Convert Your Gas Go-Kart to Electric
Gas powered go karts are awesome fun – fast and noisy will put a smile on the face of any driver. But the undeniable torque available from an electric motor gives two advantages: insane acceleration and kick-ass hill climbing ability.
A quick instructables from a couple years back has info on retrofitting your gas-powered go-kart to run with a motor, battery and electronics. Turn it into a silent speed machine!
Motor:
Type: Series Wound DC Motor
Max Current: 300A
Cont. Current: 100A
Voltage: 36
Max HP: 15
Cont. HP: 5
Length: 14″
Diameter: 7″
Weight: 30Lbs
Controller:
Alltrax Series Wound Brushed DC Motor Controller
Max Current: 300A
Cont. Current: 100A
Max Voltage: 50V
Min Voltage: 20V
Throttle Type: 0-5k
Batteries:
Lithium Phosphate 42V/33AH system
Capacity (WH): 1.3KWH
Voltage: 42V
Capacity (AH): 32AH
Max Current: 800A
Cont. Current: 400A
Weight: 28Lbs
How does electric stack up to gas? The Mythbusters built and raced an electric go-kart against a gas powered one. The electric components (motor, batteries) doubled the weight of the cart, but even with that, the acceleration easily beat that of the gas version. With some tweaks, they felt they’d be able to have gotten the top speed up to that of the gas engine, too.
A user video of a converted racing go-kart shows the speed capabilities:
Hi, I'm Mike. I’m the executive editor of Make: magazine, and host of Discovery channel’s Punkin' Chunkin' and Catch It Keep It, TV shows where I build and explain crazy machines that crush stuff, blow things up, shoot fire, all in the name of science.
I've previously worked at Wired and ReadyMade magazines, writing about how to utilize new technology in our everyday lives.
This site is where I keep a list of instructions for fun projects I've done, am working on, or draw inspiration from. I encourage everyone to get involved — get up and do something!