An Electric car called Trev | Fully Charged

An electric car that's already been driven around the world, and what the wonderful team at the University of South Australia (or UniSA for short) are doing next.
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[@000BigKev]

Robert is a very good interviewer. He is very friendly and self-effacing with his interviewees and the way in which he helps the interviewees to explain what they obviously know a lot about is quite relaxed. Nice one mate.

[@RJB_music]

Fantastic! I'd love to see something like this in production in the uk - and it's got a range of more than 100 miles!

[@TimBradleyFromOz]

I met Peter Pudney and drove Trev. Trev was cool, and Peter was such a humble man. He is the "driving force" behind this and other great green transport ideas.

[@MrGridStrom]

I love this little car, its very cute and I like the design, most of all I like its range.

[@XitUp]

True. The wheels are not the only thing that make the aero poor, but they are a part of it. When was the last record holder with outboard wheels? Yup, you have a point there, but it works more with bigger, lower pressure tyres doesn't it? For electric cars aren't smaller, higher pressure tyres better to reduce rolling resistance?

[@toyotaprius79]

Ahh. It's nice to see the old intro again. * Dives back into memories.*

[@thelastdeadmouse]

Good to see a normal episode of the show again, I hope there's more coming down the line soon.

[@PetaPan88]

The camera guy who hung out the back of the station wagon to get shots of Trev is my hero.

[@munteruk]

Trev looks like a great car. I wish there were commercial examples of it.

[@msyin9]

This is like getting a giant Easter Basket early! I hope more episodes are coming, you have been truly missed.

[@OllieJonsson]

The design reminds me slightly of the Messerschmitt KR200. My father had one of those in the early 1960's.

[@idavid42]

Minor correction for the description, Adelaide University, is not University of South Australia, the two are quite different entities.

[@greatspacegibbon]

Definitely the type of vehicle I've been designing in my head for years. Ticks all the boxes. Obviously a commercial version would be quieter, but other than that it's on the right track. Could use an artist to redesign the outside though. Something not quite right there.

[@DeanRead]

I really quite like it, I recognised the area you were driving in :-) lets hope that in the not too distant future cars if this type will be readily available to all

[@greyareaRK1]

An exciting project,- creating a vehicle for use in countries without a petrochemical infrastructure. I can imagine something akin to the Pony Express from the wild west in the USA - swapping for a fresh battery from autonomous charge stations every so often. I can see how the design might be adapted to be an ambulance. How big is the battery pack? Also liked the logic of making a vehicle with two in-line seats as more reflective of how people actually drive.

[@martinwinlow]

Well, well, well... those Vectrix bits get everywhere, don't they?! Are they using the charger and controller as well as the motor?

[@Grumpy_old_Boot]

Welcome back! It's been a while, but it's nice to see you're still arbout. :) Gotta say, I liked the basic design of the Trev, it does indeed hit the nail on the head about how people usually just drive around alone.

[@toyotaprius79]

It's been a while, well worth the wait!

[@bend1483]

love it!

[@tasmanianbadger]

The University of South Australia is NOT Adelaide University. They are totally different institutions. The car and the design team and students are all from UniSA.

[@TearyEyesAnderson]

5:50 The SolarTaxi required a large trailer to do its around the world trip in 2007-08. I still want to see three wheeled cars that are more safe, the Aptera was pretty good also, but like this one if it is hit from the side there is no crumple zone. I'd like to see them incorporate some features from the Lit Motors C1 Enclosed Motorcycle. It'd be nice to see a race between the two.

[@fakexloser]

Awesome video! Hi From Chicago USA!

[@XitUp]

1. Hub motors increase unsprung weight. 2. Keeping the wheels within the body is way more aerodynamic.

[@AndrewBryantPianoTuner]

Really great show man.

[@SolarWebsite]

Sounds like the gearbox is using (cheap but noisy) straight gears instead of (expensive but quieter) helical gears. That means it should be easy to make the car quieter. Other than that, fantastic vehicle. Very nearly the only electric vehicle that's not a ton-and-a-half-of-steel-and-lithium-for-a-single-occupant-cyclist-killer. Cool stuff! I hope the design can be commercialised.

[@TradieTrev]

Trev goes alright!

[@TheGourmetSnapper]

I recognise the noise of the electric motor; it's the same as the Vectrix VX-1.

[@mauswerkz]

I'm glad to see you got some EV-related activities in while you were down under. Looking forward to the new season!

[@badskpr]

looks like the upgrade of the defunct Sparrow.

[@c33r0k33]

As close as we come to this would be the Myers Motors vehicles or Robert Riley's XR3. Neither of them have a 124 mile range with 2 passengers as a pure electric as far as I know. (Perhaps the Myers Motors NMG single passenger version with Li batteries gets 100.) Myself, I wouldn't mind owning a Trev if it was currently available. Wish it was...

[@JulianIlett]

Noisy - mostly from the reduction gearbox it would seem

[@XitUp]

Good point on the handling. But that's not what they're designed for. Lets look at a car that is designed for handling, a Lotus/Caterham 7. The outboard wheels on these cars provide massive amounts of drag. Unsprung mass will be an issue for all road vehicles because a higher unsprung weight can absorb less energy and will transfer it to the car.

[@HesteBremse]

Well finally an electric car with a pretty cool soundtrack to it ;). At first glance i did not like it much, but just watching the vid - pretty good actually. Reminds me of the old Danish electric "car" from 1985 the "Ellert" which accordingly to the "Ellert dot info" site is still being produced in Germany. Anyway good job on the Trev - Thanks.

[@DanFrederiksen]

I think it could be lighter and more aerodynamic still with the front wheels being outboard and with motors in them. The body could be thinner with almost no wind drag. Like a glider plane with wheels. Costs nothing to drive and takes very little battery.

[@TVFILMBUFF]

Hooroo Robert. Hooroo.

[@mbirth]

I think the first thing I'd do is: Putting some fighter jet instruments into the cockpit and a HUD. ;)

[@the_swedish_ride]

Nice :))

[@ekhaat]

I also want a Stukka dive bomber

[@martinwinlow]

OK, now that I've got to the driving bit (motor noise) I'm a bit concerned that the Vectrix's planetary gearbox is on the way out! Whine is normal - the buzzing bit isn't. MW

[@zlozlozlo]

Welcome back, Robert. I saw an E-Tracer in the pictures. Do you think you could do an episode on that one?

[@701983]

@SolarTaxi: It used electricity from the grid too. Without it, the journey would have taken ages. And it´s not funny to stay always at the same place with bad weather.

[@Hirotoro4692]

around 124 miles, give or take. Decent range. Step in the right direction. Not too keen on the looks, though :)

[@riggald9864]

What was the charge capacity of the batteries?

[@heatleynoble]

Nice video Robert. Any chance of a long term review of your Nissan Leaf?

[@WillEddy]

Great video man but what the smeg is the deal with that music at the end?! It woke my neighbors up and they came and knocked on my door all smegged off.

[@HesteBremse]

Whats next, are you going to try out the new Renault ZOE when it comes to market ?.

[@simondotwatts]

Has it got regenerative brakes?

[@DanFrederiksen]

First of all, several land speed cars have had outboard wheels. And how well do you think they handle turns when they don't. Tell me how unsprung mass is actually a real issue for a vehicle like TREV and what you think you know. I'm all ears

[@jdubeau007]

This could easy compete where you see alot of scooters like in Taiwan.

[@thedave7760]

Wow a swap able battery! Finally someone talking some sense. I can't believe that tesla didn't design a swap able battery system that would change via robot or something.

[@CorwynGC]

They did. No one wanted to use it, so they discontinued it.

[@cuddles6938]

A company in Europe already had that system, but they went bankrupt. I forget the name I'm sure Google could find it for you.

[@DBSpy1]

Nice car,but should be easy to insulate the parts that make the noise and at almost no extra weight,why don't they?

[@ShallowBeThyGames]

I think if a company invested in producing a power plant which could be a direct replacement for internal combustion engines, electric personal transport would go through the roof. Perhaps it's just me, but it seems counter-intuitive, if you're wanting to build clean cars, we're surrounded by good cars with crappy oil-burners for power. The cars aren't the problem, the engine is.

[@illustriouschin]

it looks super hard to get into the back seat and the the body design needs a lot of work.

[@XitUp]

They don't. Next question please.

[@zapfanzapfan]

That thing made some noise! :-)

[@gasdive]

How the hell did you get it registered?

[@iss-hogaishamu5862]

At are there no Zimbabwe scholars who can be sponsored to build such a project. Just saying, 2 birds 1 stone

[@grendelum]

It's amazing how far we've advanced just since 2013... I imagine with the newer higher density Li-ion batteries this thing could go much further... I'd like to see what they're doing now !!!

[@cuddles6938]

Li Poly batteries already being used in RC toy's etc. the last few years. You have to be aware though that some are more combustible then others. They need to start getting those Graphene Batteries out to customers.

[@XitUp]

It is a real issue. I know about it. No, the body isn't much bigger, just a bit, and it can be an aerodynamic shape, which a wheel and suspension and brake and motor are not. Unless you think all the land speed record teams are doing it wrong and they shouldn't be using covered wheels? You should probably tell them.

[@DanFrederiksen]

a caterham 7 has piss poor aero because it has piss poor aero, not because of outboard wheels. again I refer to speed records with outboard wheels. you are similarly wrong about unsprung mass. a high wheel mass actually creates a second stage of dampening because the rubber will absorb a lot before the wheel mass starts to move and can transfer the shock on to the main car body. the myth of unsprung mass being bad that you believe without understanding is about large wheel movements like baja

[@DanFrederiksen]

sure but that just diminishes the positive effect, it's still positive. you are still wrong. demonstrate you can learn from correction or we are done

[@XitUp]

It's cute how you think you know more than, you know, all the automotive engineers in the world. If unsprung mass is a myth then why do people try to avoid it? I'm interested to learn.

[@jojoestranger4989]

Robert why a lot of ev look like a spaceships? Sometime i wonder if ev are invented by alien.

[@grendelum]

Jojo Estanero - in this case, as with most EVs, aerodynamics is key... by making the car 'slippy' (low drag) you can extend the range, by making the Trev light weight with low drag, they can use a small motor. If they used a boxy, 1980s Volvo type shape, the range would suffer immensely. One issue tho is that many EV makers have tried, on purpose, to make their cars stand out... so the owners can make a statement or some such nonsense (BMW i8 for example)... I personally prefer EVs that look more like normal cars, like the *Tesla Model 3* (which is gorgeous), but that's down to taste.

[@DanFrederiksen]

unsprung weight is not a real issue. spare me your objection, you know nothing about it. keeping the wheels in the body is only more aero if it doesn't mean the body has to be much bigger. and it typically does mean that

[@evercomeback]

Nice video, but I would never buy anything that looked AND sounded like that.

[@electrictroy2010]

(1) It's true gasoline engines are victorian age tech, however so too is the electric motor - since circa 1880. (2).Greenercars (an environmentalist website) rates cars' full lifecycle pollution (from factory to recycling) (well-to-wheel fuel usage). They rate most EVs as no cleaner than a Prius. The large Tesla and Rav4 EVs score quite low.... less than a Jetta diesel sedan and all the various hybrids.

[@AnsisX]

Cant understand a shit...