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eKart Conversion for Kettler Kettcar Pedal Car

I have two Kettler pedal cars I would like to convert to electric gokarts for my kids with a top speed of ~10mph.  The drive train is a 1/2" bicycle chain with a 2" sprocket on the drive shaft and 10" wheels.  I would like to use a foot controller for the acceleration and have a governor on the top speed within the circuit to "train" my kids to drive these safely.  This could be mechanical on the pedal or electronic.  I was imagining 24v rechargeable supply.  As far as I can tell I need the foot controller, governor, motor, motor controller, and charger?  What parts would you recommend?

What else am I missing?

Thank you

Kellen

To gear the pedal car for walking speed and to be able to climb steep hills it would need to have a low gear ratio. I checked online and found that Kettler Indianapolis Air pedal car has 4.00-4 tires. I checked online again and found that 4.00-4 tires have an 11.8 inch diameter so I based the calculations on that tire size. If the tires are a different diameter than 11.8 inches please let me know and I will recalculate the gear ratio.


I ran some gear ratio calculations and found that with our 23 Volt 350 watt gear motor and a 36 tooth sprocket on the axle the pedal car will have a top speed of 3.7 MPH. This is the top speed with no load so the actual top speed will be slightly lower.


Here is the gear ratio calculation.

I am not sure how many teeth the axle sprocket has on the Indianapolis Air pedal car however other Kettler pedal cars seem to have 11 tooth axle sprockets so chances are that the axle sprocket is not 36 teeth. Fortunately 36 teeth is a common size bicycle crank sprocket and we sell one for $7.95 which is our item # SPR-B36. Here is a photo of it.

This 36 tooth sprocket would need to be bolted or welded onto the original axle sprocket.



Our item # KIT-137 along with the 36 tooth sprocket item # SPR-B36 sounds like they might be the right combination of parts for your project. Here are links to these items.


KIT-137 - https://cart.electricscooterparts.com/24-volt-350-watt-electric-go-kart-power-kit


SPR-B36 - https://cart.electricscooterparts.com/36-tooth-15/16-bore-sprocket-for-1/2-x-1/8-bicycle-chain


If you would like any changes made to the kit, such as larger batteries, different throttle, etc. then please let us know.

Was just about to buy however postage comes to $200 which doubles the cost of the project. I'm in the uk. What can we do? Tks
The batteries are the heaviest part of the kit so it might be better if you purchase the batteries locally to save on the shipping cost. If you search Google for "sealed lead acid batteries uk" many store will appear in the search results.

Also the battery charger in KIT-137 is for 120 Volt mains and will not work in the UK without a 240 to 120 Volt converter. We have a 24V 1.5 Amp Soneil brand battery charger that runs on 240 Volt mains which is our item # CHR-S24V1.5A3P. Here is a link to it:
https://cart.electricscooterparts.com/24-volt-350-watt-electric-go-kart-power-kit-KIT-2301

Hopefully the postage price will go down quite a bit without the heavy batteries in the order.


Please let me know how it goes.

Hello, See below for our conversation from a few months ago.
Hi Ed, I put together a kit similar to KIT-137 without battery pack or charger for your project. It is KIT-2301 and here is a link to it: 
https://cart.electricscooterparts.com/24-volt-350-watt-electric-go-kart-power-kit-KIT-2301

Please let me know if you would like any changes made to it.

I would like to confirm the sprocket count on the Kettcar before ordering but I need to get started on this project so I'm nearly ready to order. I am thinking of adding the inline speed limiter I saw in another project you put together as long as it would work with the pedal set up. I also do not need the charging port.
Thanks

 

Hi Ed, The inline speed limiter will work with the pedal throttle and we can include it with the kit. I made a new kit that is without the charger port and includes the inline speed limiter. Here is a link to the modified kit: 

https://cart.electricscooterparts.com/24-volt-350-watt-electric-power-kit-KIT-2302


If you think of any other changes that you would like made to the kit please let me know and I will update it to your specifications.

Also, one more thing...The Kette car I have has a 12 sprocket drive. Will this kit work with that?

 

I ran a gear ratio calculation with a 12 tooth axle sprocket and here are the results.



The top speed would be around 11 miles per hour with a 12 tooth axle sprocket. At this speed the kart would have enough power to drive on flat ground and up slight inclines. However if you want it to go up moderate to steep inclines, or through sand or mud, then a larger axle sprocket would need to be installed to lower the gear ratio and top speed.

Would you have this larger sprocket? Would I have to make any mods to the rig as it is now to get the larger sprocket to fit?

 

We have 36 tooth sprockets that can be bolted or welded onto the existing sprocket. I can check and see if we have or can get a larger sprocket that will mount onto the axle. I don't know what size drive axle the Kettler pedal cars have though. Do you know what the diameter of the axle is?
1/2" axle shaft

I found a 36 tooth sprocket for 1/2"x1/8" (#410) bicycle chain with 1/2" ID bore that we can special order. It hub is 3/4" wide and has a key way that is 1/8" deep and 1/4" wide and a setscrew to mount it onto the axle. We can also get this same sprocket in 27, 28, 40, 42, and 44 tooth versions. The cost is around $45 for these sprockets, however the sprocket is bolted onto its hub so if the sprocket wears out then a replacement sprocket without its hub would only cost around $25.


I can include this sprocket with a kit if you would like?


Please let us know if you have any questions.

I think I will stick with what I have now. I think I'm ready to order. How long will it take to ship to St. Louis?

After the kit order has been placed it will take our technician one to two working days to build the kit, and then around three working days for FedEx or UPS to deliver it. So you are looking at getting the kit in around a week after it has been ordered.


If you would like any changes made to the kit, or have any questions please let me know.

OK, I've placed my order! Going to keep the 12 tooth sprocket for now like I mentioned. Can't wait to get started on the project!
It looks like I neglected to order the motor mount? This is a big problem. Anyone do this kit without the motor mount or have any suggestions to mounting the motor?
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