#2) Project Forkenswift electric car: 1st CONTROLLED powerup
Posted on Dec 20, 2008 under suzuki auto parts | 24 Comments
Here’s the Forkenswift’s motor being spun up (and down, and up, and down) with a used golf cart controller. (Thanks to the EVDL folks for help with connecting the oddball Curtis.)
Apologies for the poor vid quality – this was shot with a 20 year-old camera.
Titles are hard to read in some places, so here they are:
1. Another Forkenswift milestone…
2. First CONTROLLED electric power-up
3. No more welded jumper cables, like last time…
4. This time we’re hooked up to a DC motor controller
5. From a 48 volt golf cart 
6. We’ve got more juice this time, too
7. 36 volts — three 12v batteries
8. And, last but not least,a potentiometer …
9. (What is it about motors that makes people want to rev them?)
10. Here’s the actual potentiometer we’ll connect to the car’s “gas” pedal.
11. Out of the old Baker forklift.
12. We also have the forklift’s motor controller.
13. But we’re going to try the golf cart controller first.
14. Tee-off time is approaching …
—
Project ForkenSwift is an electric car conversion made using parts from a Suzuki Swift, Geo Metro, Baker electric forklift and a golf cart.
http://www.forkenswift.com
Duration : 0:2:7
By TommeyLeeReed on Dec 20, 2008 | Reply
My speed …
My speed controllers design.
By simeybinker on Dec 20, 2008 | Reply
yawn.
yawn.
By Charles2337 on Dec 20, 2008 | Reply
Who says I’m …
Who says I’m arguing; it’s just an idea. And check out the tzero, you will see what I am talking about. I noticed a lot of engineers are s like you.
By simeybinker on Dec 20, 2008 | Reply
seriously dude, you …
seriously dude, you need to stop arguing and simply do some research. or, build an electric vehicle. or do a check on what the definition of “power” is. and research the torque/power curves for an electric motor. and research how the Zilla controller operates. or do some power calculations and benchmarking of different IC engines. or simply calculate volume of fuel to KWh for different engines; and electrical systems while you’re at it. and then have a little respect for other people who do.
By Charles2337 on Dec 20, 2008 | Reply
There is this Honda …
There is this Honda Generator that has an output of 3000W, lasts for 10 hours on a small tank of gas. Pretty efficient.
By Charles2337 on Dec 20, 2008 | Reply
If you can make an …
If you can make an electric car, why not attach a catalytic convertor to it? It’s not that hard. And how about add a gear system so it has a mechanical advantage; higher RPM = more power. The T-zero uses this system.
By simeybinker on Dec 20, 2008 | Reply
remember kids; …
remember kids; arguing on the internet is like the Special Olympics – it doesn’t matter if you win, you’re still a retard.
By simeybinker on Dec 20, 2008 | Reply
there’s maybe some …
there’s maybe some gain in the effectiveness of the system because the generator would be running at optimal RPM; but then you loose all that gained power because the car weighs just as much as a normal swift, you have spent double the amount of money, you’re putting out just as much pollution, and you have less power under the hood. I’m not being a dick; but we have to weigh these things out. plus, a mechanical engineering degree helps my education a little.
By simeybinker on Dec 20, 2008 | Reply
do they have …
do they have catalytic convertors? onboard air/fuel mixture computers? some are 2-stroke, most aren’t even fuel injected. generators are built for quick, easy, light power in remote places; no matter what the cost is. power generators are horrid for emissions; and 10HP will NOT cut it to “increase the range” of the vehicle. for highway travel, you need a good 30HP to keep your speed. without re-gen braking on this car; why have an electric system at all if you’re going to install a gas engine?
By Charles2337 on Dec 20, 2008 | Reply
I’ve seen some …
I’ve seen some Honda generators that focus on efficiency. Plus it’s a small 10 hp one; not too much pollution.
By simeybinker on Dec 20, 2008 | Reply
generators are far …
generators are far less efficient than car engines; you may as well toss in a V8, and you’ll be putting out the same amount of pollution.
By Charles2337 on Dec 20, 2008 | Reply
Why dont you get a …
Why dont you get a gasoline generator, a small one, and use it to charge the batteries during long range driving.
By bicostp on Dec 20, 2008 | Reply
As far as batteries …
As far as batteries go:
Strong / Light / Cheap
^ Pick two.
By testacorsa150 on Dec 20, 2008 | Reply
I know your car is …
I know your car is beer budget, and my hat of for that, but do you know any light batteries, that hold a lot of power, and dont cost a fortune?
I am a petrolhead, but your idea is just perfect for a new project for me, so I want to lean stuff – and quickly too
Nice job guys, and thanks for posting these amazing videos – they where very informative, interesting, and funny as h**l.
Best regards
Brian.
By TommeyLeeReed on Dec 20, 2008 | Reply
about $400.00 water …
about $400.00 water cooled.
rotarypistonengine(dot)com
for price list.
By ForkenSwiftDotCom on Dec 20, 2008 | Reply
OK – how much for a …
OK – how much for a 48v 400-600A unit ?
By TommeyLeeReed on Dec 20, 2008 | Reply
What really sucks …
What really sucks that most controller are cheap to build.
WE build controller for less 50% less then any company out there.
120v 600amps advanced technology controller for $500.00
120v 1200 amps $1000.00
rotarypistonengine(dot)com
By ForkenSwiftDotCom on Dec 20, 2008 | Reply
Test drive vid is …
Test drive vid is posted. Click “More from this user” above and to the right, or do a search on forkenswift and you’ll find it.
By retaessa on Dec 20, 2008 | Reply
hey keep it up , we …
hey keep it up , we need a test drive vid….
By jmoyet on Dec 20, 2008 | Reply
lol another Gran …
lol another Gran Turismo 4 theme song, that one is from the license tests.
By landongendur on Dec 20, 2008 | Reply
Looking great! All …
Looking great! All those switches look so complicated. I can’t wait to see the test drive video!
By ForkenSwiftDotCom on Dec 20, 2008 | Reply
A surprising …
A surprising portion of the sound in the vid is gear noise from the transmission – maybe even equal to the noise made by the brushes/comm. Gear whine isn’t something we’re used to hearing over the sound an ICE makes.
Thanks for the comments.
By terrorist420x on Dec 20, 2008 | Reply
Nice. I love the …
Nice. I love the way that motor sounds when it revs. I love old forklift motors and surplus aircraft starter-generators for the noise they make, even if they might not be very efficient, reliable, or capable of handling a lot of power. Sadly, as much as I like the power of a Netgain WarP 9″, they just don’t make much noise. But I like power, and that 9″ motor is what’s going in mine.
By danjorextreme on Dec 20, 2008 | Reply
I look forward to …
I look forward to seeing the progress of your project. =)