DIY Electric Car Forums - All EV Conversions and Builds http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums Build Threads, Conversion Journals and General Conversion Questions en Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:21:14 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/images/misc/rss.jpg DIY Electric Car Forums - All EV Conversions and Builds http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums ev choice??? http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=38725&goto=newpost Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:25:30 GMT I have a '91 Mustang convertible without and engine. Not sue if it's a good candidate. Maybe too heavy with not much room. Even if I take out the rear seat and floor it through to the trunk I don't think weight/amp would work out. Any thoughts???? ]]> All EV Conversions and Builds bileaux http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=38725 Typical Watt-Hr/Kms with a LiFePo4 battery pack http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=38702&goto=newpost Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:03:30 GMT While I wait for my LiFePo4s I was wondering how big a difference does the lower weight make on the Watt/Km ratings - specially for the higher... While I wait for my LiFePo4s I was wondering how big a difference does the lower weight make on the Watt/Km ratings - specially for the higher voltage/Kwh battery packs.

Will anybody using LiFePo4 batteries care to share their Watt-Hr/Km ratings? or Watt-hr/mile ratings?

Thanks! ]]> All EV Conversions and Builds frk2 http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=38702 planning 1994 Renault Twingo conversion http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=38674&goto=newpost Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:50:02 GMT My first ev-conversion Skills: semi-professional car mechanics, welder, metalworker, system engineer, programmer, ICT-architect Required range:... My first ev-conversion

Skills: semi-professional car mechanics, welder, metalworker, system engineer, programmer, ICT-architect
Required range: 10 KM/charge
Perf: 40-50 KM/hr
Budget: 1000 Euro's
Hoping to get it street legal which is supposed to be easier for conversions of cars registered before 1998 as the official institute in my country (The Netherlands, Europe) assured me.

Donors:
-Renault Twingo 1994 obtained as a real bargain for 250 euro (tip-top shape apart from a defective crankshaft bearing). It's a small car but will only need to be used as a 2 seater with the batteries covered in the extended back having the seats removed).
-Hyster Forklift 48V motor with fuse, emergency switch, controller (but considering the gate driver part of Paul and Sabrina's Open Source controller with my own microcontroller, 68HC11 based (as I built most of my robots with them and it has programmable pwm pins as well)) although seriously considering an Altrax controller as well (laziness).
-Got me some second hand agm batteries already which for the initial requirements might still be sufficient (I heard the other day that the company that I work for seems to start a new development on Lithium air batteries but I doubt I will ever get my hands on any of those :-)
http://www.technologyreview.com/energy/22780/ ).
-Collecting transformers for a custom charging managent system (but maybe my laziness wins as well there causing some strain on the budget which my wife guards so thoroughly).

remaining challenges:
-an affordable vacuum system for the power brake assist (you knew that one was coming I guess)
- machining down the existing hubs from the clutch and the drumbreak from the Hyster and adapting them to the lovely joints (still keeping an eye open for those).

no power steering required with the old model I got.

Bought the car a week ago, fuel tank, exhaust and engine are gone by now, cleaning and small exterior repairs on the way, I got myself a service manual for the car today as well.

ok question:

If the motor indicates 48V is that for a parallel setup ? And if I serially connect the field and armature coils, does that mean I can run it on 96V ?

I read about the robustness of the forklift motors and tend to go for 6x12V and indeed serial anyway but just curious.

thank you all for creating such a wonderful and resourceful forum.







ok I need some cleaning on the motor too.... ]]> All EV Conversions and Builds etlaare http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=38674 Electric Power steering http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=38639&goto=newpost Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:38:53 GMT I have decided that my next EV would be totally pimped out complete with power brakes and power steering. Power brakes I have a solution for -... I have decided that my next EV would be totally pimped out complete with power brakes and power steering.

Power brakes I have a solution for - power steering seems a bit tricky. Using a motor to drive the conventional hydraulic pumps sounds too wasteful to me. I have however seen that many new cars are now coming with EPS (Electric power steering) racks.

Does anybody have any experience with some car's EPS that I might be able to buy used? I know of ONE such such thats available (in my country):

http://www.bba-reman.com/content.asp...g_rack_failure

That rack actually belongs to a Honda City. My question is whether these racks are self-sufficient (connect 12v and go) or do they require some support electronics which in City's case may be carefully hidden inside the ECU.

Any information / experience would be welcome. Thank you. ]]> All EV Conversions and Builds frk2 http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=38639 EV Racer? http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=38593&goto=newpost Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:31:58 GMT Pondering swapping one of my racers to an electric drive. The car's minimum spec weight is 1100lbs, roughly 250lbs of that engine 75 of that tranny. Engine ranges 100-110hp in the usable rev range at nearly 100ft lbs. Race length is maximum 20 miles + 2.5miles cooldown/warm up laps, typicly 13.5 miles +2.5. Looking at my data I'm full on the gas 78% on the brake 11% and doing something else for the rest. Traction is typicly not an issue, speeds range from 60mph to 110mph.

Given what is currently available is it feasable to be competitive with an all electric drivetrain? ]]> All EV Conversions and Builds Vanquizor http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=38593 For Minority Report EV fans http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=38516&goto=newpost Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:25:24 GMT For those like me that would like to build an EV that is exotic but not a Lamborghini or Ferrari knockoff ... a decent fiberglass body kit of the... For those like me that would like to build an EV that is exotic but not a Lamborghini or Ferrari knockoff ... a decent fiberglass body kit of the electric sports coupe from the film Minority Report is now available:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...MEWAX:IT#v4-33



According to the desciption in the auction, he built the first one on a Chevy S10 chassis shortened to match the 104 inch wheelbase needed. He also says he wouldn't do that again because the motor ended up too far back. Not sure why, unless it was not built electric. Seems like plenty of room for a mid-mounted direct-drive 11" or 13" motor.

It doesn't look like an easy kit, though. It is only a shell, and you'd have to cut out doors, hood, trunk, etc. and fabricate support structure for all those areas. He'll build one turnkey for $45K -- again unclear if that would be ICE or EV.
Attached Images
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]]> All EV Conversions and Builds dreamer http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=38516 how much towing power for how long? http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=38477&goto=newpost Fri, 13 Nov 2009 22:13:57 GMT hi, I need a good strong ATV for my ranch, and after seeing how well electric ATVs perform Im considering building one, however, I haven't witnessed or found any information regarding towing capacity, Im looking to spend 3000$ or less, and need something that can tow up to 500lbs, and run for at least a few hours on a charge. is this reasonable? or is electric just not able to provide this for this amount of money?

thanks
D ]]> All EV Conversions and Builds dorian821 http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=38477 just another vw buildup, ...sort of... http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=38388&goto=newpost Wed, 11 Nov 2009 04:48:08 GMT hello names simon. i love vws, especially jetta coupes. ive had a few of these and currently own a 1980 thats getting a 1.8l 16v dohc motor and... hello names simon. i love vws, especially jetta coupes. ive had a few of these and currently own a 1980 thats getting a 1.8l 16v dohc motor and megasquirt efi. her name is ruby, i dont think im going to ever sell her. ive said that about the last 10 vws i owned but this ones different.... anyways this thread is about this coupe. i first saw this one 3 years ago when i first moved to seattle. the owner cut the hole in her years ago and the cars been in sitting mode since. i told the owner i would buy it if he ever decided to sell it. well, i might finally get it. so now i have this idea. use the hole in the back as the area for the batteries and make it an electric jetta coupe any ideas/ advice/ links/ jokes/ cat pics? :) heres where she sat for years she should be in my garage soon and the plans are simple. it has to be able to accelerate to 75+mph quickly, but it also has to be able to go hundred(s) of miles if im cruisin. questions i have: best transmission, 4 or 5 speed or auto? is direct drive an option for a car that is intended to be a daily cruiser? best controller i know of is the curtis, but ive seen the name Godzilla, and zilla here in the forums, whats the deal with them? any good lithium options without spending tens of thousands? ]]> All EV Conversions and Builds simon_tuman http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=38388 Brooklyn Mechanic shop wants help building EV http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=38384&goto=newpost Wed, 11 Nov 2009 03:27:12 GMT Hey everyone,
So here's the story. I am a technician, been working on foreign cars for several years.... i'm the 3rd generation of a family business. Interested in building my first EV, but i'd like some help so this project can get done quick and efficiently. Our shop is fully equipped so this should go pretty smooth along with some technical know-how. If your in the area and interested in giving me the basics, it'd be much appreciated.
I can be reached at minigenoa@gmail.com ]]> All EV Conversions and Builds Brooklyn Technician http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=38384 Newb wants to do a father/daughter conversion http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=38366&goto=newpost Tue, 10 Nov 2009 20:38:09 GMT Here are a couple of pics of one of my projects-- the Wallet Eater... Image: http://www.myattitudesucks.com/truck/images/wheels_002.JPG Image:... Here are a couple of pics of one of my projects-- the Wallet Eater...




My daughter is 13, and together we have an interest in starting to build an old truck for her to drive when she's old enough. She and I discussed the idea of doing an EV to make things a little bit interesting. She very much wants a truck "like" mine (same 67-72 model year range, not necessarily slammed to the ground or chopped top, etc.). I'm thinking of a nice and straight stocker that's had a long run on the stock I6 or V8.

Responding to some of the questions in the "Where do I start" post--

While I don't have as much time as I used to (or that I'd like), I've got considerable experience with all aspects of mechanicals, suspension fab, metalwork, etc. My daughter does not, but she's willing to dive in, and I'm (mostly) willing to work on my patience with her as she learns.

Range: We live coastside in Norcal, and so we're mostly isolated unless we need to "commute" over the hill to the real world. For a kid vehicle, I'm anticipating 25-35 miles per day AT MOST, but if this project works out long-term, I'd like to be able to expand on that range as she gets older and starts to "commute" further. The thing needs to recharge overnight (ie 8-10 hours or so).

Performance: The truck is relatively heavy (3800 GVW in stock form, though there's a LOT of lightening that can be done... my hooptey at the top of this thread is about 3300# thanks to some tube chassis, stripped underhood, etc.). I'd like to see it accelerate as well as, say, a Honda Fit, Nissan Versa, Toyota Prius, or other "slow" car... in the 8.5-10.5 sec range. This is a kid vehicle, and as dad, I say, slow is good. Top speed... same here, it only needs to go down the road at legal speeds, so 65-75 tops. I figure a Powerglide can help me get to an "in town" and "highway" mode, which may even give me some "lockout" capability for high gear until she's shown some driving skill development.

Budget: As with almost everyone's projects, budget is very limited... but I'm willing to spend where it's the right thing to do. This early in the idea phase, I'd say maybe $3k to $3.5k, including the truck... which is probably about $1200 of that.

Parts already considered: Both from my past racing experience and some of the info I've stumbled onto on this board and elsewhere, the Powerglide seems like an obvious choice for gearing. Easy to build, lightweight rotating mass, and the right amount of gears (including the ever-popular reverse). I figure I can "adjust" final drive ratio pretty easily at the truck rearend as the truck 12-bolt has a LOT of ratio choices from 2.17:1 all the way into the 6's. ]]> All EV Conversions and Builds XXL http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=38366 Plans for a Vortex http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=38362&goto=newpost Tue, 10 Nov 2009 18:13:03 GMT I'm now seriously considering building an EV sooner rather than later. And I'm thinking of building one of these.

The only thing is I'm a tightwad, and don't want to pay $90 for them. Does anyone have a copy they'd be willing to sell on for less? :) ]]> All EV Conversions and Builds TheAtomicAss http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=38362 1971 Series IIA Land Rover conversion blog... http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=38340&goto=newpost Tue, 10 Nov 2009 02:31:50 GMT For those interested in the electrification of an old British classic, head over to: http://adventure-ev.com/ The site is in its infancy, and... For those interested in the electrification of an old British classic, head over to:

http://adventure-ev.com/

The site is in its infancy, and it's scattered because I launched it quickly. No design details there yet... but for you guys.

1971 Series IIA Land Rover (SWB)
11" 192v Kostov DC
Soliton-1 Motor Controller
64 x 160Ah Thundersky LiFePO4 cells (205v nominal)

I'm in the early stages, I just removed the front today, so I can extract all the old ICE stuff tomorrow. Then its on to fitting the motor and adapter (I'll be retaining the clutch and flywheel), and designing and building the four battery boxes.

Big thanks to this site and those on it that have been tremendously helpful and given me the motivation to actually attempt the conversion!

The site is really for those friends and family... so it has a mix of tech and non-tech stuff. Hope you like it! ]]> All EV Conversions and Builds Overlander23 http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=38340 <![CDATA[Gas Generator to Charge Batteries & Run Motor??]]> http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=38336&goto=newpost Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:40:27 GMT I am looking at a Chevy Astro van to turn into an EV. My thought is to use batteries, then when they get low a Generator turns on to charge the... I am looking at a Chevy Astro van to turn into an EV. My thought is to use batteries, then when they get low a Generator turns on to charge the batteries and run the motor. Similar to my Genny in my RV that runs my 2 A/C units and charges my batteries at the same time. Is this possible and what kind of volts or amps am I looking at to do this?? Similar to trains that use a HUGE genny to charge the electric wheels. ]]> All EV Conversions and Builds tcr1016 http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=38336 1998 Mazda MX5 project (NZ) http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=38317&goto=newpost Mon, 09 Nov 2009 07:03:46 GMT Hi All,

I've recently starting converting a 1998 Mazda MX5 (aka Miata), this is my first EV conversion.
It has been at least 17 years since I worked on one of my own cars, my first and only project was when I rebuilt the ICE engine on a 1973 Morris Mini woody panel van, I had a great time doing that. I probably would never have picked up my car tools in anger again but when I watched 'Who Killed the Electric Car' in July this year something inside me got me going and here I am... an MX5 with no ICE in my garage and an electric motor begging to be fitted :D
I'm going to try keep this thread updated with my (slow) progress as the project unfolds. To date, I have already purchased the following major components...

Netgain Warp9 DC Motor - EVComponents
48x 120AH Sky Energy Batterys - EVComponents
BMS from EV Works Australia
Zivan NG3 - EV Works
Evnetics Soliton1 - Rebirth Auto
MX5 Adapter/Coupler - Electric Vehicle Solutions

My MX5 is to be my daily commute car, I have a 30km distance to cover including a hill. I'm positive my specs will cover that without a problem. I hope to get similar acceleration but I don't know for sure. Even though there are plenty of MX5 conversions, no one of them is alike :)

Here is a the engine being removed. This was about 2 weekends ago.



The Warp9 in its box... :cool:



Cheers.
Pete

]]> All EV Conversions and Builds evlowrider http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=38317 Steam cleaning ICE before removal http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=38295&goto=newpost Sun, 08 Nov 2009 13:47:31 GMT I plan to steam clean the engine bay before removing the ICE. I'm not sure whether to take it somewhere to have it done, or to spend about $100 to buy one of the several small steam cleaners from, e.g., Amazon.com.

For those that have steam cleaned the engine, what did you use to do it? I'm wondering how effective the small "personal" steam cleaners are for this task.

sc
-- ]]> All EV Conversions and Builds sjc http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=38295