Further developments

I haven't had a lot of time recently to devote to the conversion. Our rental inspection is approaching and there is a lot of yard work to be done. Recently I've been having problems with our battery lawn mower due to it's low power. It was fine while we were in drought conditions and the grass was very dry, but with waist-high jungle it just wasn't up to the task.



Fortunately, my Aunt loaned me her 4-stroke mower which finished off in 2 hours a task that the battery-mower hadn't done in 2 weeks! I will be buying a 4-stroke mower in the next few months...



However, the demise of the battery-mower has led to an unexpected supply of parts. A windfall, you might say... Having dismantled the components in an attempt to fix it, I find myself in posession of a small electric motor (which unfortunately is devoid of markings, particularly a power rating), a 12v 12Ah battery, some wiring and a rudimentary battery charger. I am planning to use these parts in a new project, one that will give me useful experience in working with electronics.



I had planned to attach it to my mountain bike as a hill-boost-assist but I don't think the motor is powerful enough to make much of a difference.

Maybe a boat or small barbie-go-kart style vehicle for my daughter?

I was given the idea for a boat during a visit to my in-laws. My brother-in-law Murray has a radio-controlled boat which is fairly small (about 18 inches long) an runs on 6 x 1.5v AA batteries. I'm thinking of taking the motor and 12v battery into the hobby shop and buying a boat kit that will handle the weight... Maybe a 1/18th size Titanic or Graf Spee? We shall see...

In the meantime, please donate a few dollars to this ev conversion. Clicking a few ads in the google ad panel will also generate some cash, although this takes a long time. I've added an "amount outstanding" line which I hope will tick down steadily until I can afford the new motor.

Wish me luck!