Electric Go-Kart Conversion

My senior project in high school. Begun in June of 2017, this project took me about four months from start to finish. This included sourcing the original salvage kart, drafting a design, learning to weld in order to repair the damaged frame, rust removal and repainting, sourcing and overseas-shipping battery cells from China to construst a custom 16-cell battery pack, testing and installing all electronic components, software configuration of battery limits and throttle response, and final mechanical tuning. This project taught me many useful development skills that I continue to apply today.

The go-kart I started with: it had been left outside for years. The frame had split in multiple places, the paint was flaking off, both rear tyres had come off their beads and the steering was badly out of alignment.

My first round of repairs: re-welded the split parts of the frame, stripped and repainted frame green, replaced rear axle and all tyres, and realigned front steering.

Test mounting of the custom battery pack I assembled and the brushed DC motor I ordered. Everything fit nicely!

Wiring of the battery management system. This allows the go-kart to balance each individual cell to prolong pack life and increase overall capacity.

Installation and wiring of the control circuit, primary solenoid, secondary BMS computer, high-current lines to motor, 12V step-down transformer for accessory lighting, as well as new seat-belts!