Guide to an Electric Car Motor

Back when folks initially began putting together their own electrical cars they didn't have many cost-effective choices in motors. Regularly the first EVs used surplus aircraft starter-generators as a motor.

the times of plodding electrical vehicles were numbered.
rating in an EV. 'Electric cars are driven by large electrical motors typically rated between 3.5 and twenty-eight h.p.. For those used to gas engines, this may not appear like much power, but the rating systems used for gas engines and electrical motors are so different the numbering system is sort of incomprehensible. Gas engines are rated at their peak hp, electric motors are rated at their continuous hp. The motor installed in Eve is a complicated DC FB1-4001. This is a 9' diameter, 140lb series wound DC motor. I bought is back in 1995 for our first EV and, as long as we don't abuse it, the motor should last for decades. The one part that wears out, commutator brushes, typically last eighty thousand miles and are pretty straightforward to replace.
On the first EV I failed to tighten one of the motor-transmission adaptor set screws and over a period of five years the adaptor worked its way back into the motor faceplate and wore away some of the metal. In the process it damaged the bearing. I found a local electric motor shop to replace it for $100, including parts and work.
You will find more details on our Mazda 626 motor and adaptor page. Most EVs use series wound motors, but you may pick up permanent magnet and AC motors, even experimental wheel center motors.