Oh, how time flies!

Okay, so I have done a lot since my last post including a move and graduating college.

I acquired several push mowers and picked one to start on. I used masonite and a piece of 2x10 to mount the motor on the frame. I have also acquired my own battery charger and many of the parts I mentioned in an earlier entry.

The issue I got stuck on is getting the blade mounted on the drive shaft of the electric motor. I found a mount for a 7/8 inch shaft, but the motor shaft is 5/8 inch. So I need to figure something out there. I also found a better inverter and took the other one back. The new inverter has its own power switch, so that eliminated a step in the process.

AC Motors & first battery

As you recall, we are starting with converting a lawnmower to electric. This week while I was visiting my parents, I asked if they still had those old electric motors in the barn. Did, they? They gave me four AC motors and a nearly dead 12V battery.

Two of the motors are 3/4 HP (just what we need to convert a push mower) , one was 1/4 HP, and the third 1/3 HP (if we want to do a scooter or something).

The battery Dad slapped on his charger for 90 min. and wound up charging it up to 11.7 V. For those who don't know, roughly 13.8V is a fully charged battery and roughly 11.3 is dead. So not the greatest battery in the world, but it is free and something we can play around with.

I'll upload some pictures of this lot in a later posting.

While at Walmart, I bought a cheap $18 inverter that plugs into a car cigarette outlet. I still need to buy: a battery charger, battery terminal leads, a cigarette outlet splitter (to cannibalize), and an ammeter. Then I need to find an old push-mower to hook everything up on.

Electric Car links

The following is a list of handy websites. Most of them are for electric cars, however, some of them are for other energy saving ideas and products:

http://www.otherpower.com/otherpower_solar_used.html
http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/
http://www.green-trust.org/products/
http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/
http://www.sunvee.com/
http://www.eaaev.org/index.html
http://www.solarhome.org/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=90
http://www.arttec.net/Solar_Mower/index.html
http://www.homepower.com/home/
http://www.electroauto.com/catalog/dcmotors.shtml
http://e-volks.com/index.html
http://www.sunnev.com/index.html

Introduction

I have recently started researching the electric car and how hard it is to build one. I will track my progress here, and post links to helpful sites for those interested in this project and renewable energy as a whole.

If I am successful I may start offering electric conversions or flat out electric cars to others for a fee. My dad is helping me in the project as he already has some experience in putting together an alternative energy system, and my brother is excited about helping as well and may make our first attempt his senior project.

Our first attempt will be to take a riding lawnmower and convert it to electric, then add solar cells so that the lawn mower is a self contained electric "go-cart" or "moped" for lack of a better phrase.