Can you make a better scooter?
In addition to better quality control and better batteries (if possible), I'd like to see:
- RoHS compliant designs - Removal of all, or greatly reduced amounts found:
- Lead (Pb); solder, paints, etc. Use Lead-free solders
- Cadmium (in paint)
- Hexavalent Chromium (Cr(VI)) (in paints & plastics)
- Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers/Biphenyls (PBDE/PBB)
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Any chance you could get me a picture of that piece? I'm not sure if X-Treme would have that, but I'm pretty sure I know where I can find it somewhere else. :)
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You surprise me sometimes, Tracy. I was in a meeting yesterday where we're talking about the RoHS and I brought up the whiskers issue (couldn't remember if lead or lead-free had the problem), nobody in the room had any idea as to what I was talking about. Some of these people have been in electronics fields for 20 years, and never heard about whiskers?! They knew the military and aerospace sectors were exempt from lead-free, but didn't know why.
I do appreciate you tearing apart my post - gives me more to think about and links to forward. ;)
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...I have 120 pounds of lead on my bike, but we are going to take the 1/10 of an ounce found in all of the electrical connections on the bike out via ROHS...
LOL!
And to comment on the fox list. Yes, when buying my second electric scooter I will look for better quality, but I know I did hesitate quite a while when buying the e-max. Not sure I would have taken the plunge if the price had been some 30% higher. And...
I guess the brake pads are asbestos free, aren't they? Don't think you can find asbestos pads even if you tried.
MIL-spec connectors? That's expensive. Do you really need connectors that are better than those in the average car?
Thicker wires, for future upgrades? Seriously, how many have fried cables from overamping? (Frying the motor windings doesn't count, only the external cables.) And would that justify the 99% non-tampering users paying for and hawling along a pound or so more of copper for the entire life of the scooter? I admit I replaced the e-max 6 mm2 cables with 10 mm2 mainly to reduce voltage drop, but 6 mm2 can take a lot more than you think.
Finally, I think we will see or are already beginning to see better built scooters. Vectrix is better built but maybe not a good example because they started in the completely other end of the food chain. The next generation e-max certainly is ambitious in all parts, remins to see how it works out in reality.
ArticFox...this is a pic from xtreme's website...the pics for the XB600...
I just really need the rubber flap "door" but I'll buy the plug too if that's the way it comes...and it's not really expensive.
Thanks...and just private message me. I tried to do that to you...but I couldn't find a way to put in a pic....so sorry folks I tried to take this private!!!!
Gushar
Amen, Articfox. I have a modified I-Zip 1000 with a Etek/Mars brushless powering it. The Curry style scooter as it is lasts maybe two years before falling apart. And as far as upgrades-good luck trying to get anything from "normal" scooters to fit is laughable. I'd like to see a standardized color code for wiring which doesn't change from model to model. Another thing is metal that has some strenght and isn't made of garbage. And why can't I find one company, just one that makes a performance tire in a 12.5 size, that would eleviate the real fear of dying by a blow out in real traffic speeds. The quality that comes from Curry on the small scooter line is that of a Huffy tricycle. There cheap, but no one will take them serious until they get serious. DO YOU HEAR ME CURRY? I'M CALLING YOU OUT!!!
Dear rgx, When you posted "usaTracy wrote: I carry 120 pounds on lead on my bike and were going to get rid of 1/10th of an ounce of lead with ROHM...LOL!"
I must admit, I had a good laugh about that too, but looking into it a bit deeper...
Part of the purchase of lead/acid batteries is the core charge, small enough to not hurt business, and large enough to get people to recycle their old batteries. Recycling old batteries is the law where I am, but we all know its easy to dump anything you want to, without getting caught.
Many trash circuit boards (old VCR's, TV's etc) are shipped to third world countries where they are burned to make the metals gathering easier. It is illegal (and VERY polluting) to do this, but we can't pretend it doesn't happen.
Asking manufacturers to use lead-free solder is NOT a harsh adjustment, quite easy in fact. I'd say it should be the minimum first action taken...
Thank you, spinningmagnets.
One small step at a time. :)
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I couldn't agree more AF. Those things would greatly improve the products.
By the way, :-) since you mentioned that you could sell the parts for my XB600...a couple of days ago the small rubber "flap door" that covers my charging port tore along the folding point. I can still use it to cover the port since it has one tube-like part that slides over one of the plug blades...and that holds it on. But sooner or later I'm going to forget to put the thing on since it's not attached anymore and so I'd like to get another one to replace it. Do you think I'd have to buy the entire plug just to get the rubber flap door covering it? Just wondering...
Gushar