AGV Motor Calculator
Answers the three questions customers ask first — how fast will it go, how much can it pull, and which gear ratio do I order?
A motor catalogue only lists power and torque, which does not translate directly into those answers. This page does the conversion, working from the manufacturer’s own gear-ratio tables.
Caution
These figures are a first-pass estimate for choosing a model, not a performance guarantee. Real installations involve factors this page does not model (see Limitations below). Message us before ordering and we will run the numbers against your actual application.
Reading the results
Field |
Meaning |
|---|---|
Speed |
Top speed with the motor at full 3,000 rpm |
Wheel speed |
Wheel revolutions per minute after the gearbox |
Tractive force at rim |
Force the wheels can put into the floor, safety margin already applied |
Total moving weight |
Weight of the whole vehicle, not just the payload |
Important
That last figure includes the vehicle itself. If the chassis weighs 40 kg and the calculator returns 150 kg, the usable payload is about 110 kg.
Rules of thumb
Double the gear ratio → half the speed, but nearly twice the pull
Double the wheel diameter → twice the speed, but half the pull
Want both speed and pull → step up to a higher-power motor; there is no shortcut
Practical indoor AGV speed is 30–60 m/min (1.8–3.6 km/h). Faster than that and staff cannot walk alongside it and stopping distance gets long
🔴 The gear ratio is fixed at order time
These motors are not assembled from stock. The ratio must be specified when ordering and cannot be changed afterwards.
The same motor with different ratios can differ in pulling capacity by up to 3x — step through the ratios in the table above and the spread is obvious.
Ratios marked made to order have a longer lead time.
Limitations — what is not modelled
Factor |
Effect |
|---|---|
Ramps |
A mere 3° incline roughly halves the weight the drive can handle |
Wheel slip on start |
On wet or dusty floors the calculated tractive force may not be achievable |
Turning resistance |
A differential-drive base needs more torque to spin than to run straight |
Battery near empty |
Voltage sags and torque follows, so the machine slows late in a shift |
Defaults used: 6-inch PU wheels · 2 drive motors · smooth dry concrete · no ramp · 40% safety margin (60% of rating used). Every one of these is adjustable above.
See the real thing
Once you have the numbers, browse the drive units that match.
Note
Not sure which model fits your numbers? Just ask — quicker than comparing them yourself, and it costs nothing.
Want us to size it for you
Send us these four things and we will calculate against your real application:
Total vehicle weight, chassis plus payload
Target speed
Floor condition, and whether there are ramps
Load carried on the deck, or a towed cart