Would a washing machine motor power a small electric car?

My friend and I are going to build something like a soapbox car except with an electric engine. I was wondering if a washing machine motor with enough batteries would make it go and to go a reasonable speed, what size of motor would I need. I don't know if this makes sense because I'm new to the whole car - motor thing. Help please!Would a washing machine motor power a small electric car?
a small powerful motor would be the starter from a car. Just get one cheap from a junk yard.Get the batt. cables too while your there. they are already 12 volt so all you have to is get a car batt. to go with it. Get one that was on a big v8 engine so it will be more powerful.Would a washing machine motor power a small electric car?
An ordinary washing machine motor usually requires 110 volts of alternating current and provides from 1/3 to 1/2 horsepower. There should be a plate on the motor stating the power requirement in watts. Watts are a measure of power calculated by multiplying volts x amperes.





Car batteries provide 12 volts of direct current. To run the washing machine motor from car batteries, you would need a device called an ';inverter'; (available from Canadian Tire and various auto parts stores). The inverter would need to be rated at a higher wattage than the motor.





Also the motor turns at quite a high speed so would have to be geared down a great deal to be usable.





A better approach would be to go shopping at a military surplus store for a surplus, low RPM (low revolutions per minute) gear head, 12 or 24 volt motor. Such motors are sometimes used to raise and lower the flaps or wheels on aircraft. They are much better built than a motor for a domestic washing machine and can usually be had quite cheaply..





While you are at the military surplus store, buy yourself a big old rheostat, the bigger the better to control the speed of your car. The other parts you need like sprockets and chain may be scavanged from an old bicycle.





Remember, if your motor is 24 volts you will need two car batteries, hooked in series. That is your motor is hooked (via the rheostat) to the positive terminal of one battery and to the negative terminal of the other. The remaining terminals are hooked together with a jumper.





By the way, it wouldn't hurt to shop around to see if you can find a wrecked or old golf cart cheap. That would give you all or most of the parts you need to build your machine.





Good luck and have fun.
Batteries produce ';direct current'; (d.c.) while washing machine motors require ';alternating current'; (a.c.), so this is going to take a very long extension cord :) or an expensive inverter to run. Also, a typical washing machine motor might be about 1/3 horsepower, which is going to make a pretty slow car. Those are the drawbacks I see.
I agrre with justin.cordless drills are fast and power full.
A washing machine motor is a powerfull motor but its not ideal .


It is an AC motor and you will need a $150-$200 inverter and a couple of car batteries and a car battery charger. and it still will only have about a 20 min charge.





Also it is not variable speed. so unless you can make a transmission it will not work good.








If it was me i would find old cordless drills to use. There are plenty of them out there. you can add up to 4 one on each tire to get the speed and power needed.