Electric scooter

[John-607]

Dear EVDL,

I recently bought an electric scooter, Rolektro BT-100, that was dirt-cheap
(€300 = $440, incl. VAT, made in China) but which turned out to be a pretty
useless toy, w/o any modifications, that is (range only a few miles). I
first got in touch with Doug Korthoff of Electric Vehicles For Sale, who
gave me lots of great feedback but suggested I contact you guys as well :)

Right now the scooter has a 36V, 450W motor (which may not even put of those
450W) and a 36V, 36Ah lead-acid battery. So, I'd like to get a stronger
motor (750W), NiMH batteries and so have a couple of questions I hope you
won't mind helping me with :)
a) Battery: do you know of any NiMH batteries manufacturer in Europe besides
Saft (that doesn't appear to be in a hurry to answer potential customer's
inquiries)
b) Motor: any sources of 750W, 3-phase electrical motors with regen braking
in Germany/Europe  - I want to use my e-scooter for commuting, shopping,
etc., i.e. have a vehicle with a range of say, 25 to 40 miles and speed of
approx. 20 mi/hr.
c) Battery charger: are there any affordable NiMH battery chargers on the
market (manufacturer's websites) or would I need to make one myself?

Thanks so much.

John

P.S. No solar (yet), but a green utility :)


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[EVDL Administrator]

This probably isn't what you want to hear, but I think you've sussed it in
your first sentence.  That is, you might be better off to start with a real
vehicle, rather than a kid's toy.  

I may be assuming too much about this scooter, but I'd be concerned that its
flaws and weaknesses don't end with the battery and motor.  Even if you
upgrade those, and the charger, and the controller (which you didn't mention
but will have to be part of the project), you may end up with little more
than an overpowered (and now rather expensive) toy scooter.  Will it be safe
and reliable?  Who knows?

I think the better, simpler, and probably less expensive course would be to
sell it on ebay and find something more substantial (and of higher quality)
that already is closer to what you really need.

Of course others here who may be personally familiar with this particular
model may well refute my thoughts.  

David Roden - Akron, Ohio, USA
EVDL Administrator

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[mick abraham]

John Hope wrote about his wish to upgrade a bargain electric scooter.

Coming off my own escapades with an electrified bicycle revamp, I suggest that
any motor swap come only later on. Start with the batteries, get the lead out
and performance may improve just due to the weight loss.

If the "450 watt" motor really can deliver that as "shaft power out", that's
over .5 horsepower...not bad for a lightweight vehicle. You'll never know if
the motor can perform to specifications unless you couple it to a battery with
adequate surge capability.

I've been running my e-bike on Milwaukee brand lithium ion cordless drill
batteries, using the Milwaukee charger, and relying on the Milwaukee warranty.
If I had a 36 volt machine, I would try to figure out a way to clip on some of
the DeWalt 36 volt lithium batteries instead of following the nickel-metal
hydride route.

Mick Abraham, Proprietor
www.abrahamsolar.com
Voice: 970-731-4675

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