Let's see if I can paste this article in here:
Since global warming and dependency on foreign oil are popular problems nowadays, my FSAE team AMZ has decided to replace the Japanese engine running on wood waste by electric motors full of rare-earth magnets.
While there are many different solutions of placing the components in a car, I would like to show you our layout.
Furka's exterior is pretty similar to our previous car simplon:
The biggest difference between combustion and electric drive is not the electric motor, but the batteries. We have designed two battery containments, roughly 25 kg each, which are mounted to the sides of the monocoque and covered by sidepods. These containments incorporate additional side impact structure and a pair of chunky relay switches to protect the batteries, or their environment respectively.
The power from the batteries is directed into the rear section of the monocoque, where it feeds two motor controllers. The rear wheels are driven independently with two chains.
The rear section of the monocoque can be detached from the front, including the entire rear suspension and drivetrain. By placing the motors in the center, we were able to design a pullrod setup. To reduce parts count and weight, we integrated the sprocket mount into the aluminium tripod housing and the jacking point is enclosing the anti-roll bar.
We're looking forward to seeing you at the competition.
Thomas
www.amz.ethz.ch