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Has anyone tried an engine swap to an electric motor? Like golf carts. Wondering if elec motor could be connected to gas motor clutch/drive system to provide F/N/R...2WD/4WD...Diff lock...etc
Electric
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I don't know how practical that would be. You'd need the gas motor, electric motor, fuel cell, battery to buffer the electric motor, battery to start the gas motor, some type of transfer case, motor controller, etc. Two much equipment in such a small Rhino. Would probably weigh a ton to boot. Just my two cents.
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The biggest problem with the 660 and 700 is that the motor and "trans/transfer case" are one piece.
You would need a setup like the rotax. Where you could ditch the motor and keep the trans/transfer case. Then just spin the primary clutch with what ever you want.
You would need a setup like the rotax. Where you could ditch the motor and keep the trans/transfer case. Then just spin the primary clutch with what ever you want.
The biggest problem with all electric is the weight of the batteries needed to have reasonable range. The new Lithium ion type batteries are getting a bit better but are very expensive. It takes around 750 Watts of electricity to develop 1 Horsepower. The Rhino engine develops around 40 Hp at the crank (very inefficient drivetrain), meaning that you would consume around 30,000 Watts (2,500 Amps at 12V) to develop that kind of Hp.
To put things in perspective; the stock battery is 35 Amp-hours, so simplistically, it would run a 40 Hp motor for much less than 1 minute at this rate (much less, because the battery efficiency drops drastically at high current draw). That 35 Ah is for a 20 hour discharge period.
An electric motor develops it's peak torque at low rpm and develops essentially no torque at its peak rpm. This boils down to being much easier to make a simple slow speed machine with electric drive. Hence, the electric golf cart and electric wheelchair have been around a long time.
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I would LOVE to have an E-1 Rhino...that would be absolutely awesome...would kill anything at Glamis that was UTV and probably most rails going up china wall with awd....
Got about $250... :13:
Got about $250... :13:
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The torque from an electric motor is incredible. The cost and weight of batteries makes it impractible. I'd love to see an electric Rhino.. I think polaris already makes an electric Ranger.. like the Ranger Ev or somethin
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Yeah there have been 4x4 electric SxS on the market but like SteveS says they are basically golf cart motors...snails with no range...
You gotta put out some serious cash to get an electric with any real juice...
That link doesn't work...and on this kinda of stuff you have to derate marketing hype by at least 50%...
You gotta put out some serious cash to get an electric with any real juice...
That link doesn't work...and on this kinda of stuff you have to derate marketing hype by at least 50%...
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check out the post above yours craig. i think we posted at the same time but here is a true SxS, not a golf cart. Only one i've seen
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yeah the link worked the second time...
I had not seen that one...I am sure it is a good ride...
There have been other 4wd sxs two...the were not golf carts so I was just saying that they are not high output, long range vehicles either...
And really...anything with batteries is only half what they claim...
I think electrics are real cool but really go right back to golf carts...would take an electric or gas Yamaha golf cart...
And would you keep the 11hp gas or get a honda 24hp for it...
If you google e-1 electric race car you will find the king of stuff I was saying I wish I could have in a rhino...
I guarantee you that po po don't have that kind of technology...
Yes you would have to beef up the suspension and all that for a utv...but you also have a lot more room for batteries in the bed too...!!!
It would cost a bloody fortune...
If the gov't builds instead of being $250k it will cost 250B...
Thats B as in Billion...
But it would create a dozen of so green jobs so it would be worth it... :rofl3:
I had not seen that one...I am sure it is a good ride...
There have been other 4wd sxs two...the were not golf carts so I was just saying that they are not high output, long range vehicles either...
And really...anything with batteries is only half what they claim...
I think electrics are real cool but really go right back to golf carts...would take an electric or gas Yamaha golf cart...
And would you keep the 11hp gas or get a honda 24hp for it...
If you google e-1 electric race car you will find the king of stuff I was saying I wish I could have in a rhino...
I guarantee you that po po don't have that kind of technology...
Yes you would have to beef up the suspension and all that for a utv...but you also have a lot more room for batteries in the bed too...!!!
It would cost a bloody fortune...
If the gov't builds instead of being $250k it will cost 250B...
Thats B as in Billion...
But it would create a dozen of so green jobs so it would be worth it... :rofl3:
That Polaris is interesting. Top speed is 25 MPH. That's equivalent to a high end, golf cart type 'neighborhood vehicle'. Apparently they have 3 geared ratio selection for the 'modes' of operation. I'd bet that the low gear is a stump puller. No mention that I could see for range; that is always the secret that is held back. Admittedly, that's pretty hard to pin down (especially offroad) as it is so dependent on how you use it. Best to go uphill going out, so you can coast back, as a best practice, eh?
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I first saw the e-1 racer quite a few years ago on the Science Channel...
I see now on youtube they have come along quite a bit...
They said they had to program the acceleration limiter to 6G or it would damage the eyeballs and they had to wear g-belts...
0-100 mph in 4.3 seconds is what they were doing and it could have been faster...
Now I KNOW if Obama was serious about this green stuff he would put a few hundred billion obamabucks into a good electric awd sand rail...
I want one of those green jogs... :fingersx:
I see now on youtube they have come along quite a bit...
They said they had to program the acceleration limiter to 6G or it would damage the eyeballs and they had to wear g-belts...
0-100 mph in 4.3 seconds is what they were doing and it could have been faster...
Now I KNOW if Obama was serious about this green stuff he would put a few hundred billion obamabucks into a good electric awd sand rail...
I want one of those green jogs... :fingersx:
Electrics do make good drag racers. Dragstrip fuel powered cars carry only a very small amount of fuel to go that 1/4 mile. Total energy used is modest, so the battery weight issue for the electric versions is not so much of a problem.
It may well be that, for off-road, a hybrid may the answer with today's technology. A modest motor/generator can power the vehicle while charging the battery, which then can provide additional power for the brief periods of blasting up up those mountains or jumping those canyons. It would also be able to run electric only, to sneak around the rangers to get to the game animals. The military is now prototyping some pretty hefty vehicles using that scheme, and for those very reasons.
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The one I am talking about has some range...
Those motors and controls and drive systems are extremely expensive...!
The dragsters are impressive as hell...but no range...
I am just saying that to get awesome power and range and speed in an AWD electric UTV can be done now...
But no one is going to spend the $$$$$
But someone should...and if I had Obama's money I would... :13:
Those motors and controls and drive systems are extremely expensive...!
The dragsters are impressive as hell...but no range...
I am just saying that to get awesome power and range and speed in an AWD electric UTV can be done now...
But no one is going to spend the $$$$$
But someone should...and if I had Obama's money I would... :13:
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Great idea, but very impractical. If you use it for offroad hunting and trail purposes, anyone who does heavy riding knows the power required to negotiate the terrain. The added weight of a fully electric UTV, even the Polaris EV Ranger is about 550lbs heavier than the rhino is. The torque is there in electric but on a lot of terrain speed is needed to keep momentum to keep moving, 25MPH isn't exactly helpful in a lot of situations offroad. Pretty sure that an Electric version would be set to go faster I would think but at the same time like most have said the batteries and extra weight for all the electronics involved would far outweigh the benefits. Plus the huge distance limiting factor of probably 30-40 miles in good conditions meaning no 4WD use, and flat terrain. Throw in 4WD and a bunch of hills to climb and your cutting your travel mileage down a lot. Not to mention the price of adding all of the electronics and batteries would discourage a lot of people anyhow. Gas is pretty expensive and a lot of people are unemployed or underemployed now which I fall into that group; my rhino has been parked for the past 6 months and just got used for the first time today to haul a buddy around hunting which he paid for the gas and hauled my UTV/trailer to the base of the mountain, then back home. In all we ran about 43 miles in mud, rocks, hills, and gravel roads. A few of those miles were in 4WD up hill which yeah I'm sure an electric version would do, but what happens when your 40 miles from your truck/trailer when the battery(s) decide to die on an electric UTV? Possibly a hybrid version would work, but then again now you have 2 problems, you now have 2 motors; 1 gas, 1 electric which adds massive weight, then the weight of the battery pack the extra electronics, and well you end up with a Toyota Prius by the time your done because by the time you load all the stuff into the UTV your ability to go offroad will be pretty much nullified by the weight of all the added parts. If someone could figure out how to build batteries that don't weigh so much, and take up less room it would help a lot.
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Two words...
Cold Fusion
:biggrin:
Cold Fusion
:biggrin:
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A lot of the shortcomings I can overcome. It would be used for hunting only, no need to go 30+ MPH. Also, at my land I have a camp with electricity. I only have 980 acres to trek so miles per trip would be 5 or less, then I can plug up again. I currently have a HuntVe along with my Rhino and its been awesome and never been stranded. It is somewhat golfcart based though and the Rhino of course is not. I havent examined the Rhino too much yet, and thought maybe the clutch/primary could possibly be mounted onto an electric motor shaft instead of the gas motor crankshaft. Guess thats why I asked all you experts. Thanks for the input.
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