Plug Bug: Weight Distribution
The unladen weight of the stock bug is 1807 lbs. The gross vehicle weight is 2645 lbs. Front axle load: 1080 lbs, rear: 1609 lbs. The front axle had the 10.6 gallon tank removed — when full, 10.6 gallons is about 66 pounds (6.25 pounds per gallon of gas). The engine, I’m guessing, was about 250 pounds (fairly easy to move with just two people). I probably removed an extra 100 pounds in other various components: rear seat, drum -> disc brakes, generator, smaller 12v battery, etc. So, my starting empty weight: about 1391 lbs, giving 1254 lbs of payload. Each battery weighs 16 pounds (I originally planned on them being 13 pounds…which was wrong — that was the weight for the 160ah cells, not the 200ah cells). I have 48 of the 200ah cells to distribute between the front and the rear. That is 768lbs are batteries! That leaves 486 lbs to reach gross weight. The Warp9 is 143 lbs. That leaves 243 pounds. I weigh 140 lbs. That leaves about 200 pounds, which probably accounts for all the other stuff I put in (controller, DC-DC converter, wires, battery boxes). Based on these numbers, I’m glad I’m removing the rear seat; the bug would be quite a bit overweight with 4 people in it!
