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I wonder if it's cost effective to import the motor or equivalent electric motor and battery packs from China through something like AliExpress and build a DIY

by sgt 6y ago

I wonder if it's cost effective to import the motor or equivalent electric motor and battery packs from China through something like AliExpress and build a DIY electric car for fun. I am thinking some donor car like an old E30 and not something new, as then I bet it can get quite complicated quick. Anyone on HN doing an EV conversion?

rbanffy 6y ago
There are many conversion kits you can fit in a car in the place of an internal combustion engine. I haven't seen any that gets rid of all the transmission, however. It's a sad thing to have an electric motor saddled by a gearbox and even worse when it's a manual gearbox.
- Unklejoe 6y ago
  > saddled by a gearbox and even worse when it's a manual gearbox Couldn't you just leave it in like 3rd gear all the time or something?
  - rbanffy 6y ago
    Not sure 3rd would be able to take the full torque.
    - mrguyorama 6y ago
      What manual transmission are you thinking of that can't take a few hundred foot pounds of torque?
      - rbanffy 6y ago
        You are right. They can all take the maximum torque of the ICE.
      - sgt 6y ago
        I think EV West has a BMW M3 E36 with a Tesla motor in it, also manual I bet, but of course that would already have been a beefy manual gearbox. Expensive donor cars to find.
- sgt 6y ago
  I think with an automatic you will need to always keep the electric motor running in order to keep the hydraulic fluids pumping. So to me it seems that the worst is an automatic transmission. With a manual, you get a way to play around with torque levels which I suppose can be fun, as another commenter here mentioned you can probably just take off in 3rd and leave it there.