Winner Of 2014 Misumi Build Brag Win Contest

Click Here For Full Build Log

Thank You to these two companies for providing most of the tools and parts for the build!

STRAVA route and information

Here are the final go cart specs

Weight: ~30lbs

Torque: Way to much

Battery Pack: 8s2p LiPo

Motors: 2x Turnigy 5065-236kv Brushless Outrunners

Final Parts List: ElectricGoCartComponents

Range: >5mph – I haven’t had a chance to fully run the batteries down, but I have covered at least 3 miles on a single charge and the battery charger said only 35% of the charge had been used

The hill in the video does not look nearly as step as it actually is, but it is a short intense climb that would burn out most motors that were not geared properly. The motors were barely warm at the touch – you could hold them. Even this Google Maps photo does not do it justice. What this go cart lacks in speed it has in torque.

If I was a biker my max power would be 703 watts according to Strava

I also made a few changes between now and the last post. The main one is that I got rid of the bike seat due to its precarious mounting and instead installed an aluminum plate over the electronics with a hinge. Some additional Locttite also helped fasten down a few last bolts that were coming loose.

Then there was also some TIG welding involved….

Pros of Go Cart:

For a first electric vehicle I am extremely happy with how it has turned out. The design is extremely simple and because of that I haven’t had a single issue with parts wearing down and electrical components frying. There is defiantly a lot of torque from the motors allowing me to power up a hill of any grade or any length. While the ride does not look very comfortable or safe the go cart’s low center of gravity allows it to corner extremely well and I haven’t had any problems with the frame “bending or warping” around them. Certainly no 2 wheel corners. Lastly the old FIRST wheels provide excellent traction – almost to much and I have yet to spin out or even skid significantly around turns.

Cons/Future Modifications:

Mechanical Mods:

Like every project that I have made there are a list of things that I would change on the next version. The main thing that I need to add to the Go Cart is BRAKES!! So far the steering has been awesome and I have been able to avoid any close calls, but when there are more cars on the road where I am riding…you get the point – I don’t ride a fixie bike. A friend was kind enough to donate a set of disc brakes so I will be mounting those in the near future.

The other thing that I will change is the gearing. As previously mentioned there is way to  much torque due to the high gear ratio (9 tooth sprocket on motor shaft and 42 tooth for wheels). Andymark sold the current sprockets I have and, so I will probably purchase some other ones like these.

Electrical Mods:

The sketchy motor controllers that I got from Ebay have been running beautifully but I sense that somewhere along the mismatch of components between the motor, motor controllers and throttle the motors have never reached their maximum RPM. Either way I am going to replace the universal throttle and motor controllers with a more professional Kelly Motor controller. They seem like the best option to control the motor’s RPM and reach their max power.