February 19, 2007 by Rob.

I’ve been emailing with an speciality AGM battery vendor who has a form factor that would be perfect for the RAVolt.  They are not seeking to supply EVs so I will not publish their name.  Their 12v batteries at 5×5x30 and about 80% the amp-hour ratings of the Trojans with 50% of the weight.

This configuration would fit perfectly under the driver like the RAV4-EV batteries.  It would also be lighter, but provide slightly less range.  Since they would all fit in one location and have no vents, the battery box would be much easier to make.  They are not in current EV use, I would be discovering new territory.

The kicker is that they’d cost $11k (including charger) while my J150’s would be $2k. 

My goal for RAVolt v1.0 is to get on the road: I think I’m going to stick with the J150s.  Maybe we’ll revisit this if Pat gives me the Z3 - that conversion will be much lighter and thus lower voltage.

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February 19, 2007 by Rob.

While wheel motors are almost certainly the way of the future, they are not quite ready for commercial use.  This MIT concept EV has all the right basics.

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