INFINITE RANGE ELECTRIC CAR - DIY Build

Summary

In this innovative video, the creator explores the concept of an indefinitely sustainable solar-powered vehicle. After building a solar electric go-kart with a 100 km range on a sunny day, the project evolves with the addition of a trailer equipped with more solar panels to increase power generation. Through testing and modifications, including a new hitch and wiring for the panels, the vehicle achieves an impressive 250 km range, demonstrating the potential of harnessing solar energy for transportation.

Takeaways

• 🚗 The creator built a solar-powered electric go-kart with the goal of achieving an infinite range by harnessing solar energy.
• 🔆 The initial setup included 3 solar panels that provided additional range but were not sufficient for indefinite charging.
• ⚙️ A decision was made to enhance the project by adding more solar panels through a trailer to increase energy generation.
• 🛠️ The frame for the solar trailer was constructed using 1x2 inch steel tubing, measuring 14 feet long and 42 inches wide.
• 🔩 The trailer was fitted with bike wheels to support the structure and match the original car's tire dimensions.
• 🌞 Flexible solar panels were chosen for their lightweight nature, saving significant weight compared to rigid panels.
• 🏗️ Wooden frames were created to support the solar panels, reducing the overall weight and increasing energy efficiency.
• 🔌 Wiring was carefully planned to connect the solar panels in series and parallel to maximize power output to the charge controller.
• 🔋 The car's battery was monitored to assess the charging capacity and efficiency of the solar panels during the test drive.
• 🚦 Upgrades to the braking system and the addition of a rearview mirror and battery voltage monitor improved safety and functionality.
• 🌡️ The test drive demonstrated that under optimal conditions, the solar-powered vehicle could cover significant distances, reaching 250 km before stopping due to low sunlight.

Q & A

What is the main idea of the video?

The main idea of the video is to explore the concept of a solar-powered vehicle with the aim of achieving an 'infinite' driving range by adding more solar panels to a car and testing its performance.

What was the initial range of the solar-powered go-kart built in the previous video?

The initial range of the solar-powered go-kart on a good sunny day was around 100 km, and with just the batteries alone, the range was closer to 60 or 70 km.

What is the theoretical power generation capacity of the solar panels on a perfect sunny day?

Theoretically, on a perfect sunny day, the solar panels have a power generation capacity of 3,000 watts.

What modifications were made to increase the solar power generation of the car?

To increase the solar power generation, the creator built a trailer with a steel frame to host additional solar panels, aiming to produce more than 1200 watts of solar power.

Why was a trailer used instead of modifying the car structure?

A trailer was used instead of modifying the car structure to avoid altering its design and to provide a platform for a larger grid of solar panels.

What materials were used for the main frame of the trailer?

The main frame of the trailer was constructed using 1x2-inch steel tubing with a thickness of 0.065 inches.

How many solar panels were planned to be installed on the trailer?

Six 175-watt solar panels were planned to be installed on the trailer.

What type of wheels were used for the trailer and why?

Bike wheels with 20-inch fat tires were used for the trailer because they were identical to the ones on the car and provided a cost-effective solution.

What was the total range achieved by the solar-powered vehicle in the test?

The total range achieved by the solar-powered vehicle in the test was 250 km.

What were some of the practical challenges faced during the test drive?

Some practical challenges faced during the test drive included the need for optimal use of daylight hours, the impact of clouds and the setting sun on solar power generation, and the limitations of the vehicle's battery capacity.

What upgrades were made to the vehicle to improve safety and performance?

Upgrades made to the vehicle included installing hydraulic brake lines for better stopping power, adding a rearview mirror for better visibility, and a battery voltage monitor to keep track of the battery capacity.

What was the final outcome of the experiment and what could have been done differently?

The final outcome of the experiment was that the vehicle stopped after reaching 250 km due to insufficient solar power input as the sun was setting. The creator believes that with better use of daylight hours and optimal conditions, the range could have been extended to 300 km or more.

Outlines

00:00

🚗 Exploring Solar-Powered Vehicle Range Enhancement

The script introduces the concept of enhancing the range of a solar-powered car by adding more solar panels. The creator reflects on a previous project where a solar-powered go-kart was built with a range of 100 km on a sunny day. The goal is to achieve an 'infinite range' by generating more energy than the vehicle consumes. The creator tests the current energy consumption, which averages between 200 to 800 watts per motor, and plans to add solar panels to the car to produce over 1200 watts to sustain indefinite driving on sunny days.

05:01

🛠️ Constructing a Solar Panel Trailer for Enhanced Power

The script details the process of building a trailer to host additional solar panels. Using steel tubing, the creator constructs a frame 14 feet long and 42 inches wide to accommodate six 175-watt solar panels. The trailer's wheels are repurposed from a bike, and the assembly includes making plates for axle attachment and ensuring the wheels are square to the frame. The trailer frame is sanded, painted, and prepared for the solar components, emphasizing the importance of weight reduction in vehicle efficiency.

10:02

🌞 Assembling and Mounting Flexible Solar Panels

The creator opts for flexible solar panels due to their lightweight nature, comparing them to heavier rigid panels. Wooden frames are constructed to support the panels, painted, and then assembled with the solar panels using adhesive and screws. The trailer is prepared for the solar panel installation, which includes bolting the frames onto the trailer and securing the panels within. The process highlights the importance of weight savings and the practicality of flexible panels for the project.

15:03

🔌 Wiring the Solar Panels for Maximum Power Output

The script explains the electrical setup for the solar panels, with nine panels connected in three series groups of three panels each. These groups are then connected in parallel to the charge controller, allowing for a maximum input of 1575 watts. The wiring process involves using MC4 connections for a clean setup and installing inline fuses for safety. The charge controller setup ensures the solar panels contribute effectively to charging the vehicle's battery.

20:07

🚘 Testing the Solar-Powered Vehicle's Range and Performance

The creator tests the solar-powered vehicle's range on a clear day, aiming to reach 300 km to demonstrate 'infinite range.' The vehicle produces up to 1350 watts of solar power, but due to filming interruptions and cloud cover, the battery capacity decreases. Despite this, the vehicle drives 240 km before stopping as the sun sets. The creator reflects on the learnings from the project and its potential applications, emphasizing the theoretical infinite range and the value of the experiment.

Keywords

💡Solar Power

Solar power is the energy derived from the sun's radiation and converted into electricity using photovoltaic cells. In the video, the creator explores the concept of harnessing solar power to charge an electric vehicle, aiming to achieve an 'infinite range' by using solar panels to generate energy while driving.

💡Electric Cars

Electric cars are vehicles that are powered by electric motors and typically use rechargeable batteries for energy storage. The video discusses the idea of integrating solar panels into electric cars to extend their range, showcasing an experiment with a solar-powered electric go-kart.

💡Infinite Range

The term 'infinite range' in the context of the video refers to the theoretical possibility of a vehicle being able to travel indefinitely without needing to stop for external energy sources. The creator attempts to achieve this by using solar panels to generate more energy than the vehicle consumes.

💡Solar Panels

Solar panels are devices that convert sunlight into electricity. In the video, the creator adds more solar panels to the electric go-kart to increase the energy generation capacity, which is essential for the experiment to achieve a longer driving range.

💡Wattage

Wattage is a measure of power, defined as one watt being one joule per second. The video script mentions the wattage of the solar panels and the power consumption of the vehicle's motors, which is critical in determining if the solar power system can sustain the vehicle's operation.

💡Go-Kart

A go-kart is a small, four-wheeled vehicle that is often used for recreational purposes. In the video, the creator has built a solar-powered electric go-kart, which serves as the basis for the experiment to explore the concept of infinite range.

💡Trailer

A trailer is an unpowered vehicle towed by a powered vehicle. In the script, the creator builds a trailer to host additional solar panels, which is a key part of the project to increase the solar energy generation capacity of the go-kart.

💡Welding

Welding is a fabrication process that involves joining materials, usually metals, by causing coalescence through the use of heat. The video describes the creator's use of welding to construct the frame of the solar panel trailer.

💡Hydraulic Brakes

Hydraulic brakes use brake fluid to transmit force from the brake pedal to the brake calipers, providing greater stopping power. In the video, the creator upgrades the go-kart's brakes from cable brakes to hydraulic brakes for improved safety and performance.

💡Battery Capacity

Battery capacity refers to the amount of energy that a battery can store, typically measured in watt-hours (Wh) or ampere-hours (Ah). The video discusses the go-kart's battery capacity and how the solar panels contribute to maintaining or increasing this capacity while driving.

💡Prototype

A prototype is an early sample or model of a product built to test a concept or process. The solar-powered go-kart in the video is described as a proof of concept and prototype, highlighting that it is an experimental build aimed at exploring the feasibility of the idea rather than a finished product.

Highlights

The concept of a solar-powered car that charges indefinitely is explored.

A solar-powered electric go-kart was built with a range of around 100 km on a sunny day.

The theoretical possibility of a vehicle producing more energy than it uses is discussed.

The car's average power consumption was tested to be between 200 to 800 watts per motor.

A trailer with a solar grid is constructed to increase the car's energy generation capacity.

The frame of the trailer is made from 1x2 steel tubing for structural support.

Six 175 W solar panels are planned to be installed on the trailer to increase power generation.

The use of flexible solar panels over rigid ones is justified by their significantly lower weight.

Wooden frames are created to support the flexible solar panels and reduce overall weight.

The solar panels are mounted on the trailer using a combination of adhesive and mechanical fasteners.

A hitch is installed on the car to tow the solar panel trailer effectively.

The wiring of the solar panels is detailed, including series and parallel connections.

The car's braking system is upgraded from cable brakes to hydraulic brake lines for better stopping power.

A battery voltage monitor is added to keep track of the car's energy capacity.

The car's performance is tested, aiming to achieve a range of 300 km in one day.

During peak sunlight hours, the solar panels produced up to 1350 watts of power.

The car managed to drive 250 km before stopping, showcasing the potential for solar-powered vehicles.

The video concludes with insights on the practical applications and future potential of solar-powered vehicles.

Transcripts

[Music]

with all the hype around solar power and

electric cars lately you've likely at

some point had the thought why don't we

just put solar panels on a car and

charge them

indefinitely well last year I explored

this idea and made this car that charges

using only the three solar panels on it

and while this added a bit of range it

was far from

infinite so in this video I'm exploring

this concept a little further and making

some modific ations to my solar powered

car to finally hunt down that infinite

range

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[Applause]

so last September I did an entire video

on building this solar powered electric

go-kart

[Music]

thing it actually turned out really cool

and on a good sunny day it has a range

of around 100 km and on just the

batteries alone that ranges closer to 60

or 70 and while that's cool right from

the start of this project my whole idea

was to explore the possibility of

something producing more energy than it

uses and essentially having an infinite

range theoretically on a perfect sunny

summer

day it has 3,000 watts of power 4,000 W

hourss of battery capacity and generates

about 450 WS of solar power when driving

in the clear Sun so to dramatically

upgrade my range I'm going to have to

add quite a few more solar panels to

generate enough energy to sustain what

it

uses so first I just took it out on the

road and just did a little test with it

just to get an idea of how many watts

it's burning on average and from this

test it looks like it's burning anywhere

from about 200 to 800 watts per motor

assuming it's not climbing a steep hill

so I think I could realistically give

this a burn rate of say 600 WTS per

motor or 1200 watts if I can get a solar

grid to produce more than 1200 watts I

should be able to sustain this

indefinitely well it's sunny

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so rather than modify the structure of

the car I'm going to be building a

trailer that the car will tow that'll

host a solar grid so for the main frame

of this trailer I'm using some 1X 2 in

steel tubing with a thickness of 0065 in

and first I'm just measuring out my four

main pieces and then cutting them each

with a 45° angle

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and once I had a piece cut I'd use a

sanding disc in my angle grinder and

just clean up that edge to get them

ready for

welding so basically I'm just making up

the main rectangle of the frame right

now and it's 14 ft long and 42 in wide

and this should give me enough room for

six 175 W solar panels and to W these

pieces together I'm using this cheap

flux core welder that I've had for a

decade and fusing this tube in together

around all four

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sides and I'm definitely not the world's

greatest welder but I can weld somewhat

structurally so I'll just clean this up

with an angle grinder that's what

they're for anyway

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and now that is a perfect

weld so next I added in one crossmember

with some extra steel I had around and

now I'm going to add on the tongue using

this 2in x 2 in steel tubing with that

same 065 thickness once I had that

welded in place I'm using some more of

the one by two uh brace the tongue onto

a couple other points on the

frame

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sh with the main portion of the frame

rig together it's now time to add some

Wheels now the cheapest and definitely

most wasteful way for me to get these

wheels is just order another bike like I

built the original car out of that gets

me two 20-in fat tire wheels identical

to the ones that are on the car for

about 300 bucks and if I wanted to buy

an individual wheel it costs about 300

per wheel so how does that make any

sense anyway I'll just throw out the

rest I

guess so with these wheels I roughly

measured out about how wide of a drop

out I would need and then I did some

quick maths before I cut up some more

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steel so what I've basically done here

is is weld together a rectangle with a

pocket at each end to hose my

wheels and then I'll weld on some of the

steel plating that's going to accept the

axles of the bike

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wheels so first to make these plates I'm

using some 1/4 in thick plate

steel this piece is 3 in wide and I'm

just cutting some 3 and 1/2 in Long

sections of this using my chopsaw

then I'm marking out a axle sized hole

for the bike wheel and drilling that

through with a pilot

bit and then my 3/8 in final hole

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size with all four of my pieces cut and

drilled I'm using a cut off wheel in my

angle grinder to cut out the width of

this hole so that the bike axle can drop

out the bottom

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so now back to assembly with my first

plate I just measure out the center and

then weld this square right

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here and then I'd Mark out the center on

the opposite side and use a clamp to

hold this snug while I put the wheel in

place and measure from the edge of the

frame to the edge of the rim to see if

my wheel is running Square to the frame

I'd make some little adjustments with

the clamp until I had the same

measurement at the front and back of the

wheel which meant my rim is more or less

Square to my frame and these plates can

be fully welded

on this really isn't a Precision build

it's more of a proof of concept and

prototype so this doesn't have to be

absolutely 100% perfect but I am trying

to do the best I can with the tools I

have available which really isn't many

for this type of job I must say my

welding is getting better though that

looks like it might not fall

apart so with my axle framing completed

I can take this over to my main frame

and weld this

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on and then take this completed trailer

frame outside for some sanding and

paint I used a bunch of sanding discs in

my angle grinder to get rid of this rust

on the steel because it's been sitting

in my shop since last year and it's done

a bit of oxidizing oxidization

rusting then I'm just using some regular

trim clad rust paint and painting this

aluminum silver

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now I can bolt on my bike wheels and

move this trailer frame inside and start

working on the solar

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components for my solar panels I'm going

to be using those same flexible solar

panels that I used in the first video

and the reason for that is weight these

flexible panels only weigh about 7 lb

and a rigid manufactur panel weighs

about 60 lbs and I'm not really sure

why so in order to save a bunch weight

I'm going to keep using these flexible

panels and make up some more wooden

frames to be the rigid portion of the

panel

assembly for that I'm just using some of

these cedar fence boards and ripping

them down to width and then cutting some

45° angles go to make a rectangle that's

about a/2 in wider and longer than the

panel

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itself so now the wood portion of this

panel will weigh about 4 lb along with

the 7 lb of the panel giving the

assembly a weight of 11 lb versus 60 of

the pre-manufactured aluminum frame

panels and for a vehicle every single

pound you can save makes it more energy

efficient and this is literally going to

save me hundreds of

pounds to match the car I took these

wood frames outside and gave them a code

of some vibrant red spray

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paint and now we're ready to start

assembling my solar trailer

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so I'm going to be bolting each one of

these frames directly onto the trailer

so to do that I first clamp the frame

into it final position and then I

drilled through the frame and the steel

with a bolt size drill

bit then I took one of these gripping

nut things and Hammer that into place

into the wood and then I can bolt this

in from the bottom side and that way

when the solar panel gets glued down on

top of this this assembly can still be

removed from the frame just by simply

undoing that bolt at the

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bottom now I can start fastening the

flexible panels to these wooden frames

to create the rigid panel unit so first

I just laid out a liberal bead of some

cocking I had just laying around the

shop and then I stuck the solar panel on

top of this and used some stainless

steel wash washer and screws as a second

method to fasten this to the

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frame now I'm going to install a hitch

and for that I'm just using a normal

trailer ball hitch this coupler slides

perfectly over my 2-in channel and I can

bolt that into place

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and now I have to install a ball on the

back of my car so I have some of that

left over/ Quin steel plating that I'm

going to rig up to hang a few inches off

the end of the car with a ball on it

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now instead of welding this on where I'd

have to remove all the electronics and

the floorboards I'm going to bolt this

into place so that I don't really have

to remove anything

[Music]

now that I have that dry fit and I know

it's going to work out I can remove that

and take it outside for some

paint and then do the final installation

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so now I need to wire these new panels

into my car battery I have nine panels

all of the same spec and three of them

are already connected in series on the

car so I'm going to do that same series

Connection in groups of three with the

remaining six panels on the trailer so

that I'll have three groups of three

panels each that'll then Connect into

the charge controller in parallel

so to do a series connection I can just

take the positive and negative wire of

two panels and connect them together but

in order to get rid of some excess wire

I'm just going to cut these off and

install some new mc4 connections it's

the exact same thing just shorter

[Music]

wires so now I have my two series

connections between the panels and my

remaining positive and negative lead

ready to go out to the charge controller

now I can do the same on the remaining

three panels at the

back so a quick explanation of what's

going on each of these panels is 18

volts 175 wats and 9 amps so when I

connect a series group of three panels

it's basically giv me one big panel with

an operating voltage of 54 volts 525 WTS

and 9

amps then when I bring these three panel

assemblies into the charge controller in

parallel the charge controller is

receiving 54 volts 1575 W and 27 amp

[Music]

maximum now I can start running the

remaining wires along the frame of the

trailer up to the charge

controller so to connect my three panel

assemblies into the charge controller

I'm just going to use one of these

Branch connectors that basically

connects three positive or three

negative wires into one wire that goes

directly into the charge controller to

make it easy to attach and detach all

the wires will hook into these with some

mc4

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connections so it's easy as this to hook

up my

trailer one more thing on all the

positive leads I just put some of these

inline 20 amp fuses just to protect each

run front of individual panels and

that's the wiring complete this should

now charge the batteries with a maximum

input of 1575

W so now I want to do just a couple

quick touch-ups to my car design before

I take this out on the road first of all

right now I'm just using the normal

cable brakes that came on the bicycles

that are pretty squeaky and don't have

much stopping power so I'm going to

upgrade these to some hydraulic brake

lines

[Music]

and now my brakes have quite a bit more

stopping power and makes me a little

more comfortable in this rickety

machine I also added on a rear view

mirror

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and a battery voltage monitor so I can

get a rough idea of how much capacity I

have

left and now it's time to see how far

this thing will drive

you are all

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[Applause]

so I started this trip at shortly after

10 with 117 km on the odometer thinking

that if I can put on 300 km in 1 day

that's got to be considered infinite

range for a thing that goes 35 km in an

hour and has a 60 km unassisted range on

these very same

roads I had a perfect Clear Blue Sky day

for filming this and by noon we were

producing about 1350 WS of consistent

solar

power I've filmed almost all of this

just clicking off laps around some side

roads near my house and by 2:00 the

battery was still almost complet

completely full however I have only gone

just over 80 km because of all the

stopping and starting involved with

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filming so I called in a stunt double so

that I could still get these shots but

we could keep the car on the road

driving with almost no unnecessary

stopping

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oh

by 4:00 we were up to 130 km with still

a nearly full battery at 53 1/2

volts and an hour later we had added on

another 30 km but thanks to some clouds

rolling in and the lowering Sun we're

just now starting to monumentally eat

into the battery capacity showing 52 1/2

volts which is more like 75% or

so since our solar input dropped from

about 1,000 wats an hour ago to about

350 watts in the clouds right now for

the first time during the day we're no

longer producing an equal or even a

greater amount of energy than we're

using luckily by about 6:00 the sun did

come back out and we were able to

generate about 5 or 600 watts again but

that's going to be shortlived because

that Sun is setting

[Music]

fast by 8:00 we are all the way up to

240 km but our solar input was down to

just 55 wats and our battery was getting

critically low at 48

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Vol and sure enough about 10 km later

just as we were running out of sunlight

as if this was written in a poem our

solar powered vehicle rolled to a stop

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I just want to show you quick what

happens when this runs out of energy

it'll go for a little bit and then run

out of power then as the solar panels

collect more energy you'll get little

bursts of throttle

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as the battery regenerates and obviously

that' happen a lot quicker if there is

more

sun so the total range of this was 250

km but had I used the perfect time of

day better around 10:00 a.m. to 2:00

p.m. when I was doing a lot of filming

I'm 100% certain we could have got this

to 300 km and I'm like 50% certain you

could do like 400 km on this if you

perfectly used your

time which is absolutely insane for a

thing that has a range of 60 or 70 km

that just the batteries and definitely

theoretically infinite

[Music]

range obviously this has no real world

practical purpose at least not yet but

that doesn't mean there wasn't a lot of

value in what was learned here and that

knowledge can be applied to Future

projects and I hope some people watching

this video can use this as inspiration

to try something that nobody thinks will

work as always thanks for watching my

video and if you can hit the like button

as that greatly helps the algorithm

boost these videos and fun future

projects I'd also love to know what you

think of this rig in the comments below

or any ideas to make it better and until

next time thanks for watching