# 1994 Jeep Wrangler with in-hub Wheel Motors in the year 2017



## ChuckC (Dec 18, 2016)

I too would love a open air Jeep that runs on electric. I have been reading and watching videos to understand what it would take to convert a donor 1994 Jeep around 2,100lbs without an engine, and existing Manual Transmission. I am fine with limited mile range for initial build as it will be a weekend toy vehicle.

Batteries, Controllers, Wiring, Pedal, Swtches, Fuses, etc. can vary alot depending on budget. I expect to spend anywhere from $2,000 to $20,000, but that is less important at these initial research and planning stages.

A DC Motor would be around $3,000 (if cant find a scrap forklift motor) http://www.evsource.com/tls_motors.php 

The Adapter Plate to connect DC Motor to Jeep transmission would be $850.
http://www.canev.com/adapters.php 

And thats where I take pause. Messing with shaky couplers, a clutch, third party adapters, gears, etc. there are many pros and cons. I for one have little experience in that area and wonder if that is the correct path for someone completely new to converting an electric vehicle - in the year 2017. 

A quick search shows you can get 2 in-hub wheel motors, a controller, and pedal for about $3,000 shipped from China. https://wholesaler.alibaba.com/prod...68.html?spm=a2700.7782932.1998701000.5.2YJejy (can always convert 2 more wheels at a later time)

The manufacturer has a range of products for different size vehicles http://www.qs-motor.com/product/1000w-3000w-electric-car-hub-motor205-model/ 

And most importantly i should mention these _same exact motors_ are being used successfully in the *LUKA EV* - no drivetrain, no differential, and no gearbox to convert or maintain.
http://insideevs.com/luka-ev-open-source-electric-car-hub-motors-186-miles-range-target-price-22445/ 

And there are other companies working on the same. The reason I am going for a Jeep conversion is to avoid rebuilding a Jeep engine. Going with brand new in-hub wheels would ease installation time and costs. Not to mention how easy they would be to replace down the road. And my vehicle build would not be limited to which used forklift motors I could find at my local scrapyard - that may require special work to attach.

I saw in the "Garage" on the top right, there are many vehicles including jeeps that have been converted. They turned out great, but both took a long time from start to finish from some very skilled people. I have also watched many YouTube videos on the tooling and machine work sometimes needed to get some car conversion done. 

I believe these latest in-hub wheel motors would eliminate much of the time and skill involved with traditional electric car conversions. And would be less intimidating for someone with more limited mechanical abilities. What are your thoughts? 

If you were to convert a new ICE vehicle to EV in the year 2017, would you ever consider in-hub wheel motors ?


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## Duncan (Dec 8, 2008)

Wheel motors
"Maximum torque 350Nm" - AKA as 340Ftlbs - or about 340lbs pushing the vehicle forwards (most tires are about 2 ft diameter)

Even four of these would have difficulty pushing something the size of a jeep out of a rut or up a slope

And that is "Maximum Torque" - wanna bet that you only get that much on alternate Thursdays when there is a Zed in the month?

_If you were to convert a new ICE vehicle to EV in the year 2017, would you ever consider in-hub wheel motors ?_
Nope in-hub wheel motors are good for bikes

The basic issue is that torque is (very very roughly) proportional to motor weight and gearing is a LOT lighter


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## Karter2 (Nov 17, 2011)

> The reason I am going for a Jeep conversion is to avoid rebuilding a Jeep engine. Going with brand new in-hub wheels would ease installation time and costs.....


 Poor justification.
For the price of those 2 hub motors alone , you could pay someone to rebuild your jeep motor or fit a fully rebuilt one youself. ,
....do more research looking for successful hub motor conversions on road vehicles....very few,....for the reasons outlined by Duncan
Even a Scooter fitted with one of those 8kW hubs, is a pretty dissapointing ride !


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## nucleus (May 18, 2012)

instead of in hub, what if they were mounted above the hub, like a portal axle?










You gain the ground clearance and lack of drive shafts and axles, but you get the gearing that you need...

Of course without the axle you will have to figure out how to locate and suspend your hub/portal gearbox, but without differentials, driveshafts, or a transfer case you open up a lot of space under the vehicle.

Imagine a high torque hub-style motor where the driveshaft goes in this pic of a portal hub gearbox:


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## PStechPaul (May 1, 2012)

That would provide (in this case) higher torque and allow the electric motor to spin at higher RPM where you can get more power from the same size and weight (overclocking an ACIM). A two-speed rear could also be implemented.

Another possibility with this type axle is the ability to tilt the assembly around the axis of the wheels, providing a high lift for off-road, and a "low rider" for a 180 degree rotation.


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## Matej (Dec 4, 2015)

Look into these Jeeps and how they converted them:
https://www.youtube.com/user/snuelpl/videos


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