Re: [Amc-list] Re; ELECTRO-RAMBLER =revisited=

[Ken Ames <ameskg@xxxxxxxxx>]

Wheel Horse? Wasn't that an AMC company?

Ken

Quoting John Elle <johnelle@xxxxxxxxx>:

> SNIP
> From: Swygert
> <mailto:Francis.Swygert3@xxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=%5bAmc-list%5d%20%20Re;%20
> ELECTRO-RAMBLER%20=revisited=>  Francis G MSgt 436 CES/CECM
> <Francis.Swygert3@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
> That was me John. Yeah, 300 mile range is wishful thinking! Don't know
> where I saw that/what I was thinking, but about half that is the best
> for some ultra light (compared to production cars) home builts. Ranges
> vary from 50-150 miles, depending on way to many factors.
> SNIP
>  
> There is actually quite a bit of information on the internet for 
> Electric Automobiles and the like and I have had more than a passing 
> interest in the subject, but I think at this time in my life a lack 
> of funds to pursue it any further. A number of years past in a different
> 
> environment I had the need for a riding lawn tractor and managed to buy
> a used top of the line GE Lawn tractor in good shape. It had 6 deep 
> discharge batteries in it, a 36 inch mower deck a 3 speed forward series
> 
> parallel switching net work with voltage dropping resistors and a
> varying
> voltage  applied to the field windings for changing speed with out the 
> heat loss of dropping resistors (read also loss of heat equates to
> wasted
> power and range.) It also had a 3 speed manual transmission for pulling
> heavy loads or getting over soft terrain or hills.  Wheel Horse also
> sold
> the same thing only in Red. This is where I found that range ratings 
> were to be digested with a large dose of salt. It was rated for 
> mowing 4 ½ acres. As my yard was on a slight hill, the tractor would
> stop
> dead 20 feet from the end of the back yard at about ½ acre. Turning 
> off the mower deck would allow me to drive back up the hill to the 
> charger so I could re-charge it to finish the last 20 feet. However 
> as my dog loved to ride on the thing we would go for about a 1 mile 
> ride through the hills and dales of the town on asphalt. (Decreased 
> rolling resistance) and it would perform just fine, however to conserve
> power you watched the ampere gauge going up hills and slowed down to 
> keep amperes used to a minimum to insure being able to get home with 
> the thing. Excessive use of amperes did nothing but generate heat and
> waste power. It was an interesting toy to have but the best part was
> when I no longer needed a lawn tractor of that power I was able to 
> sell it.
>  
> The second electric vehicle I owned and is still in use is a mobility
> scooter using 2 12 volt batteries for 24 volt drive. It is supposed 
> to have a range of about 20 miles or so, but that is heavily dependent
> on the quality of battery used. I have owned it now for about 10 years 
> and bought it used for a grand and Valerie needs it to get around 
> with. It has performed flawlessly during that time period and used 
> used up about 6 sets of batteries and about $100.00 a set and it gets 
> used on and off road, through the hills and dales and camping. For 
> our use, it has been satisfactory except for the one time I purchased 
> batteries that were just not up to the job of getting the thing 
> around. 
>  
> But then again, it only weighs about 130 lbs and I can pick up
> the main piece to place it into the van and place the batteries 
> and the seat in separately. There is a place for this technology
> but I think that it would be difficult and expensive to create a 
> practical automobile, at least in my area the following example 
> would not work. I very rarely drive that little of a distance if 
> I were to have an electric 4 door sedan. But I would not complain
> if the car it self was a toy and capable of shooting to the grocers 
> or the post office or something similar and be kind of fun to drive
> too. Who knows, maybe some day I will have a Roadster
>  
>  
> http://www.autobloggreen.com/2007/02/07/the-top-ten-electric-vehicles-yo
> u-can-buy-today-for-the-most-pa
>  
> SNIP
> The latest success story comes from Oregon where Charles and Ronda
> Crockett ripped the gas engine out of a 1994 Saturn wagon and stuffed
> in 20 batteries and an electric motor. A school librarian, Charles
> says he's not much of a mechanic or electrician but he does know how
> to conduct research. The goal was to build a vehicle that could go 80
> miles on a single charge.
> 
> The used Saturn cost just $900, the batteries were $1,700 and the 
> conversion kit was $6,700. Charles says the cost of the conversion 
> will be paid off in gas savings within two years. By his math, a 
> daily commute costs between 30 and 60 cents. With his gas vehicle 
> it was $10.
> SNIP
>  
> This example seems to be more typical than not when I go looking for
> information. 
>  
> Weight must be kept at a minimum to get any kind of range at all. 
> Rolling resistance and terrain are also very important. 
>  
> Who knows, maybe when I get my Hornet Hatch back done and sold I can
> afford to find out. 
> John. 
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