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Twin Motor Fiero Photos

5374 Views 15 Replies 10 Participants Last post by  Tahoe Tim
Hello fellow EVers! Stephen Johnsen here up in Seattle.

I know many of you but have been primarilly a lurker on the DIY forum for the last few years.

I have added my Zilla 2K powered Twin WARP 8 Fiero to the garage here complete with a bunch of photos. http://www.diyelectriccar.com/garage/cars/295

The car has been an absolute riot to drive when it's not blowing batteries Unfortunately the old AGMs are getting tired and they just can't stand up to the power that the Zilla is capable of.

They also weigh over 900lbs and I can barely get 25 miles of range out of it when I'm babying it so I'm really interested in getting a small lithium pack.

I'm trying to win a Nissan LEAF so that I'll have a practical long range car as well as my Fiero EV which I can then put the money into the lithium for so that it can show people how fast an EV can be!

Just under 24 hours left to vote for my humorous 30 second LEAF video:
https://www.drivenissanleaf.com/Win/Vote.aspx?b=PQW97QK7EHHS

Thanks everybody and ask away questions about my twin motor Fiero!

-Stephen Johnsen-
If they supercharge a LEAF do they call it a "Leaf-Blower"? :D
1 - 16 of 16 Posts
What do you have battery current limited to in the Zilla? You say 276V pack voltage and 500kW power. So if battery current was equal the max 2kA current of the Zilla, that would be about 250V pack voltage for 500kW out of the pack, shaft power would be lower due to losses of course. Have you ever run at 2kA and 250V? How do you expect to get that performance from a "small" lithium pack without grossly exceeding the max discharge rate of the cells? Seems hard to get a pack that will do that. What is your 0 to 60 mph time? Should be a rocket if you can get that full 500kW!
I used to have a Fiero, I really enjoyed driving it. I considered converting to electric, but decided I needed a back seat even if it was a token back seat.

112 mph for a top speed seems low given your equipment. Are you gearing limited? Do you have 1/4 mile numbers? Are your range numbers actually tested numbers?

Great Leaf ad you did, good luck with that!
Hello fellow EVers! Stephen Johnsen here up in Seattle.

I know many of you but have been primarilly a lurker on the DIY forum for the last few years.

I have added my Zilla 2K powered Twin WARP 8 Fiero to the garage here complete with a bunch of photos. http://www.diyelectriccar.com/garage/cars/295

The car has been an absolute riot to drive when it's not blowing batteries Unfortunately the old AGMs are getting tired and they just can't stand up to the power that the Zilla is capable of.

They also weigh over 900lbs and I can barely get 25 miles of range out of it when I'm babying it so I'm really interested in getting a small lithium pack.

I'm trying to win a Nissan LEAF so that I'll have a practical long range car as well as my Fiero EV which I can then put the money into the lithium for so that it can show people how fast an EV can be!

Just under 24 hours left to vote for my humorous 30 second LEAF video:
https://www.drivenissanleaf.com/Win/Vote.aspx?b=PQW97QK7EHHS

Thanks everybody and ask away questions about my twin motor Fiero!

-Stephen Johnsen-
If they supercharge a LEAF do they call it a "Leaf-Blower"? :D
I just voted for you.

-Michael


Hello fellow EVers! Stephen Johnsen here up in Seattle.

I know many of you but have been primarilly a lurker on the DIY forum for the last few years.

I have added my Zilla 2K powered Twin WARP 8 Fiero to the garage here complete with a bunch of photos. http://www.diyelectriccar.com/garage/cars/295

The car has been an absolute riot to drive when it's not blowing batteries Unfortunately the old AGMs are getting tired and they just can't stand up to the power that the Zilla is capable of.

They also weigh over 900lbs and I can barely get 25 miles of range out of it when I'm babying it so I'm really interested in getting a small lithium pack.

I'm trying to win a Nissan LEAF so that I'll have a practical long range car as well as my Fiero EV which I can then put the money into the lithium for so that it can show people how fast an EV can be!

Just under 24 hours left to vote for my humorous 30 second LEAF video:
https://www.drivenissanleaf.com/Win/Vote.aspx?b=PQW97QK7EHHS

Thanks everybody and ask away questions about my twin motor Fiero!

-Stephen Johnsen-
If they supercharge a LEAF do they call it a "Leaf-Blower"? :D
What do you have battery current limited to in the Zilla? You say 276V pack voltage and 500kW power. So if battery current was equal the max 2kA current of the Zilla, that would be about 250V pack voltage for 500kW out of the pack, shaft power would be lower due to losses of course. Have you ever run at 2kA and 250V? How do you expect to get that performance from a "small" lithium pack without grossly exceeding the max discharge rate of the cells? Seems hard to get a pack that will do that. What is your 0 to 60 mph time? Should be a rocket if you can get that full 500kW!

Hi Tom,

The 500kW rating I selected is a tad bit arbitrary... It's about where I'd like to be with a stout battery pack and since most car specs list peak power that is why I went with it. The reality is that my tired old Exide Orbitals cannot dish out what the Zilla is capable of. Also, I thought about the voltage sag and what seemed reasonable and decided for the purposes of choosing a number that 500kW is an attainable goal and I'd go with that for my rating since the controller itself should be able to handle that.

As for getting that kind of performance from a small lithium pack, you are absolutely correct I am indeed looking at exceeding the manufacturer's max discharge specs.

I have done some experimenting with the 16AH Headways and pulled over 300 A out of a single cell which is well beyond their C ratings listed for those cells. Sadly to replace my Exide Orbitals would cost an arm and a leg now! (around$5k) and I'd still have a really heavy pack with poor cycle life and no trunk space. I'd like to see how few of the Headways or some other type of high power lithium cells I could get away with in parallel and I would also like to upgrade my Zilla2K-HV to an EHV model so that I could push my voltage to the max.

I don't have a solid zero-to-sixty time yet, sorry. To quote multiple friends though, "Neck Snapping"! I have a funny acceleration video of it that I should try and get on YouTube.

-Stephen-
Only 12 hours left to vote for my humorous LEAF video https://www.drivenissanleaf.com/Win/Vote.aspx?b=PQW97QK7EHHS
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I used to have a Fiero, I really enjoyed driving it. I considered converting to electric, but decided I needed a back seat even if it was a token back seat.

112 mph for a top speed seems low given your equipment. Are you gearing limited? Do you have 1/4 mile numbers? Are your range numbers actually tested numbers?

Great Leaf ad you did, good luck with that!
Hi David D. Glad you like the LEAF video too. The Fiero (especially the '88) is fun to drive and corners well. As for the back seat, *sigh* that is definitely an issue. Honestly my Fiero is not the most practical car with 23 big Orbitals, an on-board PFC-30M, dual Warp 8 motors, and a transmission... there's a big tray of 9 batteries taking up the entire front section (and you'll note the bulky and un-aero pop-up headlights have been removed). In the rear, there are three separate battery boxes in two levels and with the Manzanita Charger and Mk2b regulators, aux 12V battery, DC/DC, Zilla radiator w/fans, coolant pump, reservoir, and assorted fuses and Anderson disconnects it leaves absolutely NO trunk space.:(

This is why I want to win the LEAF which seats 5 and even my 6 foot 4 frame can fit in the front or the back seat! Plus then I can put my money into some lithium for the racer/local errand Fiero EV!

-Stephen-
Only 12 hours left to vote for my humorous LEAF video https://www.drivenissanleaf.com/Win/...b=PQW97QK7EHHS
See less See more
what, no build pix showing the cool stuff?
I voted for you anyway. ;)
Stephen,

I notice your garage entry says the conversion cost was $24,500.

I would not have guessed two Warp 8s, a Z2K, adapter plate, charger, and 900lbs of lead Orbitals would come to more than $13K.

Where did the rest of the cost go ? It's really disheartening to dreamers like me to see my cost guesstimates be so far off.
G
I put in my vote for you. I am sure mine you can't but you can still watch my little flicks.

https://www.drivenissanleaf.com/Win/Vote.aspx?b=dp9r8v9grbet

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xE6cmX0smgc

Now you must put up some photos of that motor setup you have in your vehicle. We want guts not shells.

Get us those photos. :)

Pete :)
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Nice shirt Pete! lol
Do you have pics showing how the two motors are coupled together?
Do you have pics showing how the two motors are coupled together?
Yes he does ..if not then I will try to find my pics of it:D
G
You mean this one? It is the best I could find at the moment for us all to drool over.

Pete :)

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G
How about this one! A dual VW Kostov 9" setup. I want one for my Bus for my 11" Kostov motors.

Pete :)

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2
How about this one! A dual VW Kostov 9" setup. I want one for my Bus for my 11" Kostov motors.

Pete :)
Ooh. I want one of these with a Jr. =P ...
Thanks gottdi but I saw those pics. I am looking for detailed pics of his coupling setup... belts and pulleys? size? source?
1 - 16 of 16 Posts
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