[toper]

Hey everyone! I am currently working on converting an '02 bimmer to electric.

I have a ton more details laid out on my website for this project, http://electricbimmer.com.

I am also working on some videos overviewing my progress to hopefully help anyone who wants to do something similar.

https://youtu.be/P1TA8BwSizA

https://youtu.be/rFoBBMBnbzY

I've made some good progress with getting the car ready and a motor purchased, right now I am working on finding a controller for the conversion. I am hoping to get about 100 miles of range in the end, maybe a little more if I am lucky, though it is on the heavier side of most conversions.

The motor is a 9" GE motor capable of over 110 kW peak and about 30 kW cont., and combined with the manual transmission, it should be capable of a decent top speed with some real pep.

 

[jbman]

That’s a pretty heavy car, what do you think the performance will really be with a 9”?

You should check out Paul & Sabrina’s controller, if you’re willing to put the controller together. I haven’t seen a better deal for the power anywhere. What kind of batteries are you looking to use?


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[toper]

So I believe performance should be pretty substantial. I'm keeping the transmission, which means that the toque will really be amplified in those lower gears. I know it's not a great metric, but I hooked up 2 car batteries to it, and while it's only 24v, each had a max CCA of 1000a. I put a video of it on my site, I am guesstimating it was around 7k rpm. It's got a good amount of kick to it, and I think it'll be more than enough to get the car up to highway speeds.

As for the P&S controller, I really have thought about going that route, and I want to look more into it, I am just trying to find the best guide to follow. My biggest questions are, what is the normal total cost to build it if I get the populated board from them, and what's a good source to use to show how it all goes together. I can get a Kelly 120v 400a controller for ~$475, and while that might not saturate my motor fully, it'll give me a good amount of performance for the price. If I can get a P&S controller assembled cheaper, I am all for it.

 

[jbman]

I don’t think you can get the P&S controller done cheaper. That being said, it is a whole other world of performance when compared to the controller you’re describing. I built mine for about $600 or $700, and I made a few mistakes along the way that required more materials. I just don’t think you’re going to get great (or even zippy) performance in a car that heavy with that amperage and that size motor. That’s 48kw peak. That’s only like 65hp at full tilt in a 3500lb car. Perhaps someone else can chime in on that.


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[toper]

Okay, I see what you’re saying. I do potentially have a lead on a 144v 1000 amp controller too, but I’m not positive if it’ll work out. It’s a potential trade in item, so I can get a discount, but that’s only if the person chooses to trade it into the company.

I’ve got a good amount of time left before I start the official conversion process, so I might see if I can do the P&S setup if that falls through. Thanks for the advice so far everyone!