Tricycle motor – an overall introduction and choosing tips

Relationship between tricycle motor and battery

• Power:

First of all, many two-wheeled/three-wheeled electric vehicles need to carry cargo, and power is not only related to tricycle motor power, but also related to battery voltage. Generally speaking, for two-wheeled electric vehicles and three-wheeled electric vehicles, the higher the battery voltage, the more powerful the vehicle is. And if the voltage is low, there may be insufficient power.

• Battery life:

Secondly, electric scooter battery life is closely related to battery amperage. Generally speaking, the larger the battery ampere, the longer the vehicle’s mileage and the ability to ride long distances. The smaller the ampere, the shorter the battery life and is only suitable for short-distance riding.

In terms of comprehensive power and cargo capacity, it is better to choose a high-power tricycle motor than a large-capacity battery. Of course, it should be noted that for electric tricycles, it is best to equip high-power tricycle motor with high-capacity batteries. Because most of the time electric tricycles are not traveling empty, but are used to carry cargo, so they consume power faster than lithium battery two wheeler, so choose a low-capacity battery during actual riding.

Charging will be more frequent and the practicality is not high. Therefore, for electric tricycles, it is better to equip them with high-capacity batteries, which will be more practical.

In short, when buying an electric tricycle, give priority to large-capacity batteries so that the vehicle has more power and a larger cargo capacity. It can also ensure that the vehicle has a longer cruising range. Finally, users need to be reminded that when choosing an electric tricycle, it is best to match the battery and tricycle motor model. For example, if you choose a 1000W tricycle motor, the best battery is 60V or 72V; if you choose a 1500W motor, the best battery is 72V.

Classification of tricycle motor

According to the energization form of the tricycle motor, electric vehicle motors can be divided into two categories: brushed motors and brushless motors. The brushed motor uses carbon brushes and commutator for mechanical commutation, while the brushless motor relies on Hall element induction. The signal is electronically commutated by the controller.

According to the mechanical structure of the tricycle motor assembly, electric vehicle motors can generally be divided into two categories: “toothed” (the tricycle motor speed is high and requires gear reduction) and “toothless” (the motor torque output does not undergo any reduction).

What are the differences between the brushed motors and brushless motors?

• Brushed motor:

A brushed motor is composed of carbon brushes, phase commutator, motor rotor, motor stator, motor shaft, motor end cover, bearings, etc. Its advantages are simple structure, lower use cost, and better starting and braking effects.

The disadvantages are that carbon brushes wear out quickly, require frequent maintenance, are noisier, have lower efficiency, are easily demagnetized, and have a relatively short service life.

• Brushless motor:

The biggest structural difference between a brushless motor and a brushed motor is that it does not have carbon brushes. Its working principle is to use semiconductor switching devices (such as Hall elements) to achieve electronic commutation, that is, using electronic switches. The device replaces traditional contact commutators and brushes.

The advantages of brushless motors are strong anti-interference ability, low operating sound, high efficiency, and longer service life; the disadvantages are higher cost and more power consumption when the tricycle motor is demagnetized.

How tricycle motor affects range

During the use of electric tricycles, many users have had this question: tricycle motor of how many wattage should be equipped with electric tricycles to provide sufficient power and the longest range? In fact, this issue needs to be discussed in categories.

First, let’s take a look at the main models of electric tricycles, which generally include 48V, 60V, and 72V. Among them, for 48V electric tricycles, the main models are leisure tricycles or small cargo tricycles, and the batteries are generally equipped with models like 48V20Ah and 48V32Ah. So the power and battery life of this type of electric tricycle are relatively moderate. Click to learn more about 48volt lithium battery price!

In order to make electric tricycles have a longer range and take into account power, such models can generally be equipped with 500-600W motors. But generally speaking, if you choose a 500W motor, the 48V electric tricycle has the most power and the longest range.

Let’s look at 60V custom electric tricycle. The main models are medium and large cargo electric tricycle. The batteries are generally equipped with 60V32Ah, 60V45Ah, 60V58Ah and other models, and this type of electric tricycle usually has better battery life and power than 48V electric tricycles. It is generally equipped with an 800-1200W motor. However, considering the comprehensive power and battery life, for a 60V electric tricycle, choosing an 800W motor is the most powerful and ensure longest battery life.

Next, let’s look at 72V electric tricycles, whose main models are large cargo tricycles. The batteries are generally available in 72V45Ah, 72V58Ah, and 72V100Ah models. This type of electric tricycle not only has a long range, but also has the most power. It is generally equipped with a 1000-2000W motor. Similarly, considering comprehensive power and battery life, a 1000W motor is generally the best choice for this type of electric vehicle.

To sum up, for 48V electric tricycles, 500W is the most powerful and have longest range, while for 60V and 72V electric tricycles, they need to be equipped with 800W and 1000W motors respectively, which will provide longer range and more power.

Of course, for electric tricycles, in addition to configuration, good usage habits also affect the battery life and power of electric tricycles. For example, do not let water enter the electric tricycle motor to prevent the motor from demagnetizing and rusting, which affects the power; do not overload the electric tricycle to prevent straining the battery and affecting battery life and service life; do not mix chargers to prevent bad charging of the battery, etc.

800W tricycle motor vs 1200W tricycle motor

At present, the mainstream electric vehicle motors on the market have 800W and 1200W power. From the numbers alone, we can know that the more powerful the electric vehicle motor is, the more powerful it will be. However, the disadvantages will also be more obvious, such as fast power consumption. It needs to be equipped with batteries, controllers, etc., that match higher capacity.

800W motor: Electric vehicles equipped with 800W motors are currently mainly lightweight electric motorcycles. The maximum speed of lightweight electric motorcycles in use does not exceed 50km/h, and the range is about 70 to 80 kilometers. Its disadvantage is that it cannot carry people. This type of electric vehicle motor has a major improvement in power compared to national standard vehicles, and can also meet the daily riding needs of many vehicle owners.

1200W motor: 1200W electric vehicle motor is usually called a high-power motor. This type of electric vehicle motor is mainly used on electric motorcycles, and electric motorcycles have no limit on the power of electric vehicle motors. Many brands use high-power motors when building high-end high-speed electric motorcycles, and mainly use high-speed brushless motors, which have better performance and are more expensive.

How to choose a tricycle motor

Through the above introduction, we believe you should have a better understanding of the types of electric tricycle motor and their use in different models. Then tricycle owners should pay attention during the actual purchase process.

In order to reduce costs, some no-name tricycles and assembled models on the market currently use some low-speed motors. This type of motor is noisy, easy to demagnetize, and has poor power. Because the tricycle motor is not a simple mix of individual components. Therefore, tricycle owners should avoid risks well by looking for tricycle motor from well-known brands.