Electrifying - food for thought

[Oldyeller]

I was grazing on YouTube this morning and came across the video below. Ford is selling their new electric motor as a crate motor for $3900; 281HP and, I think, over 600 ft. lb. of torque. Be interesting to see how long it'll be before someone sticks one in their skoolie. The weight savings over a diesel with fuel tank, exhaust, radiator and intercooler, etc., etc. would go a long way to making up for the weight of the batteries. Also, no reason you couldn't move the 'motor' and tranny to right in front of the differential and lose the long driveshaft, more weight saved.

Interesting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifOX6ibyuPs

[john61ct]

They will keep selling out long before regular people can grab them. I reckon, for years.

The low gearing required to move a bus around town would IMO be a big challenge.

As will range always be, even with Fast DC charging and a ton of pricey batteries.

Figure $20K if you're handy, over the cost of the buss and motor, maybe 30-40mi range

[Oldyeller]

Originally Posted by john61ct

They will keep selling out long before regular people can grab them. I reckon, for years.

The low gearing required to move a bus around town would IMO be a big challenge.

As will range always be, even with Fast DC charging and a ton of pricey batteries.

Figure $20K if you're handy, over the cost of the buss and motor, maybe 30-40mi range

Certainly there are things to overcome but, if you had the money, it'd be a fun, interesting project.

[JESUSBUS]

Electric vehicles are probably going to be the wave of the future, but wait 10 years and you can buy this same motor less than half the price. Don't jump on the bandwagon too soon, that's what rich people are for!

[Oldyeller]

Originally Posted by JESUSBUS

Electric vehicles are probably going to be the wave of the future, but wait 10 years and you can buy this same motor less than half the price. Don't jump on the bandwagon too soon, that's what rich people are for!

I'm not planning to do it. I wanna have some fun with my nasty, old, beat up, rusty bus before I shuffle off this mortal coil. I just think it would be a fun project and that motor is way more powerful than most the engines in our buses.

[Zork]

Originally Posted by Oldyeller

I was grazing on YouTube this morning and came across the video below. Ford is selling their new electric motor as a crate motor for $3900; 281HP and, I think, over 600 ft. lb. of torque. Be interesting to see how long it'll be before someone sticks one in their skoolie. The weight savings over a diesel with fuel tank, exhaust, radiator and intercooler, etc., etc. would go a long way to making up for the weight of the batteries. Also, no reason you couldn't move the 'motor' and tranny to right in front of the differential and lose the long driveshaft, more weight saved.

Interesting.

Not a very good way of doing it. Most EV's have individual motors on each wheel and a controller to sync them. Hybrids just add a gas engine to charge the batteries and power the motors when necessary.

[RevMark]

Alaska’s electric school bus in the extreme cold

https://electrek.co/2021/11/19/heres...as-low-as-40f/

[Zork]

Originally Posted by RevMark

Alaska’s electric school bus in the extreme cold

https://electrek.co/2021/11/19/heres...as-low-as-40f/

If they laced the seats and a battery blanket with nichrome wire embedded in duct tape they could easily keep them toasty with a mere 12vdc. I built a telescope dew heater band system that way and it operated nicely for hours from a 7ah 12vdc battery through pots and RCA connectors.

[Oldyeller]

Originally Posted by Zork

Not a very good way of doing it. Most EV's have individual motors on each wheel and a controller to sync them. Hybrids just add a gas engine to charge the batteries and power the motors when necessary.

Which manufacturer is manufacturing pancake motors which replace the wheels on an electric car? That's what you mean correct? I don't follow the electric car bidness that closely so I wasn't aware they had gotten to that point.

[Zork]

Originally Posted by Oldyeller

Which manufacturer is manufacturing pancake motors which replace the wheels on an electric car? That's what you mean correct? I don't follow the electric car bidness that closely so I wasn't aware they had gotten to that point.

Search Google for "ev electric motor" and be prepared for sticker shock.

[Doktari]

I was wondering if electric motors could be added to existing vehicles easily somehow. Only for going slowly around towns doing errands. Not for long distance. The original motor would still do long trips. Frequent cold starting, stopping and starting, and idling would be eliminated. I want a electric wheel that goes in my tow hitch on my truck so I can go around the farm with out stating the engine. They have lots of electric vehicles at airports for towing the planes and cargo around.
Those Ford electric motors are powerful but the amount of batteries required is daunting. The airports show that if people lived in local economies and dont drive so far then simple electric vehicles could provide a lot of utility.

[DeMac]

Originally Posted by Doktari

I was wondering if electric motors could be added to existing vehicles easily somehow. Only for going slowly around towns doing errands. Not for long distance. The original motor would still do long trips. Frequent cold starting, stopping and starting, and idling would be eliminated. I want a electric wheel that goes in my tow hitch on my truck so I can go around the farm with out stating the engine. They have lots of electric vehicles at airports for towing the planes and cargo around.
Those Ford electric motors are powerful but the amount of batteries required is daunting. The airports show that if people lived in local economies and dont drive so far then simple electric vehicles could provide a lot of utility.

Hundreds of Gas-Electric buses saturated our cities such as Philadelphia, Chicago and NYC, more than one hundred years ago. As early as 1901. Not experimental buses or rail trolleys, but full functioning transit buses providing the primary public transportation throughout their cities. The operating cost & reliability of these vehicles promoted the switch from horse-wagon public transportation to mechanical machines for busy cities.

The industry was quite competitive. Manufacturers & Operators of Gas-Electric buses included: New York Motor Bus Company, United States Express Company, Fifth Avenue Coach Company, Hexter Motor Truck Company, General Electric, Chicago Bus Company and many others.

https://cdm16694.contentdm.oclc.org/...exact/conn/and

Below is the design used by Roland Gas-Electric Vehicle Corp. in 1913
Three units make up this vehicle, the first being a gasoline motor forward under hood; the second an electric generator located beneath the seat and the third two electric motors one in front of and the other behind the jackshaft.