High school kid builds nifty electric trike

[simonov]

I kinda like this design:

[youtube]whBYsuY_6i0[/youtube]

It would probably be kind of expensive, since all that 80/20 extruded aluminum isn't cheap. But it's what Avid CNC use to build their CNC machines, so they probably have a lot of it laying around. Frankly, as a woodworker myself, I'd substitute some of the 80/20 components for Baltic birch plywood or hardwood (since the 80/20 isn't as lightweight as you'd think, either; BTW, extruded aluminum tubing is surprisingly strong (I produce custom extrusions in my day job as a firearms accessories designer), and I betcha you could use much lighter (and cheaper!) off the shelf hollow extrusions without sacrificing much strength. Use rivnuts to assemble sub-assemblies from hollow aluminum extrusions).

All the plate parts can be made by a service I have used with some success in the past (local to me, but no affiliation): SendCutSend. I recommend them unreservedly, it's really a great service.

Smart kid. No word on whether Avid CNC will make the plans available.

 

[dogman dan]

That's neat. I saw a similar type design at interbike one year, and thought, "needs a motor" It was a lot like a box dolly you could ride. cargo shelf up front, set low, with two wheels, and a rear drive wheel. It was a tilting trike, able to lean in corners.

 

[Dauntless]

So you look at their site and Avid CNC points you at a guy with plans to build your own mill. https://www.8020cnc.com/build%20CNC%20machine DAMN! I used to do a little of this stuff, I should get back to it.

I don't know how well the ROP is doing in California since the collapse, but time was you could take classes learning this in high school and IF ONLY you could have someone like Avid close by to be an intern.