The Hacksmith: Half-Scale Cyber Truck Part 2

2020-02-21 | By The Hacksmith

License: See Original Project

Last month, Hacksmith Industries posted an update on the half-scale Tesla Cyber Truck project on Maker.io featuring its motor control system. The half-scale Cyber Truck is now nearing its final form, which includes an automated tailgate, RFID key system, lights, fog lights, and most importantly, a master control and monitoring system that displays on a tablet. See how it was made in the video below!

How Does it Work?

A host of new features have been added since the Cyber Truck’s last version. While the truck is still powered by the same 44.4V batteries, it now has a 220V power supply enabling it to be charged in 3 hours at any EV charging station. The addition of an RFID reader means not just anyone can start up the Cyber Truck and drive away. There are also LEDs for headlights, taillights, and fog lights, as well as a neopixel LED strip programmable for all kinds of crazy sequences.

The biggest addition, however, is the control and display system. Although the throttle and brakes are still controlled using pedals, a tablet-displayed app can now monitor and run the other systems. The motor controllers have sensors translated by an Arduino Nano, which is interfaced with the tablet app to display voltage, motor RPM, current, vehicle speed, and temperature.

The tablet app doesn’t just display information — it also houses controls for all of the auxiliary systems, such as programmable LED lights and the automated tailgate.

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Truck Features

The truck’s power train features 3 high-powered motors running at 60VDC (two in the front, one in the rear), and produces over 850NM of torque. No that’s not a typo, this little truck has more torque than a full size F-150 (a 5L V8 Ford engine only produces 542NM of torque!) -- and the team has plans to prove it in the final test video!

Regarding cost, the final BOM came out to over $10,000 worth of parts, not including the motors and speed controllers (~$4000) which were given to them from Accelerated Systems Inc -- but when adding up over 1000 hours of labor that went into the build, the total cost to build this is over $50,000 -- or more than a real base-level Cyber Truck itself!

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If that seems a bit ridiculous, remember, that the initial full-scale Cyber Truck probably cost Tesla over a million dollars to prototype. We only enjoy (relatively) inexpensive vehicles thanks to mass production!

Schematic and BOM

This version of the half-scale Cyber Truck has many new components added on from the last one.

More Hacksmith Vehicle Designs and Modifications

Hacksmith Industries has done several projects with vehicles designed from scratch and extreme modifications to working vehicles. Check out these other vehicle systems on Maker.io. You can also see the body construction and other early stages of the half-scale Cyber Truck on Youtube!

Half-Scale Cyber Truck

Spy Car

The Bat-Baja

Misc

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