G
Guest
·Hey Folks:
I have a proposition for everyone: In the face of eco-freaks who blame
us for polluting the wilderness which we all recreate in, why hasn't
some one built an ELECTRIC rock crawler? It would be quiet(no noise
complaints), controllable("tread lightly") and, as much as I despise
the superficiallity of the term, "eco-friendly." Sound like a flounder
of an idea? read on...
I'm not a tree hugger- I own a Toyota 4x4 and ride dirt bikes and, believe
me, the notion of some weak electric motor powering a rockcrawler laden
with a 1 ton rack of Duralast lead acid batteries is the first thing
that came to mind...
...but recently, I have been indirectly involved(through my dad's machine
shop, who builds the adapter plates for the electric motors) with a
guy who builds conversion kits for small, electric commuter cars. MY
sarcasm and skepticism about the gutless wonders which could only go
50 miles on a charge and would leave you stranded till the generator
truck showed up were completely neutralized when I saw a Range rover
converted to electric power. It could smoke the tires and pulled harder
than the gas one did...and got 200 miles on a charge! The Nickel-metal-hydride
batteries could be charged to 60% of full in about 15 minutes, at 1/3
the cost per mile of gasoline.
The simple advantages *I* see right away for a rockcrawler are:
No drive lines!!! the motors make so much torque at very low rpm that
one could be mounted atop each axle and geared(minimally) straight to
it's set of wheels. Or better yet, a MOTOR PER WHEEL! Who needs lockers
when you can control each wheel independently?Talk about unlimited articulation
and travel!
No clutch to slip and burn, No transmission, gas tank, transfercase, drive lines or exhaust to get thrashed
by the rocks! The battery packs now are amazingly small and light wieght,
and can be made to almost any shape...they could be crammed anywhere
you needed wieght, and would be out of the way of tires, suspension
and trail obstacles. They could be moved around if you wanted a different wiehgt distribution.
Control!! The control units for these things(like a gigantic, electronic
rheostat) are really precise, far better and more modulated than even an automatic tranny.
When the vehicle stops, the motors stop and there isn't anything to
engage or slip...only smooth, seamless torque available from RPM zero.
I think this is a viable, realistic way to still have fun and please
the greenies. Tell me what you think, and I'll see if it can be done.
I need opinions, and feed back.
Yeah, it might just be a trailer queen for now, but showing up to an
ARCA event in electric silence and waxing the Sniper and Scorpion in
flex, agility and center of gravity and zero emissions? How can they
possibly kick us off the little land we have left if we have little
more impact then a few mountain bikes?
Anyone have a donor vehicle? No running gear required!
Comments? Questions?
Thanks,
Tim Hillsamer
I have a proposition for everyone: In the face of eco-freaks who blame
us for polluting the wilderness which we all recreate in, why hasn't
some one built an ELECTRIC rock crawler? It would be quiet(no noise
complaints), controllable("tread lightly") and, as much as I despise
the superficiallity of the term, "eco-friendly." Sound like a flounder
of an idea? read on...
I'm not a tree hugger- I own a Toyota 4x4 and ride dirt bikes and, believe
me, the notion of some weak electric motor powering a rockcrawler laden
with a 1 ton rack of Duralast lead acid batteries is the first thing
that came to mind...
...but recently, I have been indirectly involved(through my dad's machine
shop, who builds the adapter plates for the electric motors) with a
guy who builds conversion kits for small, electric commuter cars. MY
sarcasm and skepticism about the gutless wonders which could only go
50 miles on a charge and would leave you stranded till the generator
truck showed up were completely neutralized when I saw a Range rover
converted to electric power. It could smoke the tires and pulled harder
than the gas one did...and got 200 miles on a charge! The Nickel-metal-hydride
batteries could be charged to 60% of full in about 15 minutes, at 1/3
the cost per mile of gasoline.
The simple advantages *I* see right away for a rockcrawler are:
No drive lines!!! the motors make so much torque at very low rpm that
one could be mounted atop each axle and geared(minimally) straight to
it's set of wheels. Or better yet, a MOTOR PER WHEEL! Who needs lockers
when you can control each wheel independently?Talk about unlimited articulation
and travel!
No clutch to slip and burn, No transmission, gas tank, transfercase, drive lines or exhaust to get thrashed
by the rocks! The battery packs now are amazingly small and light wieght,
and can be made to almost any shape...they could be crammed anywhere
you needed wieght, and would be out of the way of tires, suspension
and trail obstacles. They could be moved around if you wanted a different wiehgt distribution.
Control!! The control units for these things(like a gigantic, electronic
rheostat) are really precise, far better and more modulated than even an automatic tranny.
When the vehicle stops, the motors stop and there isn't anything to
engage or slip...only smooth, seamless torque available from RPM zero.
I think this is a viable, realistic way to still have fun and please
the greenies. Tell me what you think, and I'll see if it can be done.
I need opinions, and feed back.
Yeah, it might just be a trailer queen for now, but showing up to an
ARCA event in electric silence and waxing the Sniper and Scorpion in
flex, agility and center of gravity and zero emissions? How can they
possibly kick us off the little land we have left if we have little
more impact then a few mountain bikes?
Anyone have a donor vehicle? No running gear required!
Comments? Questions?
Thanks,
Tim Hillsamer
