# Buying Tesla AC Motors



## Karter2 (Nov 17, 2011)

New, ?...only if you have some very close and convincing connection to their business plan.....and plenty of $$$$"s
Otherwise your best bet is to find a wrecked / insurance write off, Mod S in a vehicle breakers yard....it has been done before !
http://insideevs.com/diy-project-sa...pin-stretched-volkswagen-vanagon-body-wvideo/


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## Inframan (Jan 30, 2011)

How about something similar? And what about similar differentials for the rear wheels?


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## palmer_md (Jul 22, 2011)

Inframan said:


> Is it possible to buy the dual motor set up the Tesla model S has along with the drive train system that connects the motors to the wheels?


You can't even buy a dual motor Tesla yet. They are taking orders but first deliveries are not for another month or so. It's going to be a while before you can get one from a junkyard.


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## Inframan (Jan 30, 2011)

Oh I was under the impression that the model s was dual because of some online drawings of their chassis and pics like this https://www.google.com/search?q=mod...ikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FTesla_Model_S;2153;1431
So its really just one it just looks like two and its a transverse transaxle?


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## palmer_md (Jul 22, 2011)

yes, one of those "barrels" is the motor, and the other is the case around the inverter. They do have a dual motor option with a front motor/inverter/gearbox, but that has not yet started shipping to customers. The rear wheel drive cars have been shipping for 2 and a half years, and total sales are around 33,000. You should be able to find the rear motor/inverter/gearbox in salvage yards.


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## kennybobby (Aug 10, 2012)

i've not found any salvage yards selling parts, but if you do i'm looking for a charger.

State Farm is not letting these wrecks go, some have been cycled thru the auction several times and they are still listed. The barely wrecked cars are usually bought by re-builders and the totalled cars by salvage yards for parting out. But with the high price tag from the insurance companies and the lack of a source for replacement parts there is no market anymore for rebuilders or breakers.

http://www.copart.com/c2/homeSearch...Type=AND&ftOptions=+&searchScope=i&txtAutoCom


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## Karter2 (Nov 17, 2011)

kennybobby said:


> .
> 
> State Farm is not letting these wrecks go, some have been cycled thru the auction several times and they are still listed. The barely wrecked cars are usually bought by re-builders and the totalled cars by salvage yards for parting out. But with the high price tag from the insurance companies and the lack of a source for replacement parts there is no market anymore for rebuilders or breakers.


I cannot see that being a sustainable situation .
Unless the insurance Co,s are prepared to carry the mounting costs of all the wrecked Tesla's , whilst ever increasing numbers keep being wrecked, ( which would drive up the insurance costs on all Tesla's )....then eventually something must give.
The market will eventually correct this and the normal process of supply and demand result in a supply chain of bent Tesla parts !


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## piotrsko (Dec 9, 2007)

Fwiw: on the chevy volt side, I see this huge reluctance to deal with these things by the wreckers since there are no industry standards for safe dismantling, and tesla/volt/leaf mechanics aren't migrating to other jobs in huge numbers yet. The wreckage stuff I get, and see is still the typical torch cut, whack harnesses, grinder cut supports, etc , which works as long as the parts are inert like they currently are. I see you can't do that to a tesla frame without huge labor costs to the wrecker for a part of questionable resale. So, unless you have a wrecker as a friend, tesla parts are gonna sit. Here in NV, you can get a dealership license for say 500, but then you'd have to buy your own whole car then deal with the disposal of unwanted stuff. 10,500 for a motor of questionable worth and some batteries, I don't know........


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## Hollie Maea (Dec 9, 2009)

piotrsko said:


> a motor of questionable worth


I, for one, wouldn't question the worth of the motor. The inverter is another story--it would probably take a fair amount of "hacking" to get it to work, and even then Tesla might be able to disable it remotely. But the motor itself is, I would say, the best induction motor there is. If you characterized it for another inverter, you'd have a great package. It would go quite well with a RMS 350dx.


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## piotrsko (Dec 9, 2007)

No the motor value is questionable to the wrecker, depending whether or not they can find a buyer outside of the normal channels that would provide enough cash incentive to pay for the wrecker tesla. If there are no buyers, there is no profitability.

As for state farm, until the bean counters get it in their heads that there is little value to a "totalled' device that book values for $100k, the bean counters are going to keep asking for ridiculous salvage values. This situation is exactly like the recent housing foreclosure boondoggle. Were you willing to buy a foreclosed house listed at $450K, in a neighborhood selling at $100K?


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## Karter2 (Nov 17, 2011)

As I said, the "market" will eventually establish a cost base for these items since the insurance Co,s will not be allowed to carry over valued assets on their books indefinitely. They will have to be written down and eventually disposed 
Just a matter of time.
There are already specialised EV salvage companies, and more will appear as the source materials become more plentiful.
Tesla will eventually have to concentrate their efforts on the BIG game of making products to meet demand, rather than dik around annoying the tiny salvage business.


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## pm_dawn (Sep 14, 2009)

Here you go:

http://www.rimac-automobili.com/products-and-services/motors-and-transmissions-23

Probably a bit pricy,,,,, 

But should be available.

/Per


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## Karter2 (Nov 17, 2011)

There are several seriously desirable alternatives to the Tesla motor, but none with the volume production or proven reliability of the Tesla.


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## Hollie Maea (Dec 9, 2009)

pm_dawn said:


> Here you go:
> 
> http://www.rimac-automobili.com/products-and-services/motors-and-transmissions-23
> 
> ...


For Europeans, maybe it would be worth going through Rimac to get that motor...definitely not for Americans.


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## palmer_md (Jul 22, 2011)

Hollie Maea said:


> For Europeans, maybe it would be worth going through Rimac to get that motor...definitely not for Americans.


Why? What is the difference for Americans?


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## Hollie Maea (Dec 9, 2009)

palmer_md said:


> Why? What is the difference for Americans?


It's an American made motor, so there is a significant cost to import it to Europe and then export it back to the US. Much cheaper (but still very expensive!) to buy it directly here (can't get it in Rimac's colors though!)


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## palmer_md (Jul 22, 2011)

is it AM Racing motor? If so, its different than any configuration I've seen sold on other sites. They took two of them and "Siamesed" them to make one double-motor and then added a gearbox on each end as an option. Very nice setup for the power. All the other "Siamesed" AM motors have just one output shaft while they have two, so they can torque vector by having separate control at each corner of the car.


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## Hollie Maea (Dec 9, 2009)

I think more people are interested in the single shaft, because a matching gear reduction is kinda expensive. I would imagine that AMR would sell dual shaft versions to other people if the market were there.

You're right, though...independent wheel torque vectoring is the right way to go with super high power systems. Still, Elmofo is a good example of success with a single shaft RWD dual stack AMR motor.


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## rtz (Jul 3, 2013)

Pick something and build something: http://www.evwest.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=8


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## philt (Sep 7, 2014)

There are two markets at play here. The guys that just want to build an EV for the cheapest they can. This will always be the biggest chunk of business. For these people, DC is by far the cheapest, not the best, not the most reliable, cleanest or even the most powerful.. 

But by a factor of 4, cheaper...

Then there are the people like me. Older guys that have disposable income, kids grown, love technology, this demographic is male 45-60 years with an income of $150K or more. 

For these people TAW will have second to none power/weight ratio systems. Our drive/motor produces over 412HP (much more but I dont want to start something I cant prove on the dyno until later next year) but yet the motor only weighs 95lbs. Combined with our new drive (yes a picture is on our site), new battery technology promised in 2016 the range will be over 300 miles conservatively driven but if you want performance you still have 0-60 in 3 seconds. And of course, no brushes or maintenance with a motor capable of 1 million miles.

Will it be for everyone? For sure not. What will it cost? $15K for the drive and $6K for the motor. If you put all our control and options on the vehicle you are at the price of a Tesla..

So why not just buy a Tesla? Well for inventors like me, its not what you can afford, its what you can build. (our slogan BTW).

Regardless if you build a low or a high priced EV, just do it, be proud of it and enjoy knowing you are helping future generations with cleaner air, more energy conservation and less carbon footprint left on the world.

Gods Speed EVs.


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