# Forklift motor specs



## FFMan (Jan 9, 2010)

I am thinking of building a budget EV, partly for fun but also to be used on my 40 mile round trip to work.

I'm looking at a Peugeot 206, non ABS because they are light and cheap.

Forklift motor - would a motor rated at 8kw at 80v provide enough power if over-volted ? If so over-volt to what level maybe 144?

What do the specs S2:60 min and S3:80% mean when quoted ?

thanks


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## major (Apr 4, 2008)

FFMan said:


> I am thinking of building a budget EV, partly for fun but also to be used on my 40 mile round trip to work.
> 
> I'm looking at a Peugeot 206, non ABS because they are light and cheap.
> 
> ...


1  Maybe. It depends on a lot of the particulars of the motor itself and of the application.

2  S2:60 min = the 60 minute power rating of the motor and S3:80% = the duty cycle 8 minutes on, 2 minutes off, power rating, repeated continuously until temperature stabilize within the allowable limits for the insulation system of the motor.


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## FFMan (Jan 9, 2010)

I spoke with a local company who do forklift repairs and he says he has a bunch of DC motors going spare, in fact so many he regularly throws them away. So sourcing is not the issue.

However max rating he says is generally 7kw @ 80v from a forklift.

On paper this doesn't feel like very much, even over-volted. Would this information suggest its better to get a higher rating motor, but at a lower voltage so there is more scope for over-volting ? i.e. if there is a 7kw motor at 48v, I could easily double the voltage.

Can anyone give me some personal experience of using this type of motor and what performance can be expected ?

I'd like my car to cruise at 60mph for a few minutes at a time so I don't hold up the traffic but maybe I am expecting too much ?


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## major (Apr 4, 2008)

FFMan said:


> I spoke with a local company who do forklift repairs and he says he has a bunch of DC motors going spare, in fact so many he regularly throws them away. So sourcing is not the issue.
> 
> However max rating he says is generally 7kw @ 80v from a forklift.
> 
> ...


Hi FF,

We go over this many times on this thread: http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/showthread.php/using-forklift-motor-and-choosing-good-7598.html Yeah, it's a long sucker. But browse through it and try to pick out some advice.

A good comparison is the Warp9 motor by Netgain. It is basically a forklift motor. At 48 Volts it would carry about a 10-11hp rating. It powers many conversions up to 60mph. Suitable output shaft, ventilation and rotation are important factors. Size matters. Look for good condition and decent brush size and usable length. Commutator condition is important. Check bearings and balance. Some jumper cables and a 12V battery is smart to see if it runs and runs smoothly.

major


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## FFMan (Jan 9, 2010)

thanks - I have read that but whilst its got good advice, its short on real world experience.

7 or 8kw motors abound, basically not much cost other than a refurb.

If more is needed, I can find a 15kw motor completely rebuilt for £800.

what this forum could use is a sticky table of completed home built cars with specs of drivetrain and some real world, speed and range numbers.

I guess if everything was equal, I'd go for the larger motor and only use as much power as I needed. best to have some power in hand than be short. the increase in weight would be 1 downside to that though.


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## major (Apr 4, 2008)

FFMan said:


> what this forum could use is a sticky table of completed home built cars with specs of drivetrain and some real world, speed and range numbers.


Something like this? http://www.diyelectriccar.com/garage/ 

Also, http://www.evalbum.com/


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## FFMan (Jan 9, 2010)

that's great thanks

People going for some big powers mostly. I am aiming at budget end just to do a commute.

Some good examples though


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## Rich Tea (Oct 22, 2016)

Hi did you do the forklift conversion in the end? I'm just starting my EV conversion journey and would love to hear how you got on.


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