Tesla powered Hudson

Kdancy

Interesting, I'm surprised at the running cost difference.

Max162

I'm also excited to see the progress and the result of the conversion. I can almost see it like a prototype on wich we may rely on it in the future for us to build it on our Hudsons or even try to imrpove the conversion.

I would have loved to convert Molly (my 1954 Hudson Super Wasp) to electric, but alas, I'm lacking a bit of mechanic experience and money to do it yet. Keep up the good work, it could be our first Hudson Electric Prototype.

50C8DAN

The good news about flathead engines is that they have far fewer moving parts than an OHV engine.  Maybe not as efficient and the max power may not be there but they have great torque and in my mind are much more reliable in general compared to their contemporaries of the time.  The sadly also lack the sex appeal of the V8s.  However, the new generation of OHV and OHC engines are very very reliable.  We have a 2006 Buick Rainier with a DOHC 6 now with over 200K miles and it has been bulletproof, and OHC engines are even more complicated than OHV engines.  That all being said, an electric motor has even fewer moving parts than any ICE so theoretically it should basically run a long time without much maintenance.   As an example, we have a hydraulic press in our plant that I picked up for cheap.  It is pre-1940s, and the electric motor for the pump has a manufacturing date of 1928!

35 Terraplane

While I enjoy seeing a project like this the question of where the electricity you charge your batteries comes from is still a problem.  In the USA 66% is generated by fossil fuels, 20% from nukes and the remaining from renewables like wind, hydro, solar etc.  I've read that emissions from power plants are now about equal to cars in the US.  If we want a greener future for our grandchildren the infrastructure of electric generation has to retooled. just my 2 cents.

Glowplug

Without any need for blow back onto me...retooling for coal fired power plants has occurred in many places in Texas.  The plants include underground automated train coal car emptying, coal crushing, cooling ponds and water recirculating. The coal is mixed into a fine slurry and injected into a extremely high temperature heating apparatus which superheats water to create steam which powers steam turbines. The heating apparatus venting is “ scrubbed” of the byproducts of the heat process.  The  release into the atmosphere meets the stringent air quality standards.  Even these plants are being blamed for polluting?!? Innovation and future thinking goes into each. But, generations of indoctrination over fact examination produced generation of screamers over think thinkers.  Today we have a guilt mentality.  Those who are trying alternate ideas are also being flayed with the PC knife.  Electric vehicles are ok and in the moment when economics meets technology they will flourish.

35 Terraplane

When I wrote that emissions from power plants in the US are now about equal to cars in the US I should have also stated that it's a good thing.  In the past emissions from power plants were significantly higher than cars.  While the generation of electric power is improving related to pollution I don't think we're were we need to be or hopefully will be in the future.

Rhodora

What people also forget is how much coal, cobalt and oil is needed to:

- pump or frack oil (mostly powered by diesel) 
- move oil to refinery (diesel and dirty fuel oil)
- refine oil (cobalt (unrecyclable) for removing sulfur & lots of coal plants for the huge amounts of energy this needs)
- move oil to tank stations (more diesel)

Before your engine uses 25% of the potential energy in the gasoline that also stales & goes bad when stocked longer than half a year. 

With electric cars there is cobalt (recyclable) and coal for energy. But! You don’t need to drive to a tank station. You don’t even need coal if you own a windmill, PV cells or other forms of renewable electric energy sources. 

Some very smart people with old water wells even store their excess solar & wind energy by putting a weight on a cable, attached to an electric motor. When the sun generates too much energy the weight is lifted out of the well. When the sun is down and more energy is needed a brake is released and the electric motor generates power.

These kinds of mechanical potential energy sources are incredibly simple and smart at the same time. 

But once again I digress…

Geoff

An electric motor has only one  moving part - the armature.  Okay include the bearing races brings it up to  a few more, but for simplicity they can't be beaten.  However, as far as resource use is concerned, an electric car still has to ride  on rubber tyres, (Made from oil these days, not from rubber trees)  and the  minerals used in making the batteries, and of course the coal-generated electricity to recharge those batteries. 

35 Terraplane

How’s the progress coming along?  Would love to see more pictures.  

PaulButler

Wow , some serious work going on there and kudos for doing it!

BrianV53

Thanks! Teddy is at somebody else's shop now... Unfortunately, I can't spend any of this free time making progress on the chassis...   
I have some of the electrical components for the pack at home, so I have been getting my shop ready to work on that...

superwasp

I was watching the video on the Icon Derelict Hudson on Friday and saw the link to the EV Merc they did. It reminded me of this project. Any updates?

superwasp

Hey Brian, any updates? It's been nearly a year.

BrianV53

superwasp said:

Hey Brian, any updates? It's been nearly a year.

I feel ya... This pandemic has been a real bear for many of my projects. I've been developing a chassis for Teddy, which will work for other projects too, with a local shop, but he's had obvious labor problems because of the pandemic.. nearly shut down, essentially...
Due to other pandemic - related issues, I couldn't even bring 'im home to get any other work done.
I remain optimistic and hopeful, and will continue to work to make Electric Teddy a reality... 
It's an obvious exaggeration to say that this is killing me.. but that is how it feels, because working on this for so long already... My initial idea and inspiration was 25 years ago, and I started working on Teddy directly in '17... 
Keep the faith, it'll happen... 

superwasp

I think most of us are still in survival mode for the most part. Well, stick with it. I think a whole lot of us are interested to see this come together for you.