I have a friend who used to get into town in a car. Now he`s in an electric wheelchair and still gets into town, along the pavements.
Standing between the chair and the car is the mobility scooter. I knew someone who came up a steep Pennine hill and five miles into town on one.
There must surely be a market for the simplest possible electric car - ten miles at 20mph. That would get many people out and about locally. A sort of sub French micro- car. More like a Peel 50.
A simple lead acid battery array - nothing fancy. A new deal. Able to park in the City centre at no charge - except a `re-charge` parking meter style plug in re-chargers.
I think there`s a gap. Something similar in size to a Peel50/mobility scooter - but simple. If a mobility scooter can provide personal transport for twenty miles - why not? using cycle lanes.
You never see a cycle around here due to the hills and the cycle lanes are under used.
Edited by oilrag on 18/05/2009 at 15:55
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There must surely be a market for the simplest possible electric car - ten miles at 20mph. That would get many people out and about locally. A sort of sub French micro- car. More like a Peel 50.
It's called the G-Whiz, Bamber Gascoigne had one and it costs over 8 grand.
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Simpler than that though Lud. Smaller and without fancy computer & recharging nonsense.
More an uprated mobility scooter with a lid - for cycle lanes. Actually, even an actual mobility scooter for cycle lanes, rated to 15 mph and needing a licence.
Edited by oilrag on 18/05/2009 at 16:04
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I think the OP is thinking of somthing even simpler in invalid carraige perhaps? Maybe put a few fancy decals on it. A few fancy TV adds with the 19 year old boy pulling lots of girls in one.... could be a real sucess. Oh wait err we had one of these it was called the C5.
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C5 looks pathetic at the side of a standard mobility scooter - needs up from that, not down.
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OK I have a washing machine motor in my shed I shall see what I can come up with :). Probably a fire on wheels knowing my skills but it will be an interesting project. Don't expect it to be remotely cabable of passing an SVA though and it will have err a wooden chasis :(.
Edited by Rattle on 18/05/2009 at 16:11
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mmm
for what its worth i think most of the electric disabled vehicles should be banned as unsafe, both for the driver and other road or path users, and if/when they come up with a safer one the drivers should have to pass a test and be insured
fitting the gap you describe leads to many problems
1) crash worthiness, there wouldnt be any
2) lead acid batteries are dangerous for various reasons, and also heavy making centre of gravity a hard issue to sort
dont think we are anywhere near having a good solution to this one
Edited by rtj70 on 18/05/2009 at 16:27
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""Maybe put a few fancy decals on it. A few fancy TV adds with the 19 year old boy pulling lots of girls in one.... could be a real sucess. Oh wait err we had one of these it was called the C5. "
Rattle, the petrol version of the C5 could be the corsa ;-)
Edited by oilrag on 18/05/2009 at 16:15
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Won't have any GM part on it, but I do have a rusted spare wheel tray from my old car some pram wheels, a dimmer switch (for the throttle) push bike brakes, some 5mm LEDs for the brakes. The only thing I am completly stuck in is the suspension and the steering.
Of course it won't be road or pavement legal so it a complete waste of time. But back to the tread that is all you need, a very basic chasis, a load of batteries wired in parrerel a good motor and a fire fighting equipment. I have even have an old cable driven bike speedo in my shed for the job.
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"some pram wheels,"
Have another look at the remains of your pram.. some have suspension - depends whether you weakened it by bouncing up and down in it I suppose . Has there ever been a `leak` down onto the springs
;-)
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It's simple oilrag. All roads to have a chicken-wire canopy suspended ten feet above them, and their surfaces to have a dense pattern of metal contacts.
The fairground dodgem, although engaging, won't cut the mustard because it runs on nasty little casters. But those slightly bigger fairground racing cars with rubber tyres, proper ackermann steering and sort of springy bumpers all round, that used to run on an oval track, would be just the thing. Problem solved, traffic jostling along under their jolly contact masts in friendly multi-coloured spark-spitting proximity, with people laughing cheerily at every bump and graunch. Traffic cops running across the road and jumping on bumpers to collect the fines like the gipsy youths in a fairgound.
The more I think about it the more utopian it sounds. Do you think the Greens might go for it?
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Be good for keeping starlings off too I should think.
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I`m all for it Lud. Infrastructure change is what`s needed, but no one can see it.
The Greens can all have little pedal stations in their homes so they can put power into the grid.
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What make were those blue fibreglass 3 wheeler 2 stroke disabled carriers I used to see whizzing around in the 60's & 70's?
Once had an Aunty that travelled all the way from London to Hull to visit us a few times a year and back in one!
How fast did they go? They were 2 stroke I believe and 2 or 3 cylinders too.
Made a right racket too!
Found it! www.virtualgaz.com/invacarpage.htm
Edited by Tron on 18/05/2009 at 17:44
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My music teacher had one. It`s great to think that people with a disability are no longer humiliated by having to drive one of those things.
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Now, taking a 'glance' at the chassis build etc, modify it with todays materials & technology, use electric instead of two stroke power - could we have a prototype here?
Shall I just get my coat now?
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Did anyone actually see a Peel 50 running on the roads?
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Got me thinking now. Westfield / Caterham type thing. Batteries where the engine would normally go........
Hmmmmm
Edit- Make that lots of batteries.........
;-)
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Some were made by AC, they of Cobra fame and, had proper chrome AC badges on the bonnets and another brand was Invacar, if I remember correctly. I used to work on them in around 1970. I found this on a google search
www.motoringpicturelibrary.com/preview_image.asp?f...7
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The Greens can all have little pedal stations in their homes so they can put power into the grid.
And be paid in lentils perhaps... or is methane a greenhouse gas?
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Remember mung beans Lud? When we had the 2CV`s with `Save the whale` stickers in the rear windows...
Cough..... maybe only me then?
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Would you like to swing on a star
Carry mung beans home in a jar
And put methane juice in your car
Or would you rather be a pig?
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Ban the bomb
it`s your swansong
live or die
the nuclear lie
shelter behind pantry door
RADS a seeping through the floor
stick the tape in all the holes
Incoming, o`er the pole
gasp and twitch in the shelter
of sellotape and glue all melted
Government`s fine so all`s OK
amid the peoples rank decay
we were well meaning in our way
a laughing stock the current day
Peace on earth - goodwill to all
the nukes still there, ready to fall
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Battery car Billy went to town
people gasped - what a clown!
Buzzing along, from not very far
a little `lectric motor car
A two ton monster came too near
now on the roads a yellow smear
big car Rodney doesn`t care
he`s pushing on, to his lair
His bull bars bristle with the kill
as he thunders over the hill
but no food to eat tonight
His mega road tax done him a fright
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Yes I like the idea of a 'simple' car.
The trouble is that as soon as you talk about cars the testosterone charged dedicated petrol heads scorn the whole thing.
If you dont do 0-60 in less than 5 seconds they want you off the road.
The motor manufactures know that these are the people who will waste money on this kind of vehicle, and seem to cater for them and few others. It would be nice to think that their present problems will make them change their minds.
Electric propulsion would be a good simple thing to get away from 'engine management systems' which cannot be repaired, forcing you to go back to the manufacturers agent for servicing.
Simplicity is important. Make a vehicle for transport instead of a mobile amusement arcade!
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Oh hurrah. Automatic mimsers that cannot exceed 20mph, and cannot be overtaken. What a GRRREAT IDEA.
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I think that the 20mph limit is too slow - I remember being on a moped and felt really vulnerable at 30 - a vehicle which is bigger than a moped/motorbike but is limited to 20 would come under a lot of "pressure" from other bigger raod users... sensibly the limit would be better set at 40, but it should be restricted to urban use only...
Having said that, didn't some tests of the GWhiz mention that they felt vulnerable, and thats not that slow?!
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