Does anyone have contact info for Pepin? I am taking any offers to sell my trike to someone who can take it to the next (lithium) level.
Gary www.zwheelz.com On Sun, Jul 14, 2013 at 3:11 AM, brucedp5 <[email protected]> wrote: > > http://www.sherwoodparknews.com/2013/07/12/a-hawk-made-with-lithium > A hawk made with lithium > By Trent Wilkie July 12, 2013 > > [image / Trent Wilkie/Sherwood Park News/QMI Agency > > http://storage.canoe.ca/v1/dynamic_resize/sws_path/suns-prod-images/1297441443653_ORIGINAL.jpg?quality=100&size=900x&stmp=1373644209885 > Pepin and his wife Leslie ride the Lithium Hawk in the recent Sherwood Park > Canada Day parade > ] > > Nap Pepin is what some would call a hobby inventor, but according to the > man > himself, he just likes to build things. > > Having driven his three wheeled electronic bike, the Lithium Hawk, in the > most recent Sherwood Park Canada Day parade, one would think the bike > itself > would prove his inventor moniker. According to Pepin, just because you > believe it, doesn’t make it true. > > “NAIT profiled me a couple years ago as one of 20 graduates that they > consider to be inventors,” Pepin said. “Some people think I am because I’ve > built a lot of stuff, but I’ve never brought anything to the market; I’ve > never tried. > > “I’m an electronics engineering technologist, but I have these various > hobbies where I like to build different things.” > > Jokingly, Pepin stated that his day job sometimes distracts him from his > building, but it is something that he has been doing since he was a kid > and, > no having to make ends meet will get in the way of his passion. > > “Most of my projects are electronic based, I do lot of re-finishing and > restoration stuff,” he said. “I learned how to weld as I built a lot of > go-karts as a kid. I’ve built a couple of electric vehicles in the last few > years, but I’ve wanted to take them to a different level of performance. > > “About four years ago I wanted to build an electric vehicle, but I didn’t > want to start from scratch and build my own platform” > > After building from a kit called the Bug-e, Pepin was unhappy with the way > the vehicle was very light and low-tech overall, so he focused on creating > something with a bit more prudence and handling. > > “The whole point was to learn from that,” Pepin explained. “Then, I wanted > to build a similar vehicle that would be a lot more robust, had a great > suspension system, a lot heavier — on purpose — for the stability and just > a > lot more high-tech. So, I spent a lot more money and I designed and built > the Lithium Hawk from the ground up.” > > Pepin knew his limitations, in money and in time, so he contracted out the > basic frame. Although he has the strategic art of tig welding under his > belt, he decided to use a Honda Goldwing rear-end suspension for the Hawk, > so Pepin worked with the company to build the frame to his specifications. > After receiving the fabricated frame, he realized that he still needed > changes to the frame, he ended up chopping it and building the front > suspension by himself. This included the drive system and the battery pack, > which after designing and writing the software for it took close to six > months to build. > > As for the safety of the vehicle, Pepin is proud of the legwork it took to > get everything above board. After having investigators sent to his garage, > getting the vehicle fully certified, developing a relationship with safety > section of Alberta Transportation and getting the proper legislation it > took > to get the vehicle on the road, Pepin was set to jet. > > According to Pepin the power source is a 16 kw/h lithium battery pack which > will typically go over 200 hours. It does zero to 60 mph in seven seconds, > but is software limited to a top speed of 170 km/h with an equivalent fuel > economy of 0.08 liters per kilometer or 360 miles per gallon. > > “It depends on how much money you want to spend and how heavy you want to > make the vehicle,” Pepin said. “I could make it go longer, but then I’d > probably be pulling around another 400 pounds. So it is a bit of > diminishing > returns after a while.” > > As for something that stands out in his own mind about what he has done, > Pepin had to think about it, but eventually said: “I think I’m the only > individual in North America to build a cylindrical cell lithium battery > pack, because it’s not easy to do in your garage.” > [© 2013 Sherwood Park News] > ... > http://www.nappepin.com/LithiumHawk.htm > LITHIUM HAWK by Nap Pepin ... > [image > http://www.nappepin.com/LithiumHawk/Lithium_Hawk_small.jpg > Component location > > > video > http://www.nappepin.com/LithiumHawk/MVI_1665.MOV > 29Mb mov file > ] > > > > > For all EVLN posts use: > > http://electric-vehicle-discussion-list.413529.n4.nabble.com/template/NamlServlet.jtp?macro=search_page&node=413529&query=evln&sort=date > > Here are today's archive-only EV posts: > > EVLN: 2013 looks to be a good year for EVs > EVLN: swinburne.edu.au L3 CHAdeMO EVSE using ChargePoint rfid card > EVLN: GM Lipservice, 'Transition To Electric Cars Underway' > EVLN: Mahindra (Reva) e20 to be rolled out in Nepal by 10/2013 > + > EVLN: 1959's EV of Tomorrow Looks Awfully Like Today's > > > {brucedp.150m.com} > > > > -- > View this message in context: > http://electric-vehicle-discussion-list.413529.n4.nabble.com/EVLN-Pepin-s-3wheeled-Lithium-Hawk-EV-ts-170kph-0-100kph-7s-tp4664226.html > Sent from the Electric Vehicle Discussion List mailing list archive at > Nabble.com. > _______________________________________________ > UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.evdl.org/help/index.html#usub > http://lists.evdl.org/listinfo.cgi/ev-evdl.org > For EV drag racing discussion, please use NEDRA ( > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NEDRA) > > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... 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