CarBEN EV5 Full Sized Prototype Construction - 5 Seat Electric Car From Scratch

[astra74]

I've been following this project for quite some time, and i must say that it's just awesome! I admire people like you. Keep it up!

[NeilBlanchard]

Hi Jim,

Originally Posted by HydroJim

How do you plan on making the doors? and will the windows roll down?

It is a design experiment, and it may or may not be practical; but I have designed the seating etc. so that you get in and out the back doors. On this first prototype, the side windows will be fixed; though I may have a small sliding section on the window to the left of the driver. The side windows are two layers with an air space for thermal insulation, by the way.

I'm intending to have robust air flow through the inside (as needed), and if that is done well, then the drag of open windows can be avoided.

[2000neon]

That is awesome! It must be a great feeling to see all your hard work take shape. Good for you, I'm impressed. I really love the rear underside, the boattails behind the wheels, the bottom taper angle and rear diffuser look great. This is a seriously cool project.

Keep up the incredible work.

[HydroJim]

When are they going to be up for sale?

[NeilBlanchard]

The stepper motor on the X-axis (that had to move the entire foam sheet along the 8 foot length) on my CNC machine is apparently worn out. I had a 120mm fan blowing on it the whole time, but since I had to push the voltage up so that it had enough torque to do what I needed -- it will need to be replaced along with the toothed belt.

I will be needing the CNC machine to cut things like the driver's seat, so that I can see it and how it works in the car. It's one thing to design things on a computer in a 3D model and quite another to work in the actual car.

[gone-ot]

Originally Posted by NeilBlanchard

It's one thing to design things on a computer in a 3D model and quite another to work in the actual car.

...3D models show how things should "fit", physical parts show how things do/don't fit (ha,ha).

[redneck]

Impressive...!!!

You should be very proud of yourself. Not many people have the skills or knowledge to do what you have done.

I'm looking forward to following this project...

>

[ConnClark]

Are you going to do a rush paint job on it for halloween? That way you can go as the incredible hulk and lift it up over your head to impress all the kids in your neighborhood.

[NeilBlanchard]

We are in the midst of Sandy at the moment (power is back on for now) and it was lifting my shelter off the ground, and it cracked one of the supplemental braces I added -- I had to cut the tarp free. We quickly threw some things out of the way in my one car garage and jammed CarBEN EV5 in; and I removed the 2' nose piece so I could close the doors on the garage.

That was not fun; and I don't think anything on the chassis was damaged. We are well away from the coast, and it is not raining a huge amount, so wind is the main threat in this area. Along the coast there is a lot of problems with storm surge, and lots of rain are happening nearer the center of the storm -- like up to 1 foot!

[Tango Charlie]

Yikes! Stay safe!