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[kingkay]

Hi,

Silly question I'm sure, and not something I'm thinking of doing but I was just curious really.

I realise reverse is needed, but my understanding was the series gearbox eats a lot of the horsepower generated by the engine and if electric motors have all the torque at low speeds why the need to keep the gearbox if you are converting to electric drive?

Thanks.

Toby

[geoff]

I'd have the motor run in reverse to do the reversing and save all the bother of a gearbox 

[Wittsend]

Yes, you don't need a gearbox.
Better to have 4 electric motors, one on each wheel 
All controlled by computer.

This makes it expensive, so I guess the standard (cheapo) conversion kits will simply keep the g/box



 

[Craig T]

There was a Wheeler dealers once where they put an electric motor in an Alfa. They kept the gearbox as it saved re engineering all the suspension, driveshafts, steering etc. but you really didn't need it, put it in any gear and would go from stop to flat out.

Don't see why you couldn't put the motor in the place where the gearbox is on a Land Rover and drive the propshaft directly. If you were smart you could get a double ended motor and drive front and rear props although transmission wind-up would need to be thought about then.

I worked on a project to convert Optare Solo busses to hybrid power many years ago and we did just that, drove the original axle from the propshaft coupled straight to the drive motor.

Craig.

[geoff]

At a push you could keep the transfer box and drive through it for 2 and 4wd, would look good with the gear levers in place 

[kingkay]

How big would the necessary electric motor be? could it be fitted directly to the transfer box in place of the gearbox?

[Malcolm R]

I think there's someone in Australia on YouTube doing an electric conversion that they plan to make a business out of. They go through quite a lot of the reasons behind they're decisions. I think the channel is called 'Jaunt'? Might be worth a look

Malcolm

[George1990]

Would keeping the gearbox mean you could get away with a smaller or more efficient motor? Would make it more usable off road I would expect too.

I guess in top gear and the motor going flat out you'd be entering some sort of warp speed as they can spin up 18,000 RPM

[Uffddd]

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXy9z8PnGsBtvZXiuyApShtOJinyKavoD

This lot of Australians are rebuilding an old 2A with the intention of sticking an electric motor in it. Originally they were planning on keeping the gear box for various reasons. Now I think as the project has progressed they're just going to keep the transfer box.

[w3526602]

Hi,

Me?  I've suggested it already, on this forum .....

Bolt the electric motor (fork truck/milk float) onto the PTO hole on the back of the gearbox. My brain hurts when I try to work out the various combinations of petrol only, battery only, petrol plus battery, forward x 2, reverse x 2, forward AND reverse, etc.

To my mind, you's want batteries for Rush Hour city traffic, and ICE or CIE, for the motorway..

Ask Mrs Google to find you the MILK FLOAT forum.

602

[w3526602]

Hi,

Probably not relevant, but I understand that home-brewed (from plans?) self drive cars for kids use windscreen wiper motors.

I think I've also read that a minor league LSR project was powered by thousands of watch batteries.

602

[Porkscratching]

I'd keep the GB, it keeps it simple to my mind, just hack out an appropriate shaped lump of plate to bolt to bell housing that mounts the elec motor too..you retain your hand brake and lots of drive options too, and everything fits...has to be easiest imho...

[Rambler]

This guy shows why you need to maintain your gearbox on an EV converted land rover

https://youtu.be/ar1ydWcHWUE

[Eve]

Daft question time: can you still achieve engine braking for controlled, feet off the pedals, steep downhill descents in low first if you put an electric motor in your Land Rover 

[Clifford Pope]

Daft question time: can you still achieve engine braking for controlled, feet off the pedals, steep downhill descents in low first if you put an electric motor in your Land Rover 

Electric cars achieve engine braking by using the energy to slow the car to recharge the battery. Do conversions do that?

If the battery is already fully charged, where does the engine braking energy go? It would surely be disconcerting if the degree of engine braking depened on the degree of battery charge, and potentially dangerous?