A Go-Kart Runs on a $1 Motor—Then Gets Fourteen of Them
Using A Cheap DC Motor To Make A Go-Kart Go
A maker tried to power a go-kart with a tiny one-dollar brushed DC motor. A 3D-printed gearbox with a 1,243:1 reduction gave it enough torque to move the kart, but only at a snail's pace. The experiment then scaled up to fourteen small motors. Losses in the gearing and chain still made a speedy ride unlikely.
Instead of using one appropriately sized motor, he started with a one-dollar motor and eventually used fourteen. That's commitment to the least convenient option.