I’m thinking about converting an old delivery truck from the late 40s they don’t make parts for anymore. The problem is the vehicle is HEAVY by modern standards (could barely move it with the skid steer) I’m starting my parts list from the ground up and want to use hub motors. Any suggestions for hub motors that are potentially up to the task would be appreciated.
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While I will echo the ‘don’t use hub motors’ idea. The idea does have it’s merit. You will need a different approach to things though.
Here is a company that makes hub motors. And the direct link to the appropriate product. Specifically their 12kw hub motor, which appears to be the most powerful option currently available. It appears they can make it with a rim already installed.
You’ll NEED two to get the vehicle to move, but you’ll WANT four for better performance. I recall seeing an ‘at speed’ power draw graph for most electric cars, and highway speeds need roughly 20 to 30 kilowatts continuous to maintain speeds.
Controller dependent, one controller per hub motor, Your system should probably be at 96v nominal. These are the ones the above company recommends, but there are other options out there.
One controller per motor, have them all hooked up to the same digital accelerator pedal.
All in all, I would expect about 5000 USD per wheel in costs, not including batteries.
We need to write a bible for Ev conversions.
One of the 10 commandments will be “Thou shalt not plan on using hub motors, thou ist not building an e-bike and thou hasn’t found a secretly superior way of building yon EV.”
Hub motors today are simply not powerful enough and if you made one that is powerful enough it would weigh so much the vibrations coming from the road would tear everything apart.
Your largest obstacle is going to be the weight. By time you add enough battery to go very far you will be super heavy.
Now if you could mount the body onto an electric car chassis it might be an easier project to succeed with.
Once. Just once, it would be nice to see someone come in here with names and numbers, not just a vague description of a vehicle that could be anything from a milk truck to an ML1. How heavy, what speed and what was the original motor and gear/diff ratios
Don’t use hub motors. But if you do use hub motors, wait until some motors that Lordtown Motors uses in their trucks show up in a bankruptcy auction.
You don’t want hub motors, and even if you do, they don’t exist in any form that is accessible to the public.
Just drop a Tesla motor in like everyone else, enjoy the cheap performance.
If you really want new running gear then drop in the whole subframe.
A Tesla drive unit is inappropriate for a heavy truck application. They barely last 100kmiles doing ~30kW continuous in a Tesla…
Is there a way to do a gear reduction on a tesla drive unit? A heavy delivery truck from the 40s doesn’t need to be going anywhere near the top speed a tesla drive unit would go at max rpm. A tesla top speed is ~150mph. Reduce that with gears to 75mph at max rpm and you will have twice the torque available = less strain on the motor
The gearbox and gears are not designed for the stress.
Motor is used in the Semi.
Not the gearbox.
What gives out? Bearings?
Early models yes. Not so much the later ones. They are fairly easy to change as well if you have a reasonable tool kit.
Put it this way, it won’t be the hardest part of your conversion.