clubcar villager vs polaris/chrysler gem, pros and cons,

[jatgm1]

hello, i was wondering if anyone here had experience with these lsv's. i was wondering if there was a significant performance increase between 48 and 72 volts, also i was wondering if it was easier to, hypothetically, customize a gem, or a club car, for higher speeds. let us assume, legally, that this will be operated only in private areas, in the hypothetical circumstance it is modified.
given the circumstances, is it easier to make a club car, or a gem go faster, which can go faster hypothetically, and which could go further, hypothetically at its fastest speed. also if anyone has experience which do you think is more reliable? thank you for your input in advanced. experience is prefered but not necessary in this thread.
-tom

 

[amberwolf]

"Overvolting" isn't always a trivial task.

Keep in mind that the rest of the vehicle's electronics may also run on the pack voltage, so you may have a number of systems to convert over to higher voltage, or wiring changes to make so the ones that can't do the higher V are on DC-DC converters, etc. You may also (probably would) need a new controller for the higher voltage, too, though the motor would probably run on it ok.

If it is a brushed motor, remember the higher the voltage the less time the brushes and commutator will last, and the more arcing they have, too, which has a side effect of higher RF spikes that can toast a controller under the wrong conditions.


There's a lot more large-EV experience (especially with mods and conversions) over at DIY Electric Car forums, though some of the members there (like Major) are also over here, and may see this thread to reply.

 

[jatgm1]

let me do this again. i would like to know which is better to get. my hope is to get a decent priced, reliable form of transportation. i want to know, if using the same voltage the manufacturer has on the vehicle, which is better for distance and speed? a 72 volt system because of the power? or a 48 volt system because of the fact there is less weight? and if i do decide to rip the 48v system out of a club car villager and throw in a 72 volt system it would be AC. if i was to put more battery power into the vehicle it would likely be in amphours, not in volts.
this is what i hope for;
a vehicle that has a top speed of 40-45 with proper modification.
a vehicle with a 25 or higher mile range at said speed
a vehicle that can be equipped with a solar panel to add a small ammount of range and the ability to charge slowly if left unattended in a sunny area.
a vehicle that is reliable and will be less likely to break down that the other

i would also like to know which battery manufacturers sell lifepo4 batteries of at least 100 amphours for LSV's in both 48 and 72 volt systems that would fit properly in their corresonding vehicle
i would also like to know if it is possible to, in the future if i decide to do so, replace the 48v system of a club car villager with a 72 volt system, that would of course be brushless, because brushed motors require more maintenance

if i get a clubcar villager, my overall plan would most likely be to run it on lead acid batteries until i have saved up enough to purchase a 48-84 (or72) volt motor system and lithium batteries. if i did not have enough money for the extra 2 12 volt batteries and for someone to put a space somewhere on the vehicle for the batteries to go in and dc to dc converters, just use a 48v battery system and when the batteries die, replace them with a 72 volt battery system when i would have the money.
if i get a gem, the same general plan would be in effect except it would be saving up only for the batteries, and if i had enough money getting an AC motor.

help in this matter would be appreciated. vague comments about how hard it would be to do unfortunately are not so much. thank you for your time.

 

[amberwolf]

lhelp in this matter would be appreciated. vague comments about how hard it would be to do unfortunately are not so much.

My apologies for trying to help by pointing out possible problems you might run into that you might not know about, so you could prepare yourself with a little research. I'll leave you to your information hunt.

 

[major]

lhelp in this matter would be appreciated. vague comments about how hard it would be to do unfortunately are not so much.

My apologies for trying to help by pointing out possible problems you might run into that you might not know about, so you could prepare yourself with a little research. I'll leave you to your information hunt.

Hi Amber,

I thought your comments were spot on. I don't do a lot on these types of EVs. Just an occasional battery swap in a GEM or golf cart and recently some assistance to a guy going from 72 to 48V (Li) in a strange cart of somesort. He needed my assistance reprogramming the Curtis 3-ph motor controller because he didn't have the $800 programmer. Crap like that is a killer when altering system V. Also, new charger and DC/DC. Then problems with the dashboard lighting up.

I saw several threads from Mr. jatgm1. It looks like he has gotten some help on this one: http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=64670&p=972035#p972035 I'm not sure how to reply to him, so didn't. I think he could do better looking to websites, businesses, or forums devoted to these type of vehicles. They have become popular in some areas and some places cater to modifications. Like that 100mph cart by Plum Quick Motors.

major

 

[dnmun]

double down on how AW responded to him. i tried and tried to help that guy but he is stuck in the 'blame someone else' mode and that comes earlier for him than the 'i gotta fix this' moment the rest of us have to deal with.

 

[jatgm1]

first off, when someone sends you something that does not work, they the logical thing to do is blame them. because they made it.. and second, im simply asking which would be better for long distances and speed. if you dont know, thank you anyway, i think i will wait for someone with experience to tell me which one and the reasons why.

 

[jatgm1]

and the reason i am on here, is to find out what would be the best for my needs with the least work. not to find out how i could go about doing more work to make it functional. also i have found a site that cater's specifically to e-cars on their forum, which seems more helpful than this site. especially since i have already gotten constructive feedback. i would love to be an active part of this community, however i simply dont know enough about these topics, and getting something reliable is better than trying to make crap work anyday. theres a reason you buy a good honda and not a peice of crap chinese bike. i have been down both paths now and am trying to simply find out which is the honda in this scenario, for my application.