I am hoping to find an electric motor that could have the same/greater horsepower and torque as a Volvo D13 diesel engine, I am hoping to convert a shuttle bus into an EV and I need to know if an electric motor exists that is powerful enough.

  • ZetaPower@alien.topB
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    1 year ago

    The D13:

    • 330kW
    • 2520Nm

    You can’t just get an electric motor with these specs and slap it in and go. EVERYTHING is different!

    Since an EV carries a really limited amount of fuel (100kWh = 3 galons of petrol) the entire setup MUST be as efficient as possible to get any range at all. An EV therefore consists of an entire cooperating ecosystem: motor(s) + high voltage battery + BMS + charging system + cooling/heating system + 12V.

    It all starts with reducing aerodynamic drag… A shuttle bus’s exterior is shaped like a shed. It is NOT aerodynamically shaped. The enormous air intake is completely useless in an EV, causes huge amounts of drag too. Highway energy consumption will be horrendous.

    Still want to continue the conversion?

    Do what everybody does: get 1 or 2 (you need a LOT of batteries) crashed Teslas as donors. Transplant their entire system. A Tesla Semi is propelled by 3 Tesla Plaid motors (= 1 Tesla Plaid car, $90k new), but the semi battery is 1000kWh where the car has 100kWh…

    Biggest issue with the will be form factor. Big engine is replaced by small motor. Cooling is smaller too. Big battery(ies) need to be fitted somewhere, preferably to the bottom of the vehicle.

    Good luck.

      • ScuffedBalata@alien.topB
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        1 year ago

        Only if you’re ok with the 85 mile total range that a full $20k 100kwh battery pack will give you.

        • Ampster16@alien.topB
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          1 year ago

          the 85 mile total range that a full $20k 100kwh battery pack will give you.

          It depends on the weight of the vehicle. A 100 kWh pack might give you 300 miles of range at 3 miles per kWh. Also batteries are available for $100 to $150 per kWh so that might only cost $10,000 to $15,000.

          • ScuffedBalata@alien.topB
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            1 year ago

            Build your own pack?

            Wow? How are you going to handle cooling? BMS? You can’t just air cool the suckers and you need a cell-aware BMS with appropriate control software.

            Well, you air cool it can but the old Nissan Leaf demonstrates how bad an idea that is and that was a pretty small motor it was driving.

            People go with Tesla packs because it includes a full water cooling conduit and pump system and sensors and BMS and balanced DC/DC inverter, etc.

  • PFavier@alien.topB
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    1 year ago

    Off course there are motors strong enough. I worked on naval electric motors for propulsion that have 3MW (over 4.000HP) and 15.000Nm of torque. Lots of electrificagion sets are also available for small boars and yachts that should provide the power you need.

  • HengaHox@alien.topB
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    1 year ago

    Thanks for the laugh.

    In case you are serious, the largest cruise ships have electric motors spinning the propellers.

    Oasis of the seas has 3x 20MW motors, so 3x 27000hp

    Would 27k horsepower be enough for your bus? :D

  • theotherharper@alien.topB
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    1 year ago

    subway car traction motor oughta do it. Only trick is they’re designed to output torque out the side not the end shaft.

  • Pepepezu@alien.topB
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    1 year ago

    Look for the technical specifications of the electric motors (+ any gearing) of the Volvo electric trucks commercialized in the US. They are designed for similar applications as those with the D13.