Fwiw: maybe you'll save money, perhaps not. Depends on your current methods of transportation. Ranger costs me 50 to register, 200 a year to insure, a dollar a day to recharge. F-250 diesel it replaces is 150 registered, 300 year insurance, and 10 a day to drive. The wife's Golf is 400 to register, 350 insurance, and 1.50 to drive. So yeah it is cheaper to run.

If you can deal with a Volt, Leaf, or even a 3 or 4 C-max pack out of a wrecking yard, and get it (delivered) for less than 2500, then you'd have a pretty decent
Decent commuter. Tales abound about really cheap pack buys, but like $500 karman Gias, in original livery, tarp covered in a garage, it's really rare.

My advice: If you are REALLY enamoured with the concept, do it. Just don't try to rationalize the $$$$$$$$$$. Be advised, however, Chilton doesn't have a manual for the conversion wiring harness. I even forgot how I wired parts of my own ranger the other day.

My $0.02, YMMV

 

Thank you for the reply. As long as the voltage is within the motor, controller, and charger's design range can they all be reused when one switches battery types?

 

Yes they should. But if you switch to lithium, I think they will last longer than 25,000 miles. Well, maybe if you bought the 40 Ah ones and drained them 99% each time...

It is much easier to replace the batteries than it is to convert an entire car. I bet it will be cheaper too.

 

For a 144 volt system what type of batteries would be good to use if I was interested in minimizing life cycle costs? Also having a pretty good range in an S-10 as a criteria.

 

What are you replacing? I calculated my SUV would cost me over $26,000 in fuel if I drove it for 150000 miles. If you get that mileage out of your S-10 then the cost for fuel would be saved and then some and over time your fuel costs would be close to zero. But vehicles really ever payback but some can.

If you need range you NEED Lithium and it won't be cheap but the overall cost will be far less than if you started from a raw roller. Fixing an already converted vehicle and if the components are good would be a far cheaper way to go. I did one that had been converted and then put in lithium and it was very low cost. Vehicle is still used today in Colorado.

 

45 CALB 130 Ah batteries would run about $8,000. It would provide 18.7 kWh @ 100% discharge. 15 kWh @ 80% discharge. At 300 wh per mile, it would be estimated to get around 50 miles of range. That will depend on other factors too (temperature, hills, weight, speed, acceleration, AC/heat, 12V devices, etc...). But, you should be able to drive those 50 miles 2,000 times with it decreasing to 40 miles by the time you put 100,000 miles on the batteries.

 

Thank you. This is very useful information. $8,000 for 100,000 miles is 8 cents a mile. That would be a useful savings.

I'm not sure an old converted S-10 would last another 100,000 miles. But this is exactly the type of info I need to make the decision.

I appreciate all who have replied to my question. I appreciate your willingness to help me as I make this decision.