Horsepower for your EV conversion

by Jose Guzman
(Houston)

Horsepower or Kilowatts?

How can I calculate how many horses or kw for a particular vehicle conversion?

I would like to put an AC motor right in front of the differential of my Ford 350.


Hi, Jose!
With electric motors, horsepower varies with the voltage and amps you give it. So with your big daddy truck, you'd better be thinking large voltage, maybe twice as much as the usual 144v system you see with a lighter conversion - and a whole lotta batteries. As far as kilowatts go, there's peak kw and there's continuous kw rating. The motor you're looking for is the AC55 from Solectria, sold by Electro Automotive. It's rated at 78(peak) /34(continuous) at 312v.

Good luck with your project, Jose!

Regards,
Lynne