[ausev] Hub motors

[Gil Dawson]

At 9:44 A -0600 4/22/08, evehicle4me at hischopsticks.org wrote:
>I just spent an hour on google and did not find a single article
>discussing auto ev conversions using hub motors.  Is there some reason
>why?

I've heard two:

Hub motors add to the "unsprung weight", which apparently affects the 
handling or the ride or maybe tire wear in some unpleasant way.

Hub motors are subject to more mechanical abuse from road bumps.

Of course, there are trade-offs, as you suggest.  Probably the most 
compelling factor is inertia: we can find plenty of help with 
transmissions and differentials and such because they've been around 
for so long.

Diesel railroad engines use hub motors on rails just fine.

I'm looking forward to hearing about what you find out.

--Gil

At 9:44 A -0600 4/22/08, evehicle4me at hischopsticks.org wrote:
>Hub motor, that is ;)  I see hub motors on bikes all over the place.
>I just did a quick check on alibaba.com, a website used to market
>Chinese products.  They are showing hub motors of up to 10 KW as stock
>items, voltages vary. They are a 10" wheel...but something like this
>could be changed rather easily.
>
>I just spent an hour on google and did not find a single article
>discussing auto ev conversions using hub motors.  Is there some reason
>why?  Transmissions add another 150 pounds or so to a vehicles weight,
>not to mention the additional complexity of the linkages to shift, or
>the torque converter, etc.  I have always thought a vehicle with a hub
>motor in each wheel would give the best of many worlds - an electric 4
>wheel drive vehicle, when needed, a vehicle with a more balanced
>weight distribution, a vehicle with far fewer moving parts (no engine
>AND tranny)
>
>I have never posted here before.  I am open to any ideas and
>especially appreciate links to articles to help me expand my knowledge
>base.
>
>Right now I am working on a plan to add a motor to a folding bike.  I
>will post links to pics when it is up and running.
>
>Cheers
>
>
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