Embedded Files
Handlebar view with battery gauge, phone holder, break, key, throttle, and front light attachments
Ride.MOVSimple Ride Demonstration
Full side view
Rear wheel system with motor, chain, sprocket, and chain tensioner
View of platform, electronics, grip tape, electronic speed controller, and red rear light
Overview
Overview
During the summer of my junior year, I made it my mission to design and build a high-performance electric scooter. What was at first only an idea became slowly but surely became a reality. After months of research, design work, building, and tweaking, I was left with a 120-pound behemoth of a scooter with a 15-mile range and top speeds of 23 mph - flat ground and 33 mph - downhill. The scooter features 4, 12V lead-acid batteries (a large portion of the weight), a 1800W brushless motor, an analog throttle, a motor choke and friction brake mechanism, a battery gauge, a phone holder, and high-powered lights for night riding. Although it was not an easy process, I am beyond proud of the final product. Keep reading to find out more!
The Initial Idea
The Initial Idea
As I approached the end of my junior year of high school, I was excited to embark on a new challenge and began applying to local internships which would allow me to gain industry experience and develop new skills. These opportunities dissolved after businesses began to close from Covid-19 spreading across the United States. Despite the unfortunate situation, I realized that the new time I had opened up more opportunities I had not previously considered. I had some money saved up and knew I wanted to apply my design skills towards a practical pursuit, so I asked myself: why not build a high-performance electric scooter? I owned electric scooters as a child, but I wanted something that could induce a truly thrilling experience / truly capture my excitement.
Preparation and Design
Preparation and Design
Every subsequent morning for the rest of the summer, I woke up energized, ready to complete that day's tasks in my notebook. I researched the ins and outs of building an electric scooter for the next few weeks, pitched my idea to a neighbor who allowed me to use his drill press, bought the remainder of the power tools and materials, and then built a complete virtual design of the scooter prototype using Autodesk Inventor. Once satisfied with my design, I scavenged the aisles of Home Depot for hours, searching for the correct nuts, bolts, square tubing, flat bar, round bar, and sheet metal needed to build the frame.
Building Process
Building Process
Building the physical scooter was an experience like no other. From cutting through materials to filing down frayed edges, I quickly became both physically and emotionally invested in the machining of each component. Although the dimensions from my virtual design served me well as a guideline, some of the subsystems (the front assembly in particular) were extremely challenging to create in practice. With my back aching and my entire body covered in grease, there were many times when I felt like I wanted to give up. I was so glad I didn't because almost invariably, enough time thinking (mostly yelling and pounding) resolved each issue. Feeling the parts lock together into the configuration of a scooter filled my entire body with excitement: I was bringing to life what was once only an idea that occupied my imagination during restless nights. As break drew to a close, and the scooter took its final form, the pride and joy I felt while taking it for its very first test run down the street was beyond comparison.
Cut components
Polishing rough edges
Front assembly
Rear wheel assembly
Scattered Equipment
Autodesk Inventor 3D Model
Electronics Kit
13.MOVTime-lapse cut square tube
SNAPSTORY_20200724-221809.mp4Testing electronics
12.MOVCut flat bar
14.MOVTime-lapse drill example
Enhancements and Final Version
Enhancements and Final Version
Although I was excited that I created a functioning electric scooter, I knew that there were many areas in which I could improve its performance and user-friendliness. Over spring break of 2021, I began to upgrade and optimize various aspects of the design. To increase stability in the handlebars, I added another steering bearing, ultimately providing a second point of contact to stabilize the so-called pitch tolerance. To optimize energy efficiency, I decreased the mechanical advantage by replacing the 11-tooth input sprocket with a 15-tooth one. Subsequently, I lengthened the chain to accommodate the larger input sprocket and to reduce friction with the chain tensioner. This increased my flat ground speed from 15 mph to over 20 mph while retaining sufficient torque to travel up steep inclines. I added grip tape to the platform to provide extra traction amidst bumps or sharp corners, added rear and front lights for night rides, a phone holder so I could actively see my GPS and trip analytics, and I replaced the air-filled tires with premium foam-filled tires to prevent ruptures and ensure sufficient grip through rough terrain or hard riding. Lastly, I. This process lasted until the beginning of the summer of 2021, after which I was able to ride it in its full glory.
First test ride
Making finishing touches to initial model
Operating and Takeaways
Operating and Takeaways
On the first few runs in which I took the scooter further than around the block, the experience was both exciting and nerve-wracking. After all, I was placing my safety in the hands of the build quality of the scooter. After each successful run, my appreciation and pride in my work grew. My 1-minute test down the street eventually turned into 15-mile adventures! I realized that the greatest part of my rides was not just operating a high-performance electric vehicle, but being able to explore all of the nuances of my hometown and relive many of the memories that I experienced there as a child. I rode along the trails my parents took me on during summer mornings to the bagel shop as a child, the parks where I used to play, the baseball fields that I competed on throughout little league, my old elementary and middle school, the old waterpark in which I used to work at, and the beautiful golf course in the hills. Each trip filled me with nostalgia from the past, helping me realize that I would make even more memories that I could look back on as an adult with a smile. These experiences allowed me to mentally transition from my life in Dublin, California, and enabled me to feel self-assured that whatever challenges life threw at me in college and beyond, I had prior experiences needed to get me through each and every one of them.
Memorable Rides
Memorable Rides
One of my longest and most scenic rides of the summer:
One of my fastest rides on the golf course:
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