[ev3k]

Hello - I'm new here, just registered today. I have been chasing an interest in electric vehicles for some time, have been "lurking" while reading the various posts on this board, and have decided that now's the time to jump on in.

I have been naturally looking around for some good potential donor vehicles for my first conversion project. As I am not financially prepared to install anything more exotic than good-ole' lead-acid batteries, I suppose I will be building a commuter-range car....so I am looking at the various older Civics / Escorts / Saturns / Corollas / Geo Metro / etc. models in sub-compact or compact cars that will allow me to get the best acceleration/range performance out of a 96-120Vdc (or as much as 144Vdc?) battery pack, probably made up of T-105s (I already use this model battery in my roof-top solar PV system, and like their performance and durability).

I want to trade vehicle curb weights against gross (GVWR) weights. I can usually locate the curb weight of a given vehicle in Internet used-car specs, but not the GVWR information.

Does anyone in the group have a listing or table of GVWRs for various compact and/or subcompact cars, which you could post or send to me?

Thanks,
Steve

 

[Coley]

Welcome aboard!

I am sure you will find many good ideas about your project and specific answers to any questions.

Keep us posted on your progress.

 

[moldiebrownie]

Welcome EV3k, I don't have a listing or table of GVWRs but my 87 Civic DX has a curb weight I remember of about 1,850 lbs and I just went out to the garage to look the door jam, it says GVWR is 2930lbs. With 15 US Battery 8volts (7 under hood, 2 middle rack and 6 in rear rack) weighing 65lbs each, the rear end sags a little. I used rear springs from a first generation Integra which bolt right on with no modifications and it sits much better.

 

[ev3k]

Donor Vehicle Search / Weight Ratios

Thanks for the '87 Civic weight numbers. I am collecting up the curb weights and GVWRs wherever I can find them, to build up a file that I will be glad to share with anyone who is searching for similar data.

My big challenge right now, notwithstanding a general education in all things EV, is to locate a suitable donor vehicle for this first conversion project.

I am a bit reluctant to haul home a non-running bottom-low-dollar car that I cannot have previously driven in a checkout ride; after all, once I pull the engine, the remainder of the car *still* has to be (at least) somewhat functional! Ideally, the engine will be "almost" knackered, but the rest of the car will drive out OK.

So I am looking, looking, looking......and while I am at it, I want to get the best reasonable ratio of curb weight / maximum weight capacity in the vehicle.

I have heard that, ideally, the conversion should result in battery weight at no more than 1/2 total vehicle weight. True?

Steve