Thanks! The box is 36x20x16 inches externally.
The Electric Land Cruiser EVJ80 - Nissan LEAF + Resolve-EV
2
Hello everyone and welcome to my first EV conversion project. I love cars. Driving and modifying them and everything that goes with them. I like racing and autocross, taking relaxing drives on twisty mountain roads, and driving on gnarly 4x4 trails.
My conversion is a 1996 Toyota Land Cruiser FZJ80.
![]()
![]()
For my first project I have chosen a large, heavy, inefficient, 4WD SUV. Makes sense right?! To me it does and this is my rationale:
-There is a lot of space to mount things.
-There is not just space for lots of batteries, but the GVWR of the vehicle allows for 1400lbs of cargo in the original configuration.
-The original 6-cylinder engine is unreliable (for a Toyota) and underpowered, why keep it?
-The chassis and axles of the Toyota Land Cruiser are legendary due to its incredible off-road prowess and durability.
-EVs work just as well at sea level as they do at 13,000ft on a mountain.
-Land Cruiser values, especially 80 series, have been going up and up and up so now is my last chance to own one and an EV conversion justifies it to my wife!
-Most importantly, as a dedicated off-road rig this vehicle will be driven almost exclusively at very slow speed less than 20mph and very short distances. The normal 4x4 trails I do are 5-10 miles long, a really long trail is 20 miles. The appeal of silent running, no fumes to smell, and smooth torque delivery appeal to me in a 4x4 vehicle. With Rivian, Hummer EV, F-150 EV, Alpha EV Truck, etc I think the writing is on the wall about 4x4 EVs and how effective they can be. Better jump on the bandwagon!
I have a lifetime of experience with RC vehicles and I build and fly UAVs. Soldering, wiring, designing circuits, and crunching amperage and voltage specs is what I do nearly every day. I'm pretty much 100% self-taught or learned from mentors, I have no degrees or certifications except from the FAA so please be kind if I am doing something wrong
Short term I just want to get it running. Long term I have lots of ideas. Assuming I have a fully functioning fully electric 4x4 truck there is a lot of stuff that I could do with it. I am now researching DIY wind turbines and river water turbines and of course have been messing with solar for years. All of which I eventually want to harness and do a fully-electric "Overland" trip through the wilderness of Colorado and Utah and maybe beyond. Of course that is probably years in the making, but it is my long term goal.
My own personal EV history: I have owned a 2013 Nissan LEAF SV similar to the salvaged car I bought. I owned it for a year and then sold it as the battery degradation started to really take hold. I really enjoyed the EV lifestyle on those perfect weather days when I could drive everywhere I wanted. In the middle of winter when the heater would barely keep the windshield clear on those dark nights trying to coast down hills in order to make it home....didn't enjoy that so much. During my EV ownership I got to understand what it is like to live with an EV, charge at public places, get ICEd at the charger, plug in at home every day, and check a location's elevation before driving there.
While owning the LEAF I read about a guy in Arizona who set the record for the longest distance driven in a 24kwh LEAF and it was over 180 miles! Yes that's right, a 24kwh LEAF drove 186 miles on a single charge. The kicker? He did so at a maximum of 24mph and drove for nearly 8 hours! Link: 100 Mile Club, 200 km, 300 km, 200 Mile Club (24kWh LEAF) - My Nissan Leaf Forum
When I was a kid I loved RC trucks. I loved the fast ones that could hit the big jumps. Unfortunately, the little NiMh batteries wouldn't run very long at all, 10 minutes or less. Then I got into RC rock crawlers. Little trucks that were geared really low and built to drive very slowly up rocks and other challenging obstacles. Well, guess what? That same crappy NiMh battery that only lasted 10 minutes in my fast truck, actually lasted well over an hour in my rock crawler! Guess what I learned that day.
The biggest enemy we have as EVers is speed i.e. wind resistance. There is no wind resistance to speak of at less than 20mph. So if my EVJ80 Land Cruiser can go 20-30 miles around town, maybe it can do 30-40 miles offroading?
My conversion is a 1996 Toyota Land Cruiser FZJ80.
For my first project I have chosen a large, heavy, inefficient, 4WD SUV. Makes sense right?! To me it does and this is my rationale:
-There is a lot of space to mount things.
-There is not just space for lots of batteries, but the GVWR of the vehicle allows for 1400lbs of cargo in the original configuration.
-The original 6-cylinder engine is unreliable (for a Toyota) and underpowered, why keep it?
-The chassis and axles of the Toyota Land Cruiser are legendary due to its incredible off-road prowess and durability.
-EVs work just as well at sea level as they do at 13,000ft on a mountain.
-Land Cruiser values, especially 80 series, have been going up and up and up so now is my last chance to own one and an EV conversion justifies it to my wife!
-Most importantly, as a dedicated off-road rig this vehicle will be driven almost exclusively at very slow speed less than 20mph and very short distances. The normal 4x4 trails I do are 5-10 miles long, a really long trail is 20 miles. The appeal of silent running, no fumes to smell, and smooth torque delivery appeal to me in a 4x4 vehicle. With Rivian, Hummer EV, F-150 EV, Alpha EV Truck, etc I think the writing is on the wall about 4x4 EVs and how effective they can be. Better jump on the bandwagon!
I have had 4 or 5 dedicated "project cars" in the past with various stages of upgrades, modifications, and custom work. I have rebuilt engines from a bare block, assembled cylinder heads, rebuilt suspension, brakes, exhaust work, etc. Rebuilt engines stock and also rebuilt them with aftermarket parts for big HP. I swapped the engine and transmission in my daily driver and drive it all of the time. All of my vehicles run on E85 fuel (cuts your carbon emissions by about 40% believe it or not and it's cheaper and makes more power). I can weld, cut, grind, paint, and turn a wrench. I currently own 9 or 10 cars (I think I am forgetting one).
I have a lifetime of experience with RC vehicles and I build and fly UAVs. Soldering, wiring, designing circuits, and crunching amperage and voltage specs is what I do nearly every day. I'm pretty much 100% self-taught or learned from mentors, I have no degrees or certifications except from the FAA so please be kind if I am doing something wrong
20-30 miles range with my initial build would be a good starting goal or about 2 mi/kwh.
Enough to drive around town and drive on local 4x4 roads and trails and eventually go to Moab for the real terrain. I will tow it if needed.
Whatever it takes but likely will cost $10k or so before it drives under it's own power.
I have already acquired a 2013 Nissan LEAF SV which I will use as a donor for my motor, inverter, DC-DC, chargers, and battery pack.
Short term I just want to get it running. Long term I have lots of ideas. Assuming I have a fully functioning fully electric 4x4 truck there is a lot of stuff that I could do with it. I am now researching DIY wind turbines and river water turbines and of course have been messing with solar for years. All of which I eventually want to harness and do a fully-electric "Overland" trip through the wilderness of Colorado and Utah and maybe beyond. Of course that is probably years in the making, but it is my long term goal.
My own personal EV history: I have owned a 2013 Nissan LEAF SV similar to the salvaged car I bought. I owned it for a year and then sold it as the battery degradation started to really take hold. I really enjoyed the EV lifestyle on those perfect weather days when I could drive everywhere I wanted. In the middle of winter when the heater would barely keep the windshield clear on those dark nights trying to coast down hills in order to make it home....didn't enjoy that so much. During my EV ownership I got to understand what it is like to live with an EV, charge at public places, get ICEd at the charger, plug in at home every day, and check a location's elevation before driving there.
While owning the LEAF I read about a guy in Arizona who set the record for the longest distance driven in a 24kwh LEAF and it was over 180 miles! Yes that's right, a 24kwh LEAF drove 186 miles on a single charge. The kicker? He did so at a maximum of 24mph and drove for nearly 8 hours! Link: 100 Mile Club, 200 km, 300 km, 200 Mile Club (24kWh LEAF) - My Nissan Leaf Forum
When I was a kid I loved RC trucks. I loved the fast ones that could hit the big jumps. Unfortunately, the little NiMh batteries wouldn't run very long at all, 10 minutes or less. Then I got into RC rock crawlers. Little trucks that were geared really low and built to drive very slowly up rocks and other challenging obstacles. Well, guess what? That same crappy NiMh battery that only lasted 10 minutes in my fast truck, actually lasted well over an hour in my rock crawler! Guess what I learned that day.
The biggest enemy we have as EVers is speed i.e. wind resistance. There is no wind resistance to speak of at less than 20mph. So if my EVJ80 Land Cruiser can go 20-30 miles around town, maybe it can do 30-40 miles offroading?
81 - 100 of 379 Posts
5
Spent all day today and got one panel done haha. Going slow because it was the most important panel. Got all my wiring complete and 366v measured at the contactors! The BMS must be wired correctly because it is plugged in but it's not smoking! A good sign!
![]()
The contactor box bolts on to the aluminum side panel.
![]()
Panel on, riveted, bolted and sealed up:
![]()
![]()
![]()
WE'VE GOT VOLTAGE!
The contactor box bolts on to the aluminum side panel.
Panel on, riveted, bolted and sealed up:
WE'VE GOT VOLTAGE!
5
All panels on! Sealant smeared on all the joints real good! Going to let it cure and then it's time for PAINT! So close!!!
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
I love that you say it is not slow 💪🏼It runs!!!! It rruuunnnnsss!!! We just took it in a joy ride around the block! 45mph was easy. It is definitely not slow! IT WORKS!!!!!!
![]()
it get me to thinking my super little truck will be very fast
Nice, subscribed to your YouTube channel so looking forward to updates
81 - 100 of 379 Posts
