i'm posting this article to document the official kickoff of this project. These are my plans and some of the reasons behind them:
o ebike
-sometimes i need/want more than a bike (but less than an etruck) for transportation
--to go further in shorter amount of time
--too lazy to ride
--too tired to ride
-chance to learn advanced ev design/construction on a smaller cheaper scale
--metal fabrication and welding (aluminum, titanium, steel)
--composite fabrication (fiberglass, carbon fiber, plastic)
--controller and charger design (small scale power electronics in non-critical application)
--aerodynamics design
-power needs small enough to make capable of 100% solar power charging (off-board)
o homebrew because it will be cheaper, fun and be an excellent learning experience
o lithium batteries
- lighter
- high energy density
- 'affordable' at the ebike scale
o recumbent
- most aerodynamic bicycle style
- my aging body prefers reclining to sitting upright :-)
i expect to spend a couple of grand on this project but hope to have a very useful vehicle that will be at least one magnitude more efficient than my S-10 for moving me and some stuff from point A to point B. Stay tuned...
