With the latest discussion of electric vehicles and their development and design problems, I also want to see if I can use my unique design concept to build my own alternative electric vehicle. If it is also possible to prove that the electric car is not cumbersome, complicated, expensive, but can be very simple, fun, and can use basic materials to build, it is too good.
Material list
Hardwood plate
Electric scooter rear wheel assembly with sprocket
300W 24V DC motor with sprocket
Transmission chain
12V lead-acid battery
Shot crimping
Instantaneous Turn on button
Electrical tape
4mm steel plate and steel strip
Mountain skateboard steering frame
Mountain slide wheel
M6 screw, gasket and lock nut
M8 screw, gasket and lock nut
Wooden screw
Double-core multi-shaped power cable
Single core multi-stock power cable
Cable tie
design concept
In this project, I decided to use the waste parts found in the debris shed to assemble an electric skateboard. The first is a 300W DC motor that is detachable from an old electric scooter, which drives a large gas tire wheel through the chain and sprocket. I really like the design of the tricycle, so I decided to use a complete scooter rear wheel assembly in a single rear wheel drive design.
Stability is critical in the design of tricycles, and anyone who is familiar with Reliant Robin or Regal knows that it is not worthy of the sign name, because of the center of gravity to biased toward the top of a pivot wheel, it is easy to cause unstable. Therefore, the gravity of any three-wheeled vehicle must be biased toward the spindle, ironically, the Reliant's three-wheeled motorcycle design prototype is the case.
My design goal is to install two rounds of steering spindles in front of the skateboard, and the rear mounting chain drive can achieve a simple construction. My body weight is on the front axle, so that the center of gravity is biased toward the front of the skateboard, so that the safety of the battery and the motor can be ensured while ensuring stable weight distribution.
Main chassis
My main chassis is designed with a hardwood board, which is very similar to the general skateboard or surfboard. But I installed a large electrical transmission system, which increased the total length of the slide, so it would be necessary to increase the strength of the chassis. To this end, I cut some steel strips and fixed them on the edge of the skateboard with a bury self-tapping screw. I drill a hole in the end of the rear wheel, through this hole and uses these steel strips to attach the rear wheel on the chassis.
Front axle and steering
After assembling the chassis, the next step is to install the steering shaft (also known as a steering frame). I decided to use a mountain skateboard steering frame and their matching wheels to ensure that the chassis next to the large diameter rear wheel is consistent. The reason why it chooses this steering frame because its rotten spacing is large, and it can increase the size of the weight distribution, while the wheelbase between the front and rear wheels is longer, so that the slide is very stable.
Motor stent
To drive the rear wheel, I need to install the motor on the skateboard, carefully align the sprockets on the motor and rear wheels, and leave the appropriate spacing for the chain of the old scooter. I use DesignSpark Mechanical to model the size of the bracket, which is removed from the motor base, and there is a mounting hole of the M6 screw, which is convenient to use. Then I export a DXF file for cutting the bracket from a 4mm low carbon steel sheet on the CNC lathe, and then folded the cutting stent into a certain angle. Then I use the M6 screw to connect the motor to the bracket, and then secure the bracket to the skateboard with the M8 screw and the gasket. Next, install the chain, the assembly of the rear wheel assembly is completed.
power supply
After installing the motor, I can concentrate on assemble the power. For the sake of simplicity, I use two 12V lead-acid batteries to provide a 24V DC power required for the motor. The battery is tied to the side of the motor bracket to facilitate disassembly and charging. The motor is then attached to the battery pack by a single core cable with a shovel crimping terminal to ensure good vibration resistance.
speed control
The old button is connected to the battery pack using a docal power supply cable (for the shovel crimping terminal and the electrical tape), which allows the user to stand on the slide to control the motor. At this time, the control system is very easy. When the button is switched, the motor is either fully energized, either completely power out, so acceleration is extremely sudden. Later I will install the PWM control system on the skateboard to control acceleration.
Zipper
It turns out that the DC motor is an excellent actuator with great start torque. During the test, it applies the force to the chain in the stationary state, sufficient to disengage the chain from the motor sprocket. In order to reduce this effect, I built a simple zipper with two steel strips, M10 threaded rods, 10 mm positioning parts, and M10 flat head nuts, which are fixed on the steel chassis, thereby solving this problem. Finally, I successfully conducted a skateboard test.
in conclusion
This is a typical project for starting for summer use, but it is until the end of the winter. Although the design looks very simple, some difficulties are hidden in the chassis and power transmission systems, and it takes a long time to solve. However, the project finally succeeded and provided practical examples for all people assembled an electric vehicle. I hope this article can inspire everyone, and encourage you to use the whimsy to create a more green and environmentally friendly.
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