Electric dreaming NICE - for non-ICE

I have an electric motor and controller I got a long time ago for a project that never got completed. It's pretty high quality (AC motor, regen-capable controller, etc), and big enough that it would make a small car like an MGB or miata into a rocket. But it is 10 years old. And so is my knowledge and most of my research on DIY electric car conversions. 

I'm itching to find a use for it. I'm also interested in production electric cars and 'hopping them up', but I don't know much about it since I don't own any electric cars yet. 

A couple candidates for the swap: my MGB-GT (currently is planned for a miata 1.6 swap but is only just torn down at this point) is one option. Another is the 65 skylark. Maybe something else? Maybe wait till the jag motor gives up in the jag xjr (hopefully would be years away but you never really know)? I really like the morgan 3 wheeler - should I build an electric one?

I'd love to build something that can still be used for day-to-day stuff. running errands. date night. etc. I'm not looking to build a race-only car. But I also dislike the idea of building a car that cannot go do an autox day or something. 

Please jump in to offer anything you like about DIY electric stuff. Are DIY conversions allowed to autox/rallyx/track day? Is it possible to build a DIY car that can charge itself at a public charging station? Has anyone looked into buying a cheap leaf or something and just hopping it up to be competitive in autox? What is the battery situation for DIY conversions? What do you want to build?

Electric amc.

/thread

In reply to Robbie :

Morgan themselves are already doing electric trikes...Look at EVSR the electric SCCA Spec Racer conversion. Runs 45 minutes at SR speeds on track. Much faster if you do not need the duration, like hillclimb.

I personally think it should power something that makes Miatas look huge.

If the Saturn's engine offs itself under my watch I might try an electric conversion on it. That's as far as I've gotten with that thought train though.

Too big for a motorcycle?

Mgb.  

Sorry to post and run - yesterday was a bit of a day for me!

Anyway. I need to go look at my motor/controller package, but I think it is very comparable to this:

https://www.evwest.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=8&products_id=172

Which they are asking almost $5k for . Maybe the best plan is to list my stuff on ebay and go buy a cheap leaf and start playing around with it. Even if I sold my stuff for $2500, and got a cheap leaf for $5000, I would have a running/driving electric car for less than I could even buy batteries for to do my own diy conversion. 

Dusterbd13-michael said:

Electric amc.

/thread

If I thought there was any way to keep that challenge legal ($$ motor and controller, $$ batteries), you would bet your bottom dollar I'd do it. 

TurnerX19 said:

In reply to Robbie :

Morgan themselves are already doing electric trikes...Look at EVSR the electric SCCA Spec Racer conversion. Runs 45 minutes at SR speeds on track. Much faster if you do not need the duration, like hillclimb.

I have seen pics of the electric morgan. I like it. I will look into the EVSR!

In reply to Cooter :

Soooooooooooooooo you selling one? Or maybe you want my motor/controller?

Daylan C said:

If the Saturn's engine offs itself under my watch I might try an electric conversion on it. That's as far as I've gotten with that thought train though.

a saturn wagon could be cool

Nick Comstock said:

Too big for a motorcycle?

in physical size, maybe not. in torque, maybe 

It is probably too wide for chain drive - meaning to chain drive right off the shaft you would have to offset the motor to one side of the bike so much that it would be really weird. Or run some sort of system of extra shafts and such. Shaft drive might work. 

Patrick said:

Mgb.  

that was the original plan for the motor. And if I thought it would be reasonable to get say 50-70 miles of range in the MGB and have it be able to charge at public charging stations I would be interested. 

But honestly the best plan for that is to buy a wrecked leaf and stuff everything into the MGB. and since the leaf is FWD, I might as well start with something mid engine like a fiat x1/9 or mr2 to stuff all the leaf stuff into. 

You left your MR2 in Gainesville. 

(With a guy who intends to put an electric motor into it)

My immediate question was "what batteries?" since that will decide a lot of the packaging, weight, and potential performance restrictions.  So... what batteries?  The more you spend on them the smaller/faster it can likely be.

Robbie said:

Daylan C said:

If the Saturn's engine offs itself under my watch I might try an electric conversion on it. That's as far as I've gotten with that thought train though.

a saturn wagon could be cool

Mine is a sedan but if the sedan works I might try a wagon as Mk2.

This thread and seeing a Harley Livewire on some clickbait thing has me all hot and bothered about electric motorcycles.... Danger danger, high voltage. But seriously, I've been too long without a bike in the stable.