best electric bike for hills image
Q. What is stopping people from just replacing a gas engine with an electric engine. I know a little bit about cars but not enough to know this answer. What makes an engine go from 8000 rpm or so down back to like 1 or 2 thousand rpm when you shift gears. Could you do the same thing with an electric engine?
Where would i be able to look at find motors with the type of power a car would call for?
Where would i be able to look at find motors with the type of power a car would call for?
Answer
If you want the equivalent of a golf cart, there are companies that will make the conversion for you. It will cost you thousands of dollars and you won't be able to go from L.A. to Anaheim on a charge.
The biggest barrier is batteries.
Gasoline has an energy density of about 46.19 Newton-Meters per kilogram (energy units per unit of weight).
A lead acid battery (the cheapest kind) comes in at 0.11 NM/Kg. That means it takes more than 400 times as much lead-acid battery to get as much energy as the same weight of gas.
The next generation of battery, the nickel-metal-hydride (NMh) they use in most hybrids, has a better energy density, but it's still only twice as dense as a lead acid, or 200 times more weight for the same energy as gasoline. On an energy per cubic centimeter basis, it's a lot better, but still takes 100 times as much space per unit of energy.
The newest batteries, used in laptops and the all-electric Tesla sports car, are lithium-ion. An experimental Japanese sedan, the Eliica, with eight wheel motors and lithium-ion batteries ran 230 mph a few years ago, but it cost a fortune, and we haven't heard from it since. These batteries have an energy density by weight three times that of an NMh, and 5 times by volume. So gasoline is only18 times as dense by volume. Still, imagine having to find room for 18 gas tanks in your car!
As to gears, you need gears for mechanical advantage (like a lever) to allow the engine to remain in its most efficient operating range at varying speeds.
Most gas engines do their best work between about 2,400 rpms and 5,000 rpms. A high performance engine's range will be higher, but they all need gears, or else they either couldn't get going from rest (geared too high) or would run out of breath before they reached freeway speed (geared too low).
If you ever rode a ten-speed bike, you'll know that you need low gears for going up hills and high gears to keep up with the pedals going down. Same with a car.
the Tesla now has only one gear. That's because an electric motor produces its maximum torque (the force to move the car) at zero rpms (from a dead stop). If you want one, they are taking deposits. They only cost around $100,000.
BTW, if you want to avoid sounding uninformed, technically the electric unit is called a "motor" while the internal combustion one is called an "engine." It's an engineering distinction.
If you want the equivalent of a golf cart, there are companies that will make the conversion for you. It will cost you thousands of dollars and you won't be able to go from L.A. to Anaheim on a charge.
The biggest barrier is batteries.
Gasoline has an energy density of about 46.19 Newton-Meters per kilogram (energy units per unit of weight).
A lead acid battery (the cheapest kind) comes in at 0.11 NM/Kg. That means it takes more than 400 times as much lead-acid battery to get as much energy as the same weight of gas.
The next generation of battery, the nickel-metal-hydride (NMh) they use in most hybrids, has a better energy density, but it's still only twice as dense as a lead acid, or 200 times more weight for the same energy as gasoline. On an energy per cubic centimeter basis, it's a lot better, but still takes 100 times as much space per unit of energy.
The newest batteries, used in laptops and the all-electric Tesla sports car, are lithium-ion. An experimental Japanese sedan, the Eliica, with eight wheel motors and lithium-ion batteries ran 230 mph a few years ago, but it cost a fortune, and we haven't heard from it since. These batteries have an energy density by weight three times that of an NMh, and 5 times by volume. So gasoline is only18 times as dense by volume. Still, imagine having to find room for 18 gas tanks in your car!
As to gears, you need gears for mechanical advantage (like a lever) to allow the engine to remain in its most efficient operating range at varying speeds.
Most gas engines do their best work between about 2,400 rpms and 5,000 rpms. A high performance engine's range will be higher, but they all need gears, or else they either couldn't get going from rest (geared too high) or would run out of breath before they reached freeway speed (geared too low).
If you ever rode a ten-speed bike, you'll know that you need low gears for going up hills and high gears to keep up with the pedals going down. Same with a car.
the Tesla now has only one gear. That's because an electric motor produces its maximum torque (the force to move the car) at zero rpms (from a dead stop). If you want one, they are taking deposits. They only cost around $100,000.
BTW, if you want to avoid sounding uninformed, technically the electric unit is called a "motor" while the internal combustion one is called an "engine." It's an engineering distinction.
Why doesnt the electric start on my motorcycle work?
jamminjake
It fires up if I push it down a hill and drop it in gear, but the electric start doesnt even attepmt to crank the engine. Its a 2003 lifan 250 and I have absolutly no idea where to start looking for a problem. However I did check the fuse inline with the starter, unfortunatly, it was fine. Any suggestions?
Answer
How old is the battery? Even if they are well cared for a motorcycle battery usually only lasts about 3 years. If the battery is more than 3 years old, maybe it's time for a new one.
Are you positive the battery has a full charge. Don't judge by the lights. They can deceive you.
A motorcycle battery in good condition will lose about 1% charge every day. It is also bad to let a motorcycle battery go below 50% charge. Letting the battery go below 50% charge and sulfation can happen. This is a condition where sulfur crystals from the sulfuric acid in the battery will form on the lead plates. When this happens the battery doesn't release the amount of energy it should and it will not accept a full charge like it should. They even make solar powered float chargers if a power source is not available.
Best to keep the battery fully charged in storage. If you intend to not use the bike for about 3 weeks or more connect a battery tender, sometimes called a float charger to the battery. This will maintain the battery at 100% charge without overcharging.
If you must use a battery charger charge at a rate of no more than 2 amps. Anything more than 2 amps will cause permanent damage to the battery.
Check the acid level in the battery. Motorcycle batteries are usually translucent with high and low acid level marks on the case. If needed, fill with distilled water only. Tap water contains minute amounts of minerals and chemicals that will harm your battery.
Make sure your battery terminal connections are clean and corrosion free. Clean with a wire brush. You can also use a mixture of baking soda and water.
Once you get the connections clean, put a little dielectric grease on the cable ends and terminals. This will prevent corrosion in the future.
How old is the battery? Even if they are well cared for a motorcycle battery usually only lasts about 3 years. If the battery is more than 3 years old, maybe it's time for a new one.
Are you positive the battery has a full charge. Don't judge by the lights. They can deceive you.
A motorcycle battery in good condition will lose about 1% charge every day. It is also bad to let a motorcycle battery go below 50% charge. Letting the battery go below 50% charge and sulfation can happen. This is a condition where sulfur crystals from the sulfuric acid in the battery will form on the lead plates. When this happens the battery doesn't release the amount of energy it should and it will not accept a full charge like it should. They even make solar powered float chargers if a power source is not available.
Best to keep the battery fully charged in storage. If you intend to not use the bike for about 3 weeks or more connect a battery tender, sometimes called a float charger to the battery. This will maintain the battery at 100% charge without overcharging.
If you must use a battery charger charge at a rate of no more than 2 amps. Anything more than 2 amps will cause permanent damage to the battery.
Check the acid level in the battery. Motorcycle batteries are usually translucent with high and low acid level marks on the case. If needed, fill with distilled water only. Tap water contains minute amounts of minerals and chemicals that will harm your battery.
Make sure your battery terminal connections are clean and corrosion free. Clean with a wire brush. You can also use a mixture of baking soda and water.
Once you get the connections clean, put a little dielectric grease on the cable ends and terminals. This will prevent corrosion in the future.
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