So I am looking to make a final build Ive been doing a few for other and my personal I managed to fix up and get running again which was 6s 10000mah 245kv. I’ve been learning and building electric skateboards for about 1.5 years nowand Now I’m ready to build one of the best that can be made. A few questions though for the community about the most efficient and durable parts. dual or single? Im thinking single since it consumes less current and increases battery life, however there is also hub motors but are they currently efficient? From what I am able to deduce they are less efficient than a pulley driven system. Then for the esc Im thinking about either the vesc or fvt 12s however the vesc has not been known for long life, but I also know that @chaka has made some that have lasted people years. Finally the battery, is 12s truly more efficient than 10s? I know increased voltage means more efficiency but is that truly the case if you’re putting more stress on the components at that voltage? Im willing to put in around 2000 maybe more if necessary, what I truly want is something that can just function as well as a boosted but as powerful as a DIY build.
Edit: Its not that I don’t know what to do, its more so everyone has their own viewpoint and id like to learn from everyone mistakes, and you can never truly know it all.
Sounds like a fun project/build. I’m mostly on the same page as you myself w/ a few projects in progress.
I would start like a newbie with requirements based on your weight and riding style/area. Heavy/light rider, hills/flats, and type of ride (commute/cruise/race), etc.
I like the stealth and simplicity of hubs in theory, but mostly i don’t trust the bearings and wear/life of a hub for a big guy like me. So currently sticking with satellite motors w/ belts like most.
For this monumental build - i would build on the best i could find - Ollin’s VESC, or wait for v6. Heatsinks and warranty just make it a no-brainer. Especially if you stick to BLDC and <60k ERPM. If you want to push the envelope and run FOC i might wait for v6.
10s vs 12s - depends on motor kv. if you can get your ERPM below 60k i’d go as high voltage as possible.
batteries - barajabali, miami electric, DIYes, SPACE cell - li ion sounds like a great way to go. I’m in the process of building a 10s or 12s3p… fun project, but not saving any $ when you factor in spot welder and materials/tools! Going to do a removable pack w/o BMS and balance on my existing chargers.
Switch to 10S get a Vesc. For your weight and limited hills, you can make a great board with $1000. Either dual hubs or a single 63mm.
If you want something like a Boosted at that price. You can always buy one
If you want more of a Boosted experience, you’ll need a set of high end components like a smart BMS, Bluetooth module and functional smartphone app. That’s my goal atleast.
It’s important to keep the amps low in the VESC since that’s where most of your losses come from. Using 12S will allow you to use a lower kV motor, therefor pulling less amperage for a given RPM, this is what makes it more efficient.
You’re aiming for 60k ERPM and I’m pretty sure the VESC’s max voltage is 12S, so 190kV gets you really close to that 60k limit. That’s right where you want to be since these motors are more efficient in higher RPMs.
I also think dual motors would put less stress on each motor, and the VESCs since you’d only be using half the amps.
and do everything possible to prevent shorts. if you have pins poking wires, file them down, etc. Use a silicone sealer or silicone foam gasket on your enclosure and you’ll never have to worry about crud in your box, and if you run your phase leads Raptor style then do your best to wrap up those connections. plug up your charge port if possible and if you go with a push button on your eswitch get a heavier one with a satisfying click. You can tell the ones that won’t hold up just by holding them in your hand and feeling the “thickness” of the click. Try to use a P count in your pack that gives you higher continuous current draw than you’ll ever need, and go with a BMS that slightly lower than that but still delivers more than you’ll need. I use 80amp continuous packs and 60amp continuous BMSs for example so the pack never even gets warm. Belt drives will probably hold up better on shitty sidewalks and crap pavement.
not that it’s necessarily the case but a hub motor should be more failure proof as it has less parts to break, less parts to maintain. Many other parts that will deteriorate while a hub motor should only have to have the bearings replaced. Using a belt the first thing to go will likely be the belt, then maybe the mount when it bottoms out, …pulley wheels in aluminum maybe next. then the grub screw gets lost or stuck.
