Battery choice dilemma, lead-acid or Lipo?

b.mavroeidis

b.mavroeidis

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Hello everyone new member here,
Me and some of my college fellow students are working on a one-seater electric go kart project.
The plan is to put a motor that is anywhere from 1.8kW to 3kW .
Something like the ''Mophorn 1800W Electric Brushless DC Motor Kit'' which comes with a speed controller.
So I would like to ask, is such a kit a good choise?
With what batteries should I pair it for approximately 25 km of range?
Should I go with lead-acid ones or Lipos?
(The battery budget is around 300-350 euros so probably not enough for Lipos right?)
Thanks to everyone that read this far !

​

 
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madprofessor

madprofessor

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I personally wouldn't use lithium-polymer batteries in anything but a RC car, and really not then either due to the temperamental nature of the lipo, along with several picky methods that have to be followed to keep them from dying an early death and/or catching fire.
Read this link to learn all you need to know about lipo.............except for the suction kind................
LiPo Battery Handling Guide (robotshop.com)
 
b.mavroeidis

b.mavroeidis

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Alright then, what lead acid batteries should I use then?
Lets say I have a 72 V 3kW brushless motor with a 72 V and 50A controller.
What battery would offer the appropriate continuous discharge?
How many Ah should I go for for an approximate range of 25 km with 150 kg payload?
How much would such a battery pack cost?
Iam sorry for the question-burst and I thank you and everybody else who is kind enough to answer my questions.
 
madprofessor

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I don't have the necessary experience with electric to say what Ah, controller, charger, etc. is best. Others here can help, I remember the names Functional Artist, and Epsilon Zero, can't recall more but there's a few.
I had previously lined up a 48vdc package from eBay for an affordable setup..............
1800W 48V Brushless Motor Controller Throttle Pedal Wire Harness Electric gokart 882511121951 | eBay
4PK 12V 18AH Sealed Lead Acid Sealed Lead Acid Battery For 12 Volts 18 Amp Hour | eBay
VEVOR Golf Cart Battery Charger 48V 6A Bare Wire for EZgo Club Car TXT Yamaha 849504795643 | eBay
 
b.mavroeidis

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With this affordable setup that you used how much run-time were you getting?
How much did your build weigh ?
Was it fast?(Because I think those batteries do not have proper constant discharge for this application)
 
Functional Artist

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b.mavroeidis said:
Hello everyone new member here,
Me and some of my college fellow students are working on a one-seater electric go kart project.
The plan is to put a motor that is anywhere from 1.8kW to 3kW .
Something like the ''Mophorn 1800W Electric Brushless DC Motor Kit'' which comes with a speed controller.
So I would like to ask, is such a kit a good choise?
With what batteries should I pair it for approximately 25 km of range?
Should I go with lead-acid ones or Lipos?
(The battery budget is around 300-350 euros so probably not enough for Lipos right?)
Thanks to everyone that read this far !

​

Click to expand...
Karl gave lot's of good advise/info in your other thread

IMO now, you have to answer a few other questions (not for us but, for yourself)
...how often do you guys plan on "actually" using the kart? (just a college project/grade & then moving on)
...& how long you want it to last? (like 1 season or for several years of riding)
then,
...how fast you want to go (20ish MPH or 30+)
...& for how long or how far you would like to while going that fast (1 hour/~20 miles@20 MPH)

question
1.) it could be if not geared too high or ran too hard
2.) would need answers to other questions to properly reply
3.) would need answers to other questions to properly reply

Here is the thread to Excalibur, a kart I built & tested with a few different motor(s) & @ different voltages
...it's packed with lot's of info, that you guys may find useful ;)
https://www.diygokarts.com/community/threads/2020-excalibur-electric-racing-kart.43462/
&
Here is a "donuts" video of it in action :sifone:
 
b.mavroeidis

b.mavroeidis

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Functional Artist said:
Karl gave lot's of good advise/info in your other thread

IMO now, you have to answer a few other questions (not for us but, for yourself)
...how often do you guys plan on "actually" using the kart? (just a college project/grade & then moving on)
...& how long you want it to last? (like 1 season or for several years of riding)
then,
...how fast you want to go (20ish MPH or 30+)
...& for how long or how far you would like to while going that fast (1 hour/~20 miles@20 MPH)

question
1.) it could be if not geared too high or ran too hard
2.) would need answers to other questions to properly reply
3.) would need answers to other questions to properly reply

Here is the thread to Excalibur, a kart I built & tested with a few different motor(s) & @ different voltages
...it's packed with lot's of info, that you guys may find useful ;)
https://www.diygokarts.com/community/threads/2020-excalibur-electric-racing-kart.43462/
&
Here is a "donuts" video of it in action :sifone:
Click to expand...
We are planning to use the kart a couple times a month and we hope it will last for some years.
Twenty (20) mph looks like a very reasonable cruising speed and a top speed somewhere near the thirty (30) mph mark would be a great place to start with. Regarding the range , cruising with 20mph(32km/h) for an hour looks like a reasonable-attainable goal and would also be a great place to start with.
Thank you for the time you devoted, you are extremely helpful.
Also the "Excalibur" looks like a great build!
 
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go to utube, look at comparisons of lead acid & lithium. lead acid has its place- (starting gas engines) but doesn't do well otherwise.
 
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