http://www.hybridcars.com/open-source-project-hopes-to-offer-23000-ev-with-186-miles-range/
Open Source Project Hopes To Offer $23,000 EV With 186 Miles Range
by Sarah Shelton May 14, 2015
[images
http://www.hybridcars.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Luka-EV.jpg
http://www.hybridcars.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Luka-EV-2.jpg
http://www.hybridcars.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Luka-EV-electrification-parts.jpg
http://www.hybridcars.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Luka-EV-chassis.jpg
http://www.hybridcars.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Luka-EV-battery-pack.jpg
]
An open source project is currently in the works to build an electric
vehicle powered by in-wheel motors.
The goals are ambitious: 1) Build an electric vehicle with a minimum range
of 186 miles that can theoretically be put into production and sold for
under $22,700. 2) Share the design so that others can replicate or customize
the platform. 3) Do it all in less than a year.
“The overall aim is to show that all electric cars can be competitive,” said
MW Motors of the prototype, which it has named the vehicle the Luka EV.
Working from a shop in Plzen, Czech Republic – about 50 miles west of Prague
– MW Motors’ team was formed by a handful of enthusiasts. The team plans on
sharing full details on the Luka EV on Hackaday.com, a website that
encourages an open exchange of ideas, with an emphasis on engineering.
“We hope that by open sourcing everything we may even encourage small
companies to open building cars locally in different countries,” said the
project manager.
The project itself is an experiment on a small scale, limited to one vehicle
for now. But if the prototype successfully meets the team’s goals, MW Motors
see three possibilities. The first is that an outside company will take the
concept and customize it to fit a specific market segment.
“We are sharing a platform, not just a car called the Luka EV,” explained MW
Motors. “The platform is very flexible. We think that with subtle changes to
the chassis design that people can make themselves, it should be easy to
make a range of cars [such as] a family car, a modern city car, a taxi or
even light goods vehicles.”
The company could also commercialize the Luka EV, though MW Motors doesn’t
know if this is a suitable direction.
“We are not sure if we will make it commercial or just leave a platform for
others to develop,” MW Motors said.
The team leader said the most likely option of the three is to create a kit
car for consumers to assemble.
“We will probably sell all the parts needed to make a car as a kit,” said MW
Motors. “Furthermore, we will release details of all the vendors we use and
(if legally possible and approved by a vendor) we will say how much each
component costs us. If this is not possible, we will bundle products” to
sell items such as the wheels and tires together. “Bundling would get us
over the potential legal issue of showing the amount we paid for a single
item.”
No matter which opportunities, if any, the project eventually leads to, two
final items must be checked off for MW Motors to call the Luka EV a success:
the design must be production-grade and a few vehicles must be sold at a
profit.
“In order for the project to be meet all the stated aims, we must sell some
vehicles for under 20,000 euros [$22,700] and we must give documentary proof
that we make a profit selling for 20,000 euros. So, without doubt we will
need to form a legal entity, make some cars and sell some cars,” MW Motors
said.
Though the Luka EV’s platform could be altered to create a larger sedan or
taxi, MW Motors noted that the expected market is most likely individual
commuters:
“We did not have a target market at the start of the project … But, talking
to people, it seems the majority of people seem to think this would be a
perfect car to go to and from work in.
“Usually an individual has to pay for the petrol to get to and from work,
and almost always they go to work alone. The journey to work is usually
short – below 50 km [31 miles] one way, 100 km return. As such, the Luka EV
would seem ideal.”
The car “only having the seats is not a problem as the kids usually do not
go to work with you,” added MW Motors.
Significant progress has already been made since the project began. During a
recent 5.5-hour range test, the Luka EV drove 128 miles on a single charge,
reaching a top speed of 47 mph.
The next step is to have the car road certified. Yesterday, MW Motors
learned last minute that the testing center in the U.K. has an opening for
May 22, and is scrambling to prepare.
“Very few pass the test first time around so it is likely we will fail,” MW
Motors said. “However, even failing will be good because we will get a
definitive list of faults we need to fix.”
Powertrain
MW Motors wanted only electric power for the Luka EV, selecting hub motors.
Mounted within the wheel assembly, the company said it picked this
technology because it hub motors arelightweight with few
