[saiborg]

Hey y'all,

I am attempting to convert a Ford Maverick. it's a heavier car, but I got it at a steal.

1) I can get through a decent amount of mechanical problems. But I have limited experience with fabrication, which consists of machine shop in high school.

2) Aiming for 80 mi/charger. So maybe a commuter car.

3) Looking for a minimum top speed of 75 mi. Something that wont' cause people to honk at you on the freeway.

4) ~5k. I want to keep the conversion on the cheaper side, so I'm considering in using a DC forklift motor. I do want it to be a robust and usable car.

I am ok with spending a lot of time on this project. If you have resources that get in depth with motors, circuits, etc., let me know. I'll spend a lot of time on it.

My major concern is that the forklift motor won't cut it. If so, is there an economical DC motor that will work?

I definitely think this will be a great learning experience and I would love to keep hearing from you guys about EVs.

Thanks!

 

[Duncan]

Hi
Welcome!

A quick Google showed a "Ford Maverick" to be anything from an SUV to a Jeep to a compact car

Forklift motors are fine for lighter cars - in fact they are gutsy enough that in a light car you can eliminate the transmission

For heavier cars you can use two!

If the Forklift motor won't cut it the next on the list would be a Nissan Leaf motor or a Tesla motor

$5K - really will be very marginal - possible but marginal

Put your location on your control panel - it helps people as some thing are hard to get some places

 

[saiborg]

This is really close to what my car looks like. So its pretty much a heavier sedan.

Would the 5k budget work for a nissan leaf motor or would i still need to use lift motors?

Thanks!

 

[Duncan]

Hi
That looks like Google one from the USA - it says about 1300 Kg - which is not too bad!

My car is 800 Kg
http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/showthread.php/duncans-dubious-device-44370p15.html?highlight=duncan

But I am using direct drive - effectively stuck in top gear

The motor I have would drive that car lovely - but you would be best keeping the gearbox

Budget
Motor - 11 inch forklift - I paid $100 -I think I got a "deal" but $300?
Controller - $1000 - Paul & Sabrina
Battery - Chevy Volt $2000
Charger - I got one for $800

Wiring, contactors, instruments - $1200
So altogether about $5300

That would give you the performance - but not quite the range - about 50 miles

The Leaf approach would be to buy a complete crashed Leaf - $5K???

The forklift would work but as I said the money is extremely marginal

 

[saiborg]

Oh I see. The bulk of the cost would be coming from the battery system. I'm seeing the Leaf batteries' give around a range of 107 mi, but are those batteries more expensive than the Chevy volt?

 

[Duncan]

Hi
I'm not sure how much the Leaf batteries go for - as its 50% larger than the Volt pack I imagine they will be a bit more expensive

I know about the Volt because I have bought one! - and helped two other guys get one

The Volt really looks after it's cells with a really fancy temperature control system

The Leaf - not as good and early Leaf packs had problems with life in hot countries - I think that they are better now

 

[brian_]

The Maverick was a "compact" car by the standards of the time. Although old stuff like this is not as heavy as some people think (modern cars contain a lot of stuff that wasn't in cars in the 1970's), this is still not a lightweight compared to the subcompacts which are commonly converted. It also looks aerodynamically reasonable, but was designed before anyone put ordinary cars in wind tunnels... so I'll bet it has substantial drag.

I have a bit of sentimental attachment to this model, only because I had a toy Maverick when I was a little kid. That's certainly not enough for me to want to convert one... but I assume this was chosen for the style, and it is a nice example of the era's style.

Back when this car was built, fuel tanks were mounted behind the rear axle... so that's one target location for part of the battery. The other is the engine compartment, but with a brushed DC motor a substantial part of the engine compartment will be taken by the motor... assuming that the transmission is kept.

I'm seeing the Leaf batteries' give around a range of 107 mi...

I'm not sure where you're getting the range estimate, but if you are assuming that the battery will provide the same range in your car as it does in a Leaf... no. The Maverick will likely take substantially more energy to move each mile than a Leaf, because it will have more aerodynamic drag plus probably more drivetrain and rolling drag, and it will likely be using a less efficient motor. The same energy supply divided by more consumption per mile means fewer miles. But hey, you were only looking for 80 miles anyway...

Duncan's estimate was 50 miles with a Volt battery, which would suggest 75 miles for the Maverick with a Leaf battery with 50% more energy capacity... even if a Leaf goes further on the same battery.

 

[saiborg]

75 miles would make more sense on a Leaf's batteries. I just took it at the Leaf's actual range, which is a way too generous estimate.

But I could source a brushed DC motor from a fork lift?

My Maverick comes with an automatic transmission, so im not too sure if I want to keep the transmission. If not, I have to somehow connect the motor directly to the drive shaft.

 

[Duncan]

Hi
Yes - forklift motors seem to outlast the forklifts

I have found that the forklift repair shops tend to keep motors "just in case"
And then send them all to the scrap metal man the day before you visit

I would bin the Auto gearbox
My car is great without a gearbox - but I am stressing the motor/controller/batteries much more than I would be with a gearbox

Connecting the motor straight to the driveshaft is easy! - my motor came with a motor brake and I just used the female spline bit from that to make an adapter

Losing the gearbox means that you can put the motor where the gearbox would have been and get more space for batteries

 

[saiborg]

Oh nice, Ill start contacting those companies. Is that where you got your ~$100 forklift motor?

Getting rid of the tranmission sounds like an easier feat than I expected. Thanks!

Expect pics in the following month(s)!

 

[Duncan]

Hi
I found that with these forklift repair companies if you drop in they will talk to you,
Just telephoning does not seem to work