FYI my name is also Ben
Anyways... I think it would be a lot of fun to continue to work on projects like these and keep them open source. Once Paul is finished with his design of his controller we could start deciding on how we could feasibly create a traction control/AWD system and make that cheap as well. The individual motors for each wheel might remain expensive, but if someone wanted to use small motors for each wheel and depend on their total power, the only real limiting factor to cheap electric car would be the cost of the batteries. And we all know that those prices are probably going to plummet over the next 5 years.
I think the price on Lithium Ion batteries is around $700-900 a kw-hour. A vehicle that was light weight and had a low CdA could get by with maybe 15 kw-hours for a 100mile + range. I foresee all these new cars that could be using the Lithium tech driving the price down to maybe $200-400 per kw-hour.
An electric motorcycle could cost 10 grand brand new and have 120 mile range or better. The possibilities are limitless.