Work on the Taxi is still progressing. The mechanical work is mostly done. We have fitted our modified motors onto each of the rear wheels. We will mount the rear brakes once we have finished the electrical cabling to the motors. We may have to tweak the suspension and steering, but we have allowed for this.
We’ve made progress with assembly of the rear swing arms. We’ve:
With that done, we’ve moved back onto the electrical system, simplifying the design of the electrical wiring loom and working out which connectors we need.
We’ve been approached by the CEO of Buddy Platform Inc (http://www.buddy.com), offering the use of Buddy’s services for the African Solar Taxi project.
We’ve made a lot of progress over recent weeks: performing detailed design on the chassis, setting up the workshop, testing joints and materials, and commencing construction of the prototype vehicle.
Here is a full suite of renders showing the design of the African Solar Taxi. We’re ready to start building.
Traditionally, a vehicle’s motor couples with its wheels through a drivetrain which includes a clutch, gearbox, drive shaft, and differential. These components are heavy, complicated and require regular maintenance. Our solution does away with most of the complexity and weight: we will mount hub electric motors in both rear wheels. Continue reading
