We Built a $3100 Solar Powered Electric Mini Truck with FREE charging for life
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 27 сен 2024
- Get 50% off your first order of Sundays: sundaysfordogs... or use code BISCUIT at checkout.
Today we bought a Chinese electric pickup truck and made it charge for free.
Win the electric pickup truck of your choice - www.evraffle.org
Buy my book here - www.hachettebo...
E-mail: richrebuilds@gmail.com
Instagram: / richiebkidd
Mailbox:
P.O. Box 1041
Salem, MA 01970 
Авто/Мото
![State of Play | September 24, 2024 [ENGLISH]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/fVs0suPHAX8/mqdefault.jpg)
As mockable as the vehicle is, consider that it's also endlessly maintainable. Anything that break can be fixed. There are no custom components - it's all off the shelf. No software locks. It's a perfect vehicle for modding enthusiasts, who can fix the dodgy welds and rebuild the wiring.
And what to do with it? The best you can. Strengthen the tack welds. Change the batteries for lighter, more powerful lithium cells. Design improved power electronics that can deliver better performance. Properly mount the solar panel and integrate it correctly with the new electronics. Pimp that ride and show us what it can really do.
Second that!
Can't wait to see the mods on this thing
你甚至还能把你的方案卖给中国的厂商 以供他们升级产品😂😂
If I had money I would buy this thing
@@4verageYTuser Hey, I am actually considering that.
Live in Desert of California, drive less than 50 miles a week,
thinking, add a Small Vertical wind generator.
I might never have to Plug in, unless I haul stuff or go on trip.
$250 in power upgrade's and this might make a nice EV for a Poor person not traveling much.
Turning radius resembles the CERN Hadron Collider
What the hell are you doing here?
@@mrkeeper2 The Greatest technician that ever lived has good taste.
😂😂
How'd you get your raccoon fingers in here???
For an extra $100 you can upgrade to an all-wheel turn package and get close to the cybertruck turning radius, probably.
I work for a golf cart taxi company as a mechanic and we have three of these..... We've had them for 2 years and years looks to be a slightly different design for the driver information center but for the backup camera and radio it's the same and ours only lasted 4 months and all three of them and they literally would let the smoke out of the circuit board in the back and one even melted the entire front of the screen. The battery chargers for them on average last 1 to 4 months being daily driven but they all fail so now I have search them over to scooter style chargers. The range on average is only about 5 mi. We've had two motor inverters fail. Tons of frame breaks to the point But I have made frames that are frames out of 2x2 box deal and directly well to them to the bottom and the suspension to hold everything together. To deal with the range one of them I put a 72 volt generator on and it runs all the time to make it more into a "series hybrid" But honestly the best one we have is the one that I gutted everything out of and put a gas golf cart axle under. It's reliable it's now strong looks cool and we'll go 34 mile an hour with The larger golf cart wheels I put on it. Also take note that the batteries are dangerously set up in it. The chassis is actually ground for both the 12 volt and the high voltage battery. Trust me you do not want to grab their circuit breaker wire and the frame at the same time if you're sweating. We also had one in the first week of ownership that we had to return and get a whole new replacement truck because one of the wire shaffed through and put 72 volts through all the electronics. Ours are also the 4 door versions just like yours. If we weren't in so deep in debt on them we would literally just scrap them.
'Nuff said!!!
Similar to Audis then
Rich, pimp my ride!!! How about getting Joey handy with the welder, replace the batteries with 3 MS/X modules, and other stuff you have handy in the shop.
Fantastic that you have access to large private industrial estates for vehicle testing.
WE have in my town some cheap 4000$ EVs for pizza delivery ,they are also 5 lead acid battery 60V ,7kw motor ,they bought 6 off them in 2021 and they all still work,range is round 100km (60 miles) in town .They are legal here and you dont need diver license to drive them because max speed is 45km/h
Did they come with a 7 year 7000 mile warranty? 🤔
Something you give to kids to learn to drive and play with off-road. My 13 year old grandson would really enjoy it.
Crazy how well it handled the rough terrain. Even with those tiny wheels there was enough torque and traction to overcome the weight of the vehicle.
Reinforcing all those welds must make that thing so much better.
Too heavy!
Probably not though. It's still trash.
Yeah, that wasn't the ramps creaking & crackling when it rolled ov the trailer.
its best to do that, but it would still be chinessium metal, not trust worthy
@@camerondrew9402 probably 10-20kg extra, but still worth it IMO
The battery wire running through metal with no grommet gives me a heart attack.
I'm shocked at the build quality...
Yes that would be an electrifying experience
Its shocking isn’t it??
What???????
Hopefully there is a main fuse. If not forget about the deadly dc electric high voltage shock. Instant flames until that cable opens like a fuse.
this is my holy grail vehicle- a little electric truck with a rack on top for a stack of panels, one of which is plugged in. Infinite range in very very short hops with 1-2 day breaks in between. Charge in the day, drive at night.
Nice rubbery slinky dog too
1) Finish welding the frame.
2) Route the power cables hanging underneath inside the chassis
3) Upgrade to lithium with proper battery management - like a bunch of used Jackeries from FB marketplace.
4) More better faster motor.
5) Truck nuts.
6) Get smoke juice and a smoke generator so you can Roll Solar Coal with the Bubbas.
You got me rollin' with #6!
The biggest pair of Truck Nuts you can find!
or buy a good gas car
"BUT YOU HAVE TO FUEL ITTT!!!!"
yes, and you need to fuel EVs too. EVs aren't free to operate. In fact they're more expensive to run than gas cars, and anyone who disagrees is in denial
🤣😂🤣
@@shamancredible8632 People try that Cracking water or Electrolysis or HHO as well.
I made a few Small cell's for Mixed gas HHO cell and it Did in fact work like a Booster.
I added a very tiny HHO cell to a Motorized bicycle, 2 stroke 1.5HP and the resolute's were actually
worth it. You must be careful and Add a pair of Filter's between HHO system and Engine to
ensure the Catalyst KOH does Not blow threw too Carburator. The salt's while chafe the piston and f the ring's.
Otherwise it's a GO, as a Add to GAS, VIA Carb or between carb and engine head. Better engine life Due to less carbon built up,
for a 2Stroke as I did, clearer exhaust, better milage 100mpg up to about 150 mpg and a tiny Boost of speed.
You'll see only the Bottom end torque Boost, most likely. In mine the draw as rpm's go up, out does HHO output being fixed. Gain is in Cruising RPM's...
That's not to forget, you can engineer a throttle adjusting PWM. Then gain is cruising But the Start up and RPM rize are feed fully.
I stand by the tech and I built it, after reading it in the 1980's and reading later about Stanely Meyers.
They can be dangerous if you are not careful, but the reward for time spent to make or research and buy a good system
is money well spent. There is few Set back's
1- disposing the Used catalist ever few year's.
2- Adding and changing the filter's between HHO cell and the engine ever few month's
3- Adding checking and replacing Flashback check valve's every few thousand mile's or as clogging
4 - Maintance is about every year, taking apart cleaning off built up on Electrodes and rebuilting..
Out of list # 1 is the most annoying for this, catalist I found out degrade's and the remain's are not good.
Handle with Caution, Gloves, use safety gear . Dry them Out side and you figure out the rest... DYOR
suggested modifications:
- add another solar panel, that slides over/under the roof-mounted panel for more solar power, doubling as a roof for the truck bed
- upgrade to Chinese LiFePo4 batteries with build in BMS (assuming the current delivery is sufficient off course)for better range and/or weight reduction, and more stable voltage under load
- add Chinese 72V mmpt solar controller for battery-friendly solar charging (Juntek is cheap and good quality)
- build in a Chinese 72V charger (or multiple ones parallel) for 'supercharging' the LiFePO4's from a powerline. LiFePO4's accept crazy charging currents, especially at 72V, so you could charge using 2 power groups at once :-)
- add a cheap gasoline generator as a range extender/voltage booster, connected to the charger(s). For this, you may want to use a charger with adjustable current (many of the Chinese chargers offer such a feature), allowing to fine tune for the max power output of the generator. If you go for a setup with multiple chargers in parallel, a relay connected to an accessory line on the truck can be used to switch between the 'supercharge' mode and 'range extender' mode, by disconnecting the additional chargers when the truck's key is in the "on" position, to match the power output of the generator
- add an additional cheap, relay-controlled, (smaller) 12V or 24V lead acid power source, that can be used as power booster (to about 78V or 91V when fully charged). Switch on/of with relay (button on dashboard or switch on accelerator pedal).
Dangerous, depending on the configuration the motor controller or other electronics might get fright, and the motor itself will not like the overvoltage for a sustained period (you could add a Chinese adjustable timer controller, setting it to xx seconds of 'overboost' followed by an obligatory cooling down period)
- and off course: add more powerful electric motor!
Add controller with pw brake regen... I would work on installing few thin solar panels which slide under each other... And forms circle when all open in stationery mode. Remove sla batts and install lifepo4 for faster charging increase voltage to 84 volts with matching regen controller. Actually gift me a truck so I can do it all right here in Canada.. Lol
I have a better idea: UPGRADE IT TO A GAS ENGINE
@@shamancredible8632 Why?
@@shamancredible8632 depends on your point of view.
Personally I think it would be fun and charming to upgrade with ultra cheap Chinese electronic components, combining them into a convenient and quite capable system that - as far as I know - isn't available on any off-the-shelf car
LiFePO4 batteries are favored for their long service life and safety, but they aren't the densest in power or energy. If you're making a show vehicle, one made to impress rather than to last, you might be better off with li-ion or even - if you have zero concern for safety - lipo. A car with lipos would accelerate like Wile E Coyote strapped to an ACME rocket, and possibly to the same end effect.
The resolution of that truck's backup camera is better than the one in my '24 Highlander 🤦🏿♂️
Same with my Ford Maverick which is worse than the original iPhone and has about 1 second of lag with a screen that looks like a Fisher Price toy TV.
same with my 24 charger
BYD's battery as a service is a great model the battery swap stations its just a smart way to go
First of all, I would properly weld all the frame rails on that little thing.
Then remove the lead acid batteries, replace them with a used tesla battery pack (at least one or 2 segments, however many you can decently fit) and then replace the motor with a used cheap tesla motor. Make this little thing a ripper!
fred your stupid
The motor isn't the issue. The only thing that's gonna rip is money outta your wallet.
@@BipoCosmo but it would be entertaining to see that thing flying down the road with 300+ hp
@@fred9783 250kw ÷ $15k is not Uncle Rich mathematics.
Tesla motor with only 1~2 battery segments?
What?
Weld the frame, more batteries, better motor maybe wider wheels? And that thing gonna be fun
Slap on some LFP batteries, remove the speed limiter (the motor can go much faster but they keep it at a certain speed to preserve battery and safety). Install some waterproofing underbody and some airbags, reinforce the welds. The result will be a super cheap mini work truck with zero fuel bill
You'll overheat the motor. The magnets get hot that's why top speed is 90 in a bolt
That book the dog was carrying 😂
Micah Toll Electrek bought one about 2 years ago for US$2,000 and modified it by adding the solar panel. It is still working on his Florida farm.
That's true, and it's still serving my family well. Coming up on 3 years soon. I even did the solar upgrade a couple years ago. Seems like a lot of these bigger channels are still trying to chase the views little ol' me got with it, lol
“The crumple zone is your knees”
“I want my family to ride in it”
My knees are already messed up anyway. I'll take the bionic leg upgrade after an accident.
The EPA basically says "the larger the vehicle the worse gas mileage it can have" so it becomes very difficult for a modern small body truck to be produced because it would need like 40+ MPG.
But look at the Ford Maverick. It has a 250 hp 2.0L turbo 4 cylinder, which is excessive really. Base model 1983 Ford Ranger had an 83hp 2.0L naturally aspirated engine that got the same mpgs. A base model 1983 F-150 had 110hp.
@@SteveSherman-jp1dz I had an 83 Ranger and felt unsafe. I felt better in my 2000 Ranger. I want some crumple zones in front of me and good seat belts. Maybe sit back from the windshield. I rolled the 2000 off the freeway and lived. Busted all the windows and ended up on the driver side. Air bags didn't inflate.
@@SteveSherman-jp1dzyes, but that doesn't change his point. That EPA reg that is based on the math and size of the truck has outpaced the ability to make a pickup more aerodynamic. Therefore the manufacturers have no choice but to make the pickups bigger.
Believe me, many of us would buy a small pickup if they made them, but they dont.
That Maverick is not a body on frame, something that is important for using a pickup as a truck.
@@Quinid1 The Maverick is a truck no matter what your outdated thinking about body in frame tells you. My payload is the same as a base Ranger or F-150. My tow rating is adjusted to the size of the vehicle which is in line with older trucks of the same size that had frames. None of them are meant to take in Baja in their stock configurations. The regulations don't affect people buying four door trucks instead of a single bench with a long bed. They also do not require ridiculous HP engines. It's more about consumer choices where every bro needs a big truck to show off his manliness when all he does is commute to his 9-5 and pickup groceries.
@@timsteinkamp2245 I had an 1988 Bronco II which was unsafe due to being tippy and no anti lock brakes. Then I had a 1994 explorer which was great as was my 1994 Ranger after that. You are complaining about things that were simply part of all older cars. No car is supposed to roll over. That was your fault as a bad driver.
All of the money was spent on body panels and tech! It's actually incredible how bad it is underneath. A little more welding and some channels for the cables and lines and it would actually be a decent little vehicle. You would never want to be in an accident in one, but for what it is and with a limited top speed, it's pretty sweet! At least they spent a few dollars on brakes too. I bet they are standard bits from some tiny mass produced car.
Also crazy they didn't even bother to put covers on the positive terminals of the batteries though hahaha. Especially right underneath metal seat brackets. One of the tie downs comes loose and it could be a fun time.
@@802Garage Haha heated seats - It is not a bug, it's a feature xD
@@802Garage Haha heated seats - It is not a bug, it's a feature xD
I've seen kids power wheels that are better made.
@@SteveSherman-jp1dz Eh... They are far smaller, supporting less weight, and don't have real body panels. It's pretty easy to make something out of injection molded plastic once the mold is made. For how much is packed into this vehicle, the price is insane. Now the average side-by-side would be a better comparison.
THIS IS WHAT I'VE BEEN WANTING. This is the hectic rebuild vibe I want more of. Looks like a blast.
That thing is sweet. The solar panel idea is real good and you should definitely do a permanent configuration. Also a beefier motor, maybe change over to lithium. 4-15’s in the rear.
Let’s max this thing out!
Fantastic video. Your storytelling chops and passion for comics are on display! Thanks again for the Bizarre Adventures, buddy.
I really wish they would bring back the little trucks
Can't unless the EPA fix their fuel economy targets. It's exponentially harder to meet those the smaller the cars go. It's no wonder cars go so big, they need a larger footprint in order to pass for the EPA
80s Toyota trucks = Peak Pickup
EPA can’t fuss about a small cyber truck. I’d like it like 90’s Tacoma size with the cold down Kei truck bed made in stainless.
Buy a used Ranger, S-10, Nissan Frontier, etc.
Ford Maverick
Cant wait to see where this goes.
Richie never disappoints!
Make an inductive charger you just park over and it charges. Great diy project that many of us are interested in. I have a friend with a similar pickup he just uses on his farm.
"I know a couple videos have been done on this before..." lol you can just say you liked my videos, Rich 😉
Can you do more videos about it? It's been a while since the last video of the ev mini truck and I like that kind of content
Man ❤ that 1980 Silverado !!
watch as he desecrates it by converting it to battery.
Add a flux capacitor. Go back in time and tell the manufacturer to finish the welds and cut the zip ties.
1:34 I had to hit pause.. I have a Honda Element that I've been wanting to convert to a 'truck'
- removing the roof c-pillar rearward, fabbing some top-rains, refining the 'bed', modding the t-gate, etc..
*This little e-truck looks Exactly like what I envisioned! Too Funny!
And you grabbed this thing for $3.5k??? I paid more than that for my electric Unicycle! That Rocks!!
[OG MiniTrucker 4 Life]
🤘
Sam -
honestly, that electic motorcycle motor is screaming to be bolted inplace of that "motor" on the axle, and probably some nissan leaf batteries to boot would make this a real workhorse
For sharper turning you might need to change some parts or modify some parts!
Frame/Suspension: I was always curious about the setup on these..
[Thank You, to you and the guys for flipping it up for us! Very Helpful]
Not Bad! 4-Link w/ Rear Panhard rod. [It's how we did our adjustable suspension minitrucks]
These setups are super easy then - to add airbag, air cylinder, or hydraulic suspensions!
*I should have clicked on this . . . I'm already getting ideas. 🤦♂🤣
Replace those lead acid batteries with some cheap lithium ion ebike batteries.
Add a large ebike hub motor (or two) to the front axle.
Boom dual motor chinese kei truck.
Put a small generator in the front. Turn it into the cheapest hybrid ever made
I've seen them where they have spaces are ready for small 2 cycle engines for a generator
Only if it's a Harbor Freight Predator generator.
You'll get more enjoyment from an ancient model T without air conditioning
@@shamancredible8632 Air conditioning ruins every experience.
The guy at ebikeschool done something similar on his parents land and they use the truck regularly and never charge it. Bloody brill.
That one was way better made than this one
@@SteveSherman-jp1dz agreed and they actually use it regularly which is even cooler.
Thanks! Yes it's going strong! I'll have a 3 year update video coming soon. That truck is a small but mighty worker!
@@EbikeSchool I look forward to it :)
🤣🤣 "its the worlds first Corded EV"
I'm dying
Find a used 435 or 470 watt SunPower solar panel. They have a open circuit voltage of 80 volts. It would not only assist while you drive but also properly recharge the batteries when it sits.
You could make it a high bred by putting a 2000 watt inverter generator in the bed for when the batteries die.
"Places you cant even walk"
Gpc 😂😂😂
I thought the exact same thing 😂
This one needs a premium sticker 👌
@@peacefulscrimp5183 for sure! I feel like there should be some kind of challenge, perhaps a 100 mile challenge?
Hahaha John hanging in the bed like you guys are on a Jurassic park safari 😂😂😂
This is great! As an ebike builder, I see a ton of potential with it. Of course that frame would need a ton of welding to reinforce it and then it could take a 96v or even a 144v system. Then slap in a couple rear 121-15kw in hub motors and you’ll have a peppy little parts hauler. Probably could even circumvent the DMV & get a Montana plate for it through Dirt Legal…
"Heh heh heh heh, have you seen their car?"...and the Asian college kid working 6 to 12 in the factory took that personally.
bold of you to assume they are college age
Wheres Steven been??
Got into an accident while filming. We can only assume he lawyered up.
@@joet2699 in an unregistered vehicle on a public road where in he crashed into an occupied vehicle. so... good times I'm sure...
been asking the same
House arrest
If you say his correct name, three times, he will appear … steveon steveon…
I could watch this stuff all day long; you kick ass, dude.
Rich, if you found a way to strap it to the truck without blocking some of the photovoltaic cells you might get a little more amperage out of the panel. Typically the new photovoltaic panels are daisy chained so you’re only using like 20% power.
Even that ratchet strap can cut off the cells directly behind it. I say keep it consistent and use some self tappers 😂
Hello 👋 Rich!
Hello 👋 umbrella man
I feel like your not the real Micheal superbacker
@@njmxjunkie3128 *you're
wrong
You doggy look very happy
For an adult Power Wheels, pretty impressive actually. With more power and redoing the welds that could actually be something.
Looking at the weather, I'd be interested in seeing all the upgrades you think you would have to make to make it more reliable. Reinforcing the welds, insulation, gaskets and weather proofing, ect. Maybe even a better battery system or motor. How cheap could you do the upgrades for even
Since that thing will never be street legal, you might as well join a golf club and keep it parked as your private cart.
I have been seeing this as a crap car when actually its a really nice golf cart! Thanks for the reality check.
@@Borntobuild87it would probably cost the same as your average golf cart too 😂
Got any high cliffs nearby?
Put a glider on it and maybe it'll travel further
Now THIS is the EV truck content I've been looking for! 😂
A bit late video today but that's still fine because you always bring informative and fun videos, congrats.
Definitely it needs a Rich Rebuilds upgrade. 💪💪💪
I bet now Elon Musk is crying when anyone asks him about BYD 😅😅
With all the surgery he has had, I don't think his tear ducts work anymore lol
@@ajc5479 😂😂😂
@@ajc5479 His tears are getting bottled up inside, his chest is swelling. He nearly exploded in tears when Don Lemon interviewed him
Would be cool to see a welder do a once over and actually finish the welds & perhaps some slight structural integrity improvements. Also would be neat to see what swapping those batteries out for good quality ones and relocating that controller so you can use the second row for more batteries. Good quality batteries and some structural integrity + the solar panel for charging and that thing would be a sweat little shop runner.
or
Scrap all the electronics and throw a R6 engine in it and let her eat.
my first idea for an upgrade would be to swap the batteries to something without acid, and make use of the empty space under the rear seats for more batteries, and possibly upgrade the charge port so it has an onboard charger instead(plenty of space for it) that or do some small safety upgrades, such as rubber grommets around the wires that rub on the metal its passing through, and cut the self tappers and zip ties. maybe improve cables overall for future upgrades(thicker wires and better routing)
6:13 Vehicle Hopscotch!
*Plug in your car while driving: Just use a giant onboard power-bank!
Tether it, and use it for an 'extended battery'.
Love the solar panel idea! *We did this small-scale on RC Gliders/Planes, and it does work!
Since you're already on it: Check into: 'Bifacial solar panels' - They're being PROVEN to work!
[Just add a light/reflective color underneath it if/when mounted horizontally] 👍
FUN Project & Video Bro!!
Keep it up and Thank You For Sharing!!
Sam -
I think you should buy 2 of them and then cut them in the middle and weld/duct tape the two fronts together into one of those old style coming-and-going cars.
Bro where is Steve-on
Always love the comedic value of these videos 😂.. Thanks for the vids!!
15:48 the driving and charging was epic, it’s like when aircraft in flight refuel
Electric car towing!
Convert it to 120V by putting a second string of batteries in there, heck make it LiFePO4 on both strings, then she'll find her way down the road with some quickness. (At the same time, makes an on-board charger easier & replacing the stock charger wiring to ground it would be nice.
I’m a Roofer. I promise you I do need to pick up truck that big.
threw a 250w solar panel and 10a mppt boost charge controller on my 48v golf cart with a undersized lead acid bank last year.
can tell an absolute difference. don't have to worry about charging it or turning it on storage mode when not using. can run radio/device chargers while working around the place without worry.
I also have a panel and mppt controller on my yukon for the same results.
The tack welds are to save weight, like a Lotus. Improve the performance by cutting and grinding down ½ of each weld! It would also make the ride softer as the frame flexes.
Didn't expect the video to be THIS entertaining lol. Instantly subscribed.
Road Trip! LA to Vegas! Double up the solar panels so they're perpendicular to the roof.
I wonder how soon will be the battery fire feature activated.
Incredible. Wow. It would be interesting to swap out the batteries to LiOn batteries. Or hooking up a Briggs and Stratton motor to power a generator to charge the batteries to extend the driving range. Nice Job.
Rich eating dog food is why he’s got that DAWG in him!
Everybody says Solar on cars makes no sense because there's not enough room but where do cars it most of the day in an unshaded parking lot. Like the other guy found out keeps the batteries topped up. I would take a solar panel on the roof instead of that giant slab of glass that Tesla call a window. Specially if you get some of those solar cells that you can semi see-through. Just a little trickle can be handy keeps the batteries warm during the winter and keeps the salt discharge down. I want to see that solar panel officially get mounted to this thing.
Even though the three prong port is wired wrong out of the box, it looks like it's ready to be converted to on-board charging. You've got left over space in the box that's holding your speed controller, all you gotta do is wire it up and maybe bolt down the charger
In a forklift shop its almost an everyday occurance to move trucks around on a 16ft cable i made years ago. Most of the time you will see a battery on the forks of one truck powering another truck without a battery or some similar combination.
Add a roof rack with a pair of 500 watt era and see how long before you can go without charging using the grid power . Btw you are a pioneer in the ev sector and I dig what you do ! Pushing the envelope can be fun eh
Aww cute, big truck taking small truck for a nice walk on a leash :)
Weight is your main enemy. The SLA are just lead ballast. Its why e-vehicles never really took off until LI-ION came online, they are less than half the weigh and more power. Rip out anything you dont desperately need for it to move, spend on the LI-IONs, fill that void under the back seat with LI-IONS, add small flexy plastic solar panels on every surface and wire it all together... make it a convertible to remove the roof weight, throw some super light weight cloth over the roof instead. cut out hex holes on every body panel... cover the wheels to remove some drag. see if you can get a more efficient motor, check the current motor to see if its got rare earth magnets in, if it doesnt bin the motor and put a low wattage motor in that does... thats all i got 😛 most of all have fun, thats the only given
Replace those batteries with LiFePo4's. Just have to find the size that fits in that battery box. Built in charger will work fine, though it won't bring them up to their full charge. You'll get at least double the range, probably a bit more power. Watch out for overheating the motor, though.
If that capacity works for your needs then sure. What about all the homes that cant drop wells for quality concerns. Hauling water is a big truck game. The ton mile efficiency is much better than quarter ton and half ton trucks. Can’t afford to replace it so it only drives when needed. Not like most households I known.
Rich, I saw that biscuit's soccer ball was flat from chewing. Look for the One World Play Project Soccer Ball. it's lasted a full year, and I can still kick it. It's puncture resistant.
I would love to see Li batteries, more power, larger overall diameter tires, maybe a 50-60mph top speed to make it usable on B roads. I live in the cou try in Tennessee about 15 miles from the nearest town in 3 directions. Ypu are allowed to drive "side by side", golf carts or tractors here on B roads. A little car like this for running to town that doesnt use fuel would be really cool. It might also be cool to have a range extender generator on it like a china Predator gas or diesel engine so you can drive in a hybrid like mode where you are charging as you drive to extend the range you can get out of the thing. I would probably go through and weld the frame, fix all the quality control stuff, Li batteries under both seats, maybe go to a larger motor, increase the diameter of the tires. I would definatly buy that thing if I could get one cheap enough. Iove it.
Thank You for All that you are doing for our Planet Earth.... Peace.. Shalom.. Salam.. Namaste .. 🙏🏻 😊 ✌ ☮ ❤ 🕊
That's not bad even with the cells blocked on the panel, which can drop the power enough that the battery will send power to the panel, without a dio.
These with a modern Honda/Toyota FWD 4 banger power train would unironically be a great car.
Loved your dog's choice of "reading" material
Imagine putting another $2000 into it for LFP batteries + controller for a bit of added range and less sag while going up hill. I could probably use one of these with solar because i really would only need to use it a few times per week.
But i really want my Aptera reservation.
"Are loads getting heavier?"
Proceeds to roast a good portion of the US.
Lol
This was a FUN video! It now needs to be lifted and bigger tires! LiFeP04 batteries to add more power/range and less weight. Add a better (more efficient) solar panel (would it need a charge controller??). Also add a larger (or just an) inverter for charging and other things. Oh and like others have mentioned fix the welds, rewire everything for safety! Enjoy knowing you've probably made more off the video that what you spent on the truck itself or at least will have in the future!
You can rig it up without a charge controller, but effective power would be a bit less. The efficiency would easily justify the added complexity and very slight weight. You'd need a panel with a Vmpp that's greater than the max battery voltage, so you might have to find one of the highest voltage panels available, but it's entirely doable. Mount in the truck bed so it isn't impacting what passes for aerodynamics
whistlindiesel already prove this thing is indestructible. I'd love one to drive around inside the neighbourhood
Good review, but why did your summary statement only mention the need for more power, but said nothing of the insubstantial welds?
I would love to see someone upgrade this
Another good thing about the Chinese products.Are you're surprised if they work and happy at the same tune
Put a server rack battery or 2. Pair that up to an eg4 48v all in one solar charger and inverter and run it with the charger "on" .
Lifepo4 batteries, a proper charge controller and mount that panel way better 👍😎
Weld the "chassis" so it wont fall apart, some sound deadening too 👍🍻
Slowly but surely trying to figure out how to eventually trickle charge my E-Transit off of solar. Mainly I need to figure out if I can wire in to the back of the AC charging input as a sort of "ghost plug" and flip a switch to have my solar battery and inverter kick on to slow charge the van while I'm at work. Just so I don't have to fashion an umbilical to charge the van off of the 24v system I've built.
Lift kit and 35s! Oh and light bars and 3 LEDs in the grill.
Add a alternator to it hooked up to one of the drive axles to charge it as tou drive like a regen system.
A $3000 truck that beats the CT on the dirt! That is so funny.
Your golf cart truck cant pull my work trailer or my camper 😂😂
Honestly this frame with a little more power & some atv tyres on it would make a great little farm/rural runabout. Something to replace the absurdly overpriced side by side UTV like the John Deere Gator or a rollover prone quadbike.