3 ms·

Yeah, I'd have thought a DC motor plus a two-speed transmission would be a no-brainer for the budget end of the market (at least until high power AC drives come

• elihu 6y ago
  DC motors are great if you want the most power with the least price, but for a daily driver AC has a few advantages. AC motors are usually zero maintenance because they don't have brushes to wear out, and it's a lot easier to support regen (which I've heard actually makes a big difference to driving experience; people expect the car to slow down when they take their foot off the gas, and it's disconcerting for it to just keep rolling forward like a freewheeling bicycle). AC motors and motor controllers are generally more expensive than, say, a Warp9 and a Zilla, but the price difference is gradually dropping. Probably the price difference between AC and DC for a major manufacturer is even smaller than what's available retail to hobbyists doing conversions. And I think more and more conversions are being done with repurposed Tesla and Leaf drive units. A small, cheap AC motor attached to a 2 or 3 speed transmission would be a lot of fun to drive, I think. No need for a reverse gear even. Maybe not even a clutch or flywheel, if you can match the motor speed with the transmission electronically. My batteries are about 450 pounds of lithium iron phosphate cells. That's generally what's recommended for conversions. Used Tesla packs have much better energy density, but they're more dangerous and need liquid cooling and are awkwardly shaped. I couldn't think of a good place to put them in the RX-8 where they'd be safe.