Design of an Electric Scooter Drivetrain

Abstract

Professor Steven Leeb teaches Power Electronics Lab, which teaches the fundamentals of power electronic systems and has students build their own motor controllers. As a fun way to test these student built motor controllers, Professor Leeb has been using large go-karts built specifically for the class. However, these go-karts are large, heavy, and difficult to maintain. Professor Leeb recently acquired a number of production stand-up electric scooters with the intention of replacing the aging gokarts. To enhance the educational value of the scooters, Professor Leeb wanted them heavily modified to allow students to explore the effect of gearing on electromechanical systems. Furthermore, the scooters were modified to incorporate a modular motor mounting system, allowing students to easily switch out different motor models, including brushed and BLDC motors. This thesis details the design and construction of the scooter transmission and motor mount.