Hub Motor options for Yamaha Tricity

[sleeker]

Hi all,

I am looking to convert my Yamaha Tricity 125 into an EV, and hunting for info on what possible choices for a hub motor are currently available or in development...

I looked at the QS273 13inch 12000W In-Wheel Hub Motor 70H V4 Type, which caught my attention but it seems rather expensive (actually almost the price I paid for the Tricity itself new!)

So is there something on the market that would give 15hp-40hp in a hub motor, ideally into a 13-15inch hub?

Thanks in advance for your ideas!

 

[amberwolf]

Before you get any further, have you considered the amount and physical size of the battery you will need? (to make sure it will fit on there and not overload the trike)

It is dependent on the speed you need to go, the distance required, terrain, winds, acceleration and how often you have to accelerate, etc.

If you have times when you can leave the trike plugged in to charge, you can carry a fast charger built in, as long as it's enough charging to make up for the weight/volume of the charger vs the amount of battery you could fit instead.

 

[John in CR]

How fast do you want to go? How much do you weigh and do you want to be able to carry a passenger? How far do you want to be able to go on a charge? Most importantly, what kind of terrain (flat, hilly, mountainous). These are all important to hubmotor selection, especially when looking at a scooter starting life as a heavy 150kg gasser.

 

[sleeker]

I want to be able to carry around 150kg (myself and wife) and I want to be able to do a max of about 100kph.

Terrain is fairly flat, desired range is a min of around 75km per charge.

Acceleration to me is more important than top speed, the current 10hp in a relatively heavy (3wheeler) scooter is not as limiting as it might sound, as we don't need to travel that fast in Cebu (Philippines)

Wind here is either minimal or (rarely) very strong, and in typhoon times it wouldn't be used.

 

[John in CR]

The 50mm wide V3 273 should be fine to meet your needs. While testing it when it first came out a few years ago the Chinese guys took several big scooters on over a 1k km tour including some mountainous terrain. I have an old V1 that would do the job and the V3's with the thinner stator lamination steel are more efficient and have more sculpted covers for better heat dissipation. The 273 50 wide is in widespread use on big scooters, so the price should be alot lower than the new 70 wide. I'd definitely suggest getting it with the 13" rim, because hubmotors always perform better with smaller diameter wheels.

Check around for used scooters as a source for a cheap motor. What you want is something with side covers of about 280mm in diameter. The 273 designation is the diameter of the stator inside the motor.

 

[sleeker]

The problem is that the 273 while a fine motor potentially isn't really an upgrade to a 125.

I was hoping for something with a bit more power as well as significantly more torque than the existing engine, something ideally that can sustain 12kw+ and 25kw peak or more.

Is QS likely to be bringing out anything with a bit more zip that would fit?

 

[Arimhan]

The KW rating of QS motor are really low, they can sustain more.
Read the thread about the QS 3000W motor where people are putting 72V 200A into it without issue.
The 273 should be more than enough for your build. Even the 8000W.