Reverse-Trike EV Design Stage

Giovanni LiCalsi

Giovanni LiCalsi

100 W
Joined
Sep 5, 2013
Messages
185
Location
ALAMEDA, CALIFORNIA 94501
I'm building this reverse trike with two 15kw 20hp brushless motors with Hall's Effect sensors.
The motors will independently drive the front wheels and will provide limited slip.
It's motors will be mounted forward of the front axle and the battery packs with controllers will be mounted behind the front axle.
The motors will be powered by two 15kw 100volt Lipo battery packs.
Each individual motor will be connected to it's own electronic speed controller.
The controllers are PC programmable for low battery warning, high amp limiter, brake regeneration, soft start and high-speed governor.
I will be using a detachable iPad Mini for the dashboard that will also have remote ignition, GPS locator and Lo-Jack.
The wheels will be carbon fiber 17" Blackstone Black Mambas, as well as the rear single-sided swingarm.
The belly pan and lower body section will be made out of all metal Alulight aluminum foam panels.
It's upper body section will be made out of fiberglass.
The entire EV will weigh in at 800lbs. and have around a 75-100 mile range per charge.
It can take a 100% charge in 20 minutes.


Blackstone Black Mamba


Sevcon Gen4 Speed Controller


Astroflight 15kw 100volt Brushless Motor , 12lb. - 4-1/2" Diameter x 7" length


Blackstone Single-sided Swingarm 5lbs.



Black Mamba Wheel On Ducat 1098
 
There is a weight penalty. Unsprung weight is a bad thing.
More weight on the uprights contribute to less than good road handling.
Inboard timing belt driven motors and disc brakes are much more efficient.
Inboard motors are not in the elements and hazardous conditions.
Also there are more flexible gearing designs with inboard motors.
The front wheels do not lift when the motor and battery packs are near the front axles.
 
...why not use a single, properly powerful motor driving the rear wheel?? Keep it simple.
 
Two motors driving the front axles create limited slip differential and provide best control in a panic situation.
The driver also has much better control in cornering.
Mounting a motor as a rear wheel drive will give less control and place weight to the rear when the sweet spot for weight is over the front axle.
 
...thanks man. Crowdfunding could be on the cards - you have to be able to deliver however, and I would need to be much better setup to take a large order - working on it. Frame is actually a space frame - the cover is fibreglass. The trike is a 'proof of concept' - a bit fugly and a bit tall, but works very well. Next ones will be better.

I'm no expert, by any means - just some suggestions about your project....

LIPO may not be the best choice of battery - I would go with LiIon - for a super stable, safe, highpower setup with a long life cycle. Rather than use two separate packs - go with a single pack, 120V or more with a high AH capacity... 90 - 120AH.
...Having the rear wheel drive the vehicle (a proven drive system) I think is still the best. LSD is not really that relevant > infact it will possibly diminish the fun aspect of driving the trike. Pic below is of the Brudelli Leanster - check out the vidoes on-line if you havent seen it work before. If you go for a single motor - you can get one that is cut-out for the job... Match it with a big controller 400A - 600A, and you've got something that will truely hall the sort of weight your talking about. Keep the weight low, central (slightly forward of centre) and compact as possble. Too much weight over the front and it may want to lift the rear wheel in a hard braking situation - as it will have amazing braking power with the two wheels up front. Modularity is the key - battery module - drive module - 12V module - charging module etc. etc...

I have a frame of an ATV 4-wheeler (farm bike) that would make an ideal donor to setup a trike similar to the Brudelli, or non-tilting spider or similar. Would only require minor modification, rather than a scratch built frame which may cost $10k - $15K to build if you had to get someone else to build it.

look forward to seeing some sketches, and the project come together. It's gonna be a beast.

brudeli_leanster_450.jpg
 
Unsprung weight is an overstated issue in neighborhood driving, as this maybe 20hp vehicle will be built for. Wheel lift can be a problem at those speeds and in those turns. A broad front track, weight closer to the wheel that is more effective than farther away, this combats the wheel lift.

I'll give serious concern to unstrung weight if I ever get a TRex.
 
..are you building a car or a bike - 3 wheeler??

only a single battery pack is required, but it must have enough output to run both motors without stressing the pack too much..... a large AH capacity battery will be required. The controllers will be linked - via the main negative.
 
The two Sevcon Gen4 controllers need to monitor one battery pack per motor for proper BMS.
There will be two 15kwr battery packs.
I am building a reverse-trike car like the 1906 Stanley Rocket body and licensed as a motorcycle.
It will look like this except the body will be reversed and the rear wheel is located under the rear section of the body.

 
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ecross said:
My biggest corepack was a 100S 100P 18650 cell,
ecross
Click to expand...
:shock: Wow ! .. a 10,000 cell 18650 pack ! :shock:
... and almost 500 kg of cells !..That should be a world record ? .. ( even Tesla's are not that big !)
What was it used for !
do you have any photo's ?

And Giovanni, .. you do realise that 2x 15kwhr packs will weigh a LOT... near 250kg ?
 
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