Advice on a new electric project

[SilviaS152002]

So I decided to make an electric kart as a summer project, and I was wondering if I should get 4 350W motors or a single 1400W motor?

Also, I don't have a particular kart to work on because I don't have one yet, is it better to buy a kart or just cut a custom one out of 1 inch walnut (which is what i am planning to do)?

 

[mckutzy]

Hello and welcome...

Im sorry did you say your building a motorized wooden kart???

 

[landuse]

Welcome!

I would rather you not use wood. It just isn't safe

 

[SilviaS152002]

Ok thanks for the safety warning.
Probably going back to the drawing board for this one.
Then, what about the motors? 4*350W, 2*700W or a 1400W?

---------- Post added at 04:39 AM ---------- Previous post was at 04:37 AM ----------

Hello and welcome...

Im sorry did you say your building a motorized wooden kart???

Uh, yeah, I was gonna do it. Now I'm not.
Kinda don't want to be playing with fire.

 

[ezcome-ezgo]

Walnut is for furniture. Welcome!

 

[mckutzy]

The last guy who made a wooden kart with a motor... Almost got killed... He had also crashed...
Fortunately, he survived relitivly unhurt to relate the tale...

 

[Functional Artist]

So I decided to make an electric kart as a summer project, and I was wondering if I should get 4 350W motors or a single 1400W motor?

Also, I don't have a particular kart to work on because I don't have one yet, is it better to buy a kart or just cut a custom one out of 1 inch walnut (which is what i am planning to do)?

(1) single motor is the easiest way to go

http://www.diygokarts.com/vb/showthread.php?t=37442

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxKkIaE2feY&t=384s

(2) dual motors are twice as complicated

http://www.diygokarts.com/vb/showthread.php?t=37852

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WC2EPqBMkJA&t=2s
or

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRIKLdvGlTA&t=196s

(4) motors WOW!

Do, lots of homework first

 

[Quinc]

So I decided to make an electric kart as a summer project, and I was wondering if I should get 4 350W motors or a single 1400W motor?

Also, I don't have a particular kart to work on because I don't have one yet, is it better to buy a kart or just cut a custom one out of 1 inch walnut (which is what i am planning to do)?

If you are making a rock crawler for your kid go with the 4x 350w motors (one at each wheel)

Personally I would go with a single 1800w brushless setup unless you already have some motors lying around.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1800W-48V-...854380?hash=item41d7d3c5ac:g:q~gAAOSw9mpaS1sQ

I am fan of buying a kart that is already close to what you want and then modifying it. Takes less time and is cheaper. But if you want to build it out of walnut that sounds cool too.

 

[itsid]

In fact walnut is awesome.. problem a strong enough walnut chassis costs four to six times what a strong enough steel chassis would cost..
and it takes a insanely skilled craftsman to make it work in the first place... whereas a steel chassis can be made as safe by any semi talented garagebuilder in no time.

So yeah.. no wood

motors.. 1 1400W motor is MUCH easier to make work then 4 350W motors.

especially since I reckon you want to power the wheel individually with those; right?
You would need a master controller to split up the throttle signal and steering angle,
in order to not only sync the individual wheelspeed while going straight but to adjust
the speed differential between inner and outer wheels while turning to do it correctly.
Incorrectly done it sounds cool but is just a half-a55ed 4wdrive which in the end handles like a sack of beans.

'sid

 

[SilviaS152002]

Thanks for all the suggestion and stuff, I decided I want a single 1200W 48V motor.
This is probably a dumb question, but can I run a 48V 50Ah battery pack through a 48V 1200W controller into the motor? Or will the controller just fail? Thanks again in advance

 

[Functional Artist]

Thanks for all the suggestion and stuff, I decided I want a single 1200W 48V motor.
This is probably a dumb question, but can I run a 48V 50Ah battery pack through a 48V 1200W controller into the motor? Or will the controller just fail? Thanks again in advance

Yes, you can

48V is the voltage of the battery pack

50AH (Amp Hours) refers to the capacity of the battery (kinda like how a gas tank is rated in gallons)

Theoretically, it means that you can draw 50A from that battery for (1) hour or 100A for 1/2 hour or 150A for 15 min.

So, you could run twice as long on a 48V 50AH battery
...as you could on a 48V 25AH battery

1,200W refers to the size of the (load) motor that's gonna be drawing those amps
(kinda like how light bulbs are rated)
(a 100W bulb is twice as strong & draws twice as much (power) amps as a 50W bulb)

 

[streamer]

if you love wood and speed is not a factor look at this : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEx8tTdfheU

 

[SilviaS152002]

if you love wood and speed is not a factor look at this

Well, I originally wanted to use wood as it was a bit easier to work on and that I have a bit of experience, but now I wanted to switch to a metal chassis. Plus I hope my contraption to go at some speed (say 25mph) and so yeah I can't really take much from it.
Cool video tho.