Matthew clapped his hands together, his eyes gleaming with excitement as he turned his laptop screen to face Saimon and Leo.
"Alright," Matthew began. If we're going to make this work, we need to understand exactly what we're building and how we're going to do it. Let me lay it all out."
Saimon and Leo leaned forward, ready to listen to Matthew.
Matthew grabbed a marker and sketched a rough diagram on the whiteboard near the workstation. "First and foremost, we need the powertrain—the core of our EV's functionality. This includes three critical components: the electric motor, the controller, and the battery pack."
He circled the motor on the diagram. "The motor will be a permanent magnet synchronous motor, or PMSM for short. It's compact, efficient, and provides excellent torque—perfect for a small EV like ours. I've already found a supplier that sells refurbished units. We'll need to modify it slightly, but it's a solid starting point."
Matthew moved to the next point on the board, drawing arrows between the motor and a rectangular box labeled 'Controller.'
"The controller is essentially the brain of the operation. It regulates how much power the motor gets from the battery."
"And where do we get that?" Saimon asked, squinting at the diagram.
"There are off-the-shelf controllers designed for PMSMs," Matthew replied. "I've shortlisted a few models that fit our budget and can be tuned for our prototype."
"Next, the battery pack. This is where things get tricky. To keep our EV lightweight and efficient, we'll need lithium-ion cells with at least a 50-kWh capacity. That should give us a decent range—around 300 kilometers on a full charge."
Leo raised an eyebrow. "Sounds expensive."
Matthew nodded. "It is, but I've found a workaround. There's a local electronics surplus shop that sells used lithium-ion cells. They're not top-tier, but for a prototype, they'll work. We'll build the pack ourselves and integrate a battery management system to monitor and maintain safety."
"What's a battery management system?" Saimon asked.
"It's a protective layer for the battery," Matthew explained. "It ensures the cells don't overcharge or overheat, which could cause damage—or worse, a fire."
Matthew wiped the board clean and began sketching the outline of a car. "Now for the structure. The chassis will be a combination of aluminum and high-strength steel. Lightweight but strong enough to support the components and passengers."
Leo's eyes widened. "Where are we getting all that metal?"
"This is where you come in, Leo," Matthew said with a grin. "Your dad's hardware business deals with suppliers, right? I'm betting he has connections for aluminum sheets and steel tubing."
Leo groaned. "Oh great, I get to ask him for freebies."
"Not freebies," Matthew countered. "Think of it as an investment in the future of engineering. Besides, we're not building an entire car body from scratch. For the exterior panels, we'll use fiberglass or ABS plastic. Both are lightweight and easy to mold."
Matthew drew circles beneath the car sketch. "For the tires, we'll use low-rolling-resistance models designed for EVs. These minimize energy loss and improve efficiency. We'll source secondhand ones in good condition. As for the suspension, we'll salvage components from compact cars. Think Honda or Toyota—easy to find and reliable."
"Let me guess," Saimon interjected. "You want me to raid my dad's repair shop for these?"
Matthew smiled knowingly. "Bingo. Your dad's shop is bound to have suspension parts and maybe even some steering components lying around. We'll repurpose what we can."
He tapped the car outline's interior. "For the seats and dashboard, we'll salvage what we can from wrecked vehicles. We'll reupholster the seats to make them presentable. The dashboard will house a basic LCD display showing speed, battery level, and range."
"And how are we going to do that? Isn't there coding on that shit?" Saimon said.
"Yes, there's coding involved. The dashboard's LCD display will require basic programming to interface with the car's systems. We'll need to pull data from the controller and battery management system to show things like speed, battery level, and range."
Leo groaned, throwing his head back. "Programming? Great, just when I thought this couldn't get any more complicated."
"Relax," Matthew said, waving his hand dismissively. "We're not building a full-on operating system here. It's basic coding—something even I can handle."
Saimon crossed his arms, his skepticism still evident. "Alright, coding aside, let's talk logistics. We're scavenging parts from my dad's shop, tapping into Leo's dad's suppliers for materials, and buying used batteries. How exactly are we putting all of this together? We're not professional engineers, you know."
Matthew smirked. "That's the beauty of it—we don't need to be. We just need to follow a step-by-step process and stay organized. I've already created a timeline that breaks down each stage of the build."
He pulled up a Gantt chart on his laptop and pointed to the first phase. "Phase One is sourcing and procurement. We'll spend this week gathering all the parts and materials we need. That includes the motor, controller, batteries, chassis materials, and interior components."
"Sounds easy enough," Leo said, though his tone was doubtful.
Matthew ignored him and continued. "Phase Two is assembly. We'll start with the chassis—welding the frame, mounting the suspension, and getting the basic structure ready. Then we'll move on to installing the powertrain and integrating the electrical systems."
"And what about testing?" Saimon asked, leaning forward. "What if something doesn't work?"
"That's Phase Three," Matthew said confidently. "Testing and troubleshooting. We'll test each subsystem individually before putting everything together. For example, we'll check the motor and controller independently to make sure they're communicating properly. Once we've verified each component, we'll run a full system test."
Leo raised an eyebrow. "And if it still doesn't work?"
Matthew chuckled. "Then we troubleshoot until it does. Look, this isn't going to be a smooth ride. We'll hit snags—probably a lot of them. But if we stay focused and work as a team, we'll figure it out."
Saimon exhaled sharply, still not entirely convinced but clearly impressed by Matthew's level of preparation. "Okay, fine. You've thought this through, I'll give you that. But let's say we somehow get this thing running—what about the aesthetics? Are we just going to roll up with a skeleton car?"
Matthew grinned. "Nope. Phase Four is cosmetic work. That's where we paint the body panels, upholster the seats, and clean up the dashboard. We're building a prototype, so it doesn't have to look perfect, but it should at least look like a car."
Leo whistled softly, shaking his head. "Man, this is a lot. But honestly, it's kind of exciting."
"It is," Saimon admitted.
"Yeah, because that won't make me sound crazy," Saimon muttered, though a small smile tugged at his lips.
Matthew leaned back in his chair, surveying his two teammates. "Look, I know this sounds overwhelming. But we've got a plan, and we've got the skills to make it happen. All I need from you two is commitment."
Leo glanced at Saimon, then back at Matthew. "Alright, I'm in. Let's build this thing."
"I'm in too…but what about Samantha?"
"Well, Samantha…I believe she is good at paperworks, so she will handle that."