Reply #7: You're close, but may want to revisit the motor [View All]

[tinrobot]

A few issues may crop up, the first is that a 15hp motor may be a little underpowered if you want to go 60mph.

Another is that an AC motor is more complicated when it comes to an EV. The motor controller/inverter is usually more expensive than a DC one, and controllers work on a narrower range of motors. Most conversions use DC because it's simpler.

If you want to convert a Metro, here's someone who scavenged a used forklift and built a DC Metro for $672. Might give you some ideas:

http://ecomodder.com/blog/a-672-electric-car/

As for wind turbine size, it really depends on the wind speed and the size of the battery pack. A typical EV setup would have a dozen or so 100ah 12v batteries, for about 14Kwh of power. If your windmill could output a constant 1KW, then you'd probably have more than enough to charge within 24 hours (i.e. 24kwh)