controller size.

I have heard of people using forklifts for cheap conversions. How viable is this option? What performance could one expect from using an average forklift motor?

I will appreciate any input and help i can get. If there are any questions or I need to be more specific let me know!
Thanks
 
See less See more
Discussion starter · #3 ·
Thanks!

I'm looking to start cheap, with led-acid. Yeah I've found a thread with about 200 pages so I've been browsing through that!

One of the main reasons I am looking at forklift motors is because there are no (or none that I've found) suppliers of DC motors suitable for electric cars in my area and it will be very expensive to ship one in.

Will it be possible to reach about 100 km/h with a forklift motor? How many volts can you feed them? Most of the ones I've seen are rated at 48v so will it be possible to use 72 or maybe 96 volts? Or what voltage would be able to take me to 100 km/h? (I understand that it is dependent on the motor as they are all different) From what i understand so far is that voltage gets you top speed and current gets you acceleration?

The other issue for me is getting a controller. Will it be possible to use a golf cart controller? (It will be easy to find one locally) If I find a 72v +- 600 Amp golf cart controller would it be able to work with a series DC motor from a forklift? Or would I need more power?

Thanks in advance! :)
 
Discussion starter · #6 ·
Awesome!

So it sounds like a forklift motor will be suitable for my needs! Now i just need to find one!

It seems like the controller will be my biggest challenge. I am very interested in the Open ReVolt controller - it's a great concept! I am just a bit worried whether I have the electrical skill required. How difficult is it to build? It appears to be a lot cheaper than a store bought one and cheap is my main goal! If I use the Open ReVolt controller ill be able to use more voltage than if I used a big golf cart controller, maybe somewhere around 120 volts? I'm sure that would increase my top speed.

I forgot to mention that I live in SA so if anyone else has built, or is thinking of building, an electric car in SA please let me know where you are getting parts from! :)

Thanks!!
 
Discussion starter · #12 ·
Thanks for all the input!

I have found some examples of what I want to build:
http://www.evalbum.com/4699
http://www.evalbum.com/4503
http://www.evalbum.com/3970
These all have a similar range and top speed to what I'm looking for and they use lead. I realise that I might have to upgrade suspension and shocks but there are lots of parts available for Beetles around here.
I have a preconceived idea that lithium will be too expensive for my super budget goal but I'll look into them because I'm sure it will be better in the long run. Just remember that this will be my first conversion so I'm looking for simple as well as cheap!

Yes it is very sad that we are so far away from USA! I am also concerned about the adapter so if anyone has advice on how they have done it - that would be great! I'm based in the Western Cape and yourself?

I was also wondering with regards to the forklift motor, do I have to find a big forklift to strip for the motor? Or will an average sized electric forklift, with increased volts and amps, do?

If I weigh up the cost vs reliability of the Open revolt controller vs a production controller (eg. Curtis) which would be the better option? It would be more expensive to buy, especially to ship to SA, a production controller but I know it will be reliable and work properly. If I use the Open Revolt controller it will be cheaper but I will probably have to find someone to build it and it might not end up working properly. I hope this makes sense but I'm a bit stuck with that regard.

Thanks :)
 
Discussion starter · #15 ·
Thanks!

I have received a quote for lead acid batteries however i can't find anything local on lithium batteries. How much more expensive are they generally? If anyone knows of a supplier in SA for lithium batteries please let me know.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top