In two days I graduate from university and begin my life in the "real world'. That means in August I begin a real engineering job. This means that I now have to commute every day, and with gas prices they way they are I can see that becoming a major financial and environmental load. Originally I just decided that rain or shine I would bike to work, the exercise is good for you and I'd be saving money and airspace around me.

(If anyone is curious I'm going to be working at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab in Laurel, Md)

Then I found this http://www.gizmag.com/go/4430/ which convinced me that my desire for practicality is overrun by my desire to make things. So now I have a challenge, in the next two months before I have to begin work create a similar device for less than it would cost me to fill up on gas for a year? This means I have about 65 days in which to make a solar powered scooter for less than $250 (the minimum cost of driving 10 miles every day in a commute). The best part is I don't know much right now about the electronics involved in such a project. So this project log is also to get some advice throughout the way and hopefully everyone can benefit from this. So here we go.

CASH TO START: 250

Chapter 1: The Body

Success! The same day I become inspired to start this project an angry landlord is pawning the stuff a runaway tenent left behind. One of these objects is a electric scooter! It lacks a battery and charging kit and it'll have to be hot-wired because the key is lost but otherwise it seems fine. The only mechanical thing wrong is the tires need air, the chain is even still greased. So this project comes to a good start.

http://picasaweb.google.com/gmullins/SolarScooterProject

Here is what I know about the motor.
Unite Motor-Model My1016
Voltage; 24VDC
Rated Current :13.7 A
Rated Speed:2650 RPM
Output:250 W
Unite Motor model My1016

Total Cost = $20

Cash remaining = $230

So the next step: Determining the power drain this motor produces. Can we make it go 20 mph? What kind of battery should we put in this thing?

whoa! i know where JHUAPL is. My dad works there.

You might want to look at the “real world” of motorcycles. I can see that all those years in the university they taught you that it is OK to die to save the “airspace around you.”

I rode motorcycles a lot when I was young and dumb, until I hit a truck at 40Mph. Luckily I had a helmet on but my neck still gets sore from the damage done.

There is a reason they are called “Donorcycles.” Perhaps your environmentalism might have one good point, giving your organs to some little boy or girl that need them.

I would get an efficient small car.


PUBLIC HEALTH: ON US MOTORCYCLE FATALITIES

The following points are made by L.J. Paulozzi and R. Patel (Morb. Mort. Wkly. Rep. 2004 53:1103):

1) Motorcycles are the most dangerous type of motor vehicle to drive.[1] These vehicles are involved in fatal crashes at a rate of 35.0 per 100 million miles of travel, compared with a rate of 1.7 per 100 million miles of travel for passenger cars.


This is a realy cool electric car that should be coming out soon.

http://www.teslamotors.com/index.php

AV if that is the Tesla I was looking at a few months ago on the web $$$$$$$. I agree with you on the eventual fate of riding. I was almost hit about a dozen times. I wouldn't even consider riding here.

Not to put you off your project, but if several strangers in a forum start telling you about the hazards of riding a two wheeled vehicle perhaps there is some merit to their advice. Perhaps a moment to ponder on what you really want as a mode of transportation is in order.

Environment Friendly -> Two wheeled solar scooter -> Chance for road mishap -> Very high -> Reconsider

I am as wild and wooly as they come, and even I gave up on the motorcycles. The only one that I didn't wreck was my last one, a 1999 Copper Suzuki Hayabusa. Easily capable of the double ton plus. I decided that was too much of a temptation. Too fun. Like cocaine.

People just don't see motorcycles, or bikes of any kind. There is research that they are even less careful around bikes when the rider is wearing a helmet.

Can't stress enough how stupid the average driver is. Especially now that cellphones are a factor. If you want to ride bikes, get in the dirt.

ride if you want....
I ride.
If I die, i guess it was meant to be.

I will be riding a motorcycle once i get it running but i an sticking to 2 lane back contry roads because my motorcycle cant reach highway speeds. I say you should try commuting with an old enduro like i have insted of an electric scooter. My bike gets 90 miles to the gallon and i think that is better than most anything out there.

I want a 250 for riding around town, but nothing beats my 920 Virago...love it!

Im torn when it comes to mopeds and bikes

I am a city slicker, so everywhere I go is 5 miles or less, and I HATE starting the 7.4 liter V8 4-ton pickup truck all the time (you may be thinking why I have it, it is very handy when the need to tow or move stuff). ANother thing about my city is that EVERYONE drives everywhere, even if it is a mile away, and they drive fast, carelessly and disrespectfully. Yay for the motor city.

I have a bmx bike that I can kick around on cooler days and motomarina sebring moped. I can get places faster on those sometimes, and the savings in gas on them is amazing.

I like saving money on gas, and saving the hassle of driving the truck. but i have had a few sort of close calls, and the feeling that no one sees me and i could get hit by a large SUV or even a small car at any second.

I really think i belong in europe or something where everyone rides bikes and mopeds.