Electric Vehicle Conversion: Electro

Post-balancing Distance Calibration

2011-09-18T18:13:00.000-07:00

I have been (properly) balancing my lithium cells for a number of months now. I hate to say it, but the time before that I wasn't pushing the upper envelope of charge high enough for all the cells to get fully recharged. That meant that if I went for a significantly longer distance than I normally do, I would risk an over-discharge alarm on some of my cells (< 2.5 V).

Luckily, I never went that far.

Now I believe my pack is happily balanced, being pushed to ~183V (~3.52VPC) on every charge for the last few months (full charge voltage is 3.3V). This weekend I started to take another look at my range, and start *really* using my amp-hour meter to see how far I can really go. With lead acid batts, you're supposed to only use up to 50% of the charge if you want them to last. With lithium batts, it's up to 80% (80 of the 100 Amp-hours in my case).

Some data points from this weekend:

1) 28.2 miles, half freeway driving, half not. 51.5 Amp-Hours expended. No BMS alarms, no performance differences at all at "halfway". Great! On to data point #2...

2) 32.5 miles, ALL freeway driving, quite fast in windy conditions. 65 Amp-Hours expended. Again, no BMS alarms and no noticeable performance difference at the end of the drive!

Inching toward the mythical limit of 80 Amp-hours! I want to be careful when establishing these 'confidence' points, because I don't want to get stranded or cause harm to the batts. Good news is, because of data point #2 I now know that I can confidently expend 65 AH without getting stranded - that's about three times my daily commute!

Has it been THREE years?

2011-09-07T21:22:00.000-07:00

I just realized that I have been driving Electro for three years! The maiden voyage (first with lead acid batteries) was back in August 2008. 6,200 gas-free miles since then and going strong.

5,000 miles!

2011-04-02T09:34:00.000-07:00

As of this morning's drive up to Mill Creek, Electro has passed 5,000 'electrified' miles. Woo-hoo!

This is more of a symbolic milestone than anything else. Pretty nifty, and I am looking forward to many more.

On the road again...

2011-03-16T19:02:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure if Puxatawny Phil saw his shadow or not, but it has been pretty cold during the last few months here in the PNW. Cold enough that I just didn't want to drive Electro around (remember, no heater). Well, Spring is starting to rear its head, and today I felt it was warm enough to hit the road in Electro again.

I have also been tuning the charger to be *slightly* more aggressive on the charge voltage, running the pack up to 176V (with 52 cells in the pack that works out to just under 3.4V per cell), in an attempt to better balance the pack. I'll let you know how that works out!

Cell failure and replacement

2011-01-08T15:12:00.000-08:00

It's been awhile since my last post - nothing of importance to note. Electro has been working great, although in the last couple of months I have driven the car pretty much zero time because of the really cold weather (no heater in the EV). So, Electro has been quietly hibernating in the garage, waiting for Spring. While working in the garage one day, I heard the BMS audible alarm go off. Thinking it was an open in one of the signal wires (remember, the cells are all wired in series back to the BMS, and an open in that chain signifies a problem from one of the cell modules.

So, this Saturday I went into debug mode, tracing down the cause of the open. I found it in one of the rear cells. Remember, the cell monitors show green when all is well with the cell voltage, red when the cell voltage is out of range, and nothing if the cell voltage is drastically low. Look at the middle cell in this image:

Something is up with that cell. So I measure the voltage across it:

1.3V? Nominal is 3.1-3.4V. The cell is clearly in trouble. When I picked up this collection of cells back in February, I happened to pick up an extra cell that has just been sitting in my garage cabinet collecting dust. I went to measure the voltage across it, and was pleasantly surprised that the cell is still at 3.1V! So I went about extracting and replacing the problem cell. Disconnecting the signal wiring and straps was a snap, and by partially inserting the lock down bolts, I could pull the offending cell out vertically, and drop in the replacement without too much fuss.

After putting in the replacement, the cell monitors installed all worked fine. I did a cursory check of the remaining bolt down connections, and buttoned the whole pack up. After resetting the BMS, the audible alarm stopped, which means all is well with all cell monitors.

It was handy having a replacement cell on hand for this exercise. I will be contacting the folks at EV Components (now at Current EV Tech) about sending this problem cell back (they probably would like it back) and about purchasing another spare or two.

Strut mounts in, and a new CV axle!

2010-08-04T06:03:00.001-07:00

I replaced the strut mounts, and discovered that during the replacement had inadvertently separated one of the CV joints in the drivetrain. That made my test drive extremely short. Good news was, I knew how to replace a CV axle, had the tools, and only needed to order a new one online. Cost me $50, and I put it in this last weekend.

Electro is driving extremely nice, bumps are no longer a series of car rattles!

Need new strut mounts - work for this weekend

2010-07-14T21:52:00.000-07:00

I've noticed for months (maybe years) that my front suspension has kind of a rattle to it over bumps. I have tolerated it long enough, and in my quest for the quieter and quieter ride, will be replacing the mounts this weekend. For those who don't know what I am talking about, here is a link from the152.com:

Strut mount replacement on VW Cabriolets

The mounts cost about $20 each, so parts aren't the big deal. I will have to compress the springs however, and that takes some work with the spring compressor I have. Fun!

You knew it was a matter of time...

2010-06-05T18:19:00.000-07:00

I'll let these images speak for themselves...

Longest distance on record!

2010-04-28T18:50:00.000-07:00

Since I installed my lithiums, I knew my range was theoretically longer (~50 miles estimated with my style of driving), but the longest I had traveled was 26 miles. I pushed it a little farther today, driving from Edmonds to Bothell (morning commute), not charging at work, then driving home via a longer route, through Mukilteo (almost into Everett), then back to Edmonds.

The drive data:
33.7 miles
64 Ah used

Longest distance driven by me on a single charge!

No particular negative issues, and the cells performed very well during this hilly, speedy drive, even at the end of the run - no compromised performance that I could tell. Not surprising for lithiums, but I had to test it to be sure.

This data point (33.7 mi/64Ah = ~0.53 mi/Ah) seems to corroborate earlier data points that my range with the new cells is ~50 miles with aggressive driving!

Fuse replaced, old wheels back on!

2010-04-21T20:04:00.000-07:00

After replacing the HV fuse with a beefier variety, I decided to go back to my ol' reliable 14" LRR Sumitomos, which not only are more efficient than my heavier 'pimp-ride' tires but also handle much nicer - must be the fact that they are narrower (185s, not 205s).

And so I go, unfazed in the face of my temporary fuse setback, and proceed to get back on my Electric Horse. After all, that's what this is about right? Learning from my design flaws.

Onward! I start driving Electro again tomorrow.

'Pop' goes the HV fuse!

2010-04-20T21:41:00.000-07:00

I knew I was asking for it.

I have a rather 'close shave' HV fuse - a 200A semiconductor Bussman - in the lithium battery pack. It's rated for 200A continuous, but can tolerate more for finite periods of time, depending on the time duration. This is what is referred to as the I-T curve. For example, the fuse will open at 400A for 10 sec, 600A for 6 sec... you get the picture.

I have been driving Electro with my battery pack for a month. 'Why did the fuse blow today?' you might ask. Well, follow along on the path with me! Each step added more instantaneous torque, which added instantaneous current draw.

1) Install the battery pack, with a nomimal HV fuse, and drive rather conservatively in city driving.
2) Install the new transmission - all of a sudden, starting in 1st gear is really fun!
3) I drive less conservatively on hills after installing my e-meter and seeing that hills don't take that much energy to drive up.
4) Sound-proof for freeway driving. Freeway driving is a lot of fun now! Especially at higher speeds.
5) Install cool-looking (but less efficient and heavier) wheels on Electro. Suddenly first gear starting from a stop requires more torque/current than before.

All these factors combined to hit my fuse today. Starting my drive home from work, I entered the *freeway* on-ramp from a metering light, *rapidly accelerating to freeway speed*, *on an on-ramp that is up a hill*, and *with heavier wheels*. POP! I got a tow truck ride home.

I will be searching for a more lenient fuse (300A perhaps) that can tolerate my driving style. In the meantime, I have reinstalled a safety fuse (500A semiconductor) in the slot, so that in the event of a calamity/short circuit it will still protect me but may not protect the pack.

Live and learn!

Doin' a lot of freeway driving!

2010-04-13T21:59:00.000-07:00

Ever since I installed some (badly needed) soundproofing around the rear battery box, I have found that freeway driving is a lot less like driving in a wind tunnel. Go figure. So today I not only drove to work using the 'modern way' (I-5 to I-405), I found Electro handled great at speeds exceeding 70 MPH.

I was so gutsy with this new confidence that I decided to push range as well. So I drove down to the Seattle EV Association meeting near the U District and back to Edmonds, on the freeway (60-70 MPH both ways) without recharging, for a total distance of around 26 miles.

Electro's e-meter reported using 47 Ah for the trip, which is pretty close to half the capacity of my 100Ah pack.

So empirical data supports my initial theoretical estimate of 50 mile range, driving aggressively (as I usually do). Driving a little less aggressively, I could push this new range to 60 or 70 miles, but then I'd have no fun. If anyone knows me, they know I like to spin the tires :)

Silent running!

2010-04-11T20:37:00.000-07:00

I installed the TBS e-meter this last week, and it works well! Gives me Amp-hours used, % traction pack depleted, instantaneous amp draw, pack voltage, the works. Even historical data.

Just for grins, I pulled the fuses for the brake booster and DC/DC cooling fans, which are both optional devices at this point. A little-known fact - these are the noisiest things in the car. When I disabled them, I essentially run silently, minus the subtle motor noise. What fun! My brakes are a little stiff because of the lack of a booster, but I think I like driving like this (think old manual VW brakes).

Next up... soundproofing the back cargo area around the rear battery box.

Freeway drive this morning

2010-04-04T09:12:00.000-07:00

Since I installed the lithium batts, I have been testing in city driving, but I knew I did have the increased torque and top speed to drive on the freeway. So this morning I went for a test drive on I-5. Worked great! But I forgot that old cars have a LOT of internal noise on the freeway. It was like a wind tunnel in there! At some point I have to work on some soundproofing!

Transmission replacement complete!

2010-04-01T20:38:00.000-07:00

Picked up Electro from the VW shop today. No major problems with the tranny replacement. Drove it home, didn't notice any difference. The real difference is that this one won't leak, and has a life ahead of it! Also the 10:1 prescaler for my new fangled E-meter is enroute from Australia, should be here in a few days! Time for some driving videos this weekend!

DOH - New transmission needed

2010-03-24T21:49:00.000-07:00

I noticed some oil leaks below Electro the other day - yes, oil leaks. Although Electro is an EV, it still has the stock VW transmission, that has gear oil. This apparently is leaking through the differential seals that connect to the front drive axles.

So I took Electro in to a local VW shop to get the seals replaced. They looked, and basically assessed that the differential is shot and that I will need a whole new tranny. OOF.

The good news is (believe it, there is some) the tranny replacement can be done from underneath the car, and with no removal of the upper battery racks or cables. Even the motor will stay connected by one mount (the one opposite the tranny). Because of this, the VW shop has bid the job and will do it over the next week - for $1500.

I believe this is the last part of the original drivetrain, and it will soon be replaced.

Final connection pics

2010-03-21T10:39:00.000-07:00

I forgot to upload pics of the final battery connections, so here they are. The front:
and the rear battery pack:

Here's a close-up of the connections:

As you can see, each cell monitor straddles its respective cell, and the copper interconnects go between cells. The monitors are daisy-chained together in a large wire loop that terminates at the BMS unit in the rear of the vehicle. If any one cell encounters a problem, it notifies the BMS, which can then cut power to the charger.

Right now I only have per-cell protection from over-charge, but not per-cell protection from over-discharge. The Zilla motor controller is providing protection of the pack as a whole from over-charge, with a low voltage limit of 130V (2.5V/cell).

20 miles... without breaking a sweat.

2010-03-18T18:50:00.001-07:00

I took Electro on a preliminary range test, laptop collecting data along the way. I was fairly aggressive with my acceleration and choosing hills to climb, so I had some healthy current draws from the pack, sometimes reaching peaks of 300 battery amps on some of the steeper hills (this would equate to over 500 motor amps in some cases). I did not drive on the freeway, but man, I had the acceleration to go there easily.

Although I don't have my meter installed yet, I do know the floating pack voltage has a range of ~170V (full charge) to ~162V (lower advisable limit) - it's really a flat discharge curve. I drove 20 miles (again, with gusto) and recorded the floating pack voltage basically staying between 168-170V. Phenomenal.

I think it may be time to promote Electro to my daily driver.

It's official... I am peelin' out once again!

2010-03-17T18:20:00.000-07:00

I had set the Low battery voltage limit too high at 152V (2.9V/cell under load) on the hairball computer yesterday, which did not account for pack voltage sag under load and hence resulted in overall sluggishness in acceleration or up hills. After dropping this limit to a more reasonable 130V (2.5V/cell under load), I could (and did) peel out from a standstill. HUGE EV grin!

I don't want to do this too much, but it is fun to have that torque when I need it.

Maiden Voyage today!

2010-03-16T22:04:00.000-07:00

Matt and I took a fully-charged Electro, satellite radio blaring, on a 12 mile jaunt through Edmonds. Not too far, just enough to ease the batteries in and check how the newly set parameters in the motor controller are working out with the new pack.

In general, things are working well. The float voltage did not appear to drop at all from ~170V (3.27V/cell) during the whole 12 miles. I know the discharge curve is relatively flat, but this is encouraging for range!

As usual, I think my initial battery current limit or voltage limit is too constraining on the Zilla - up hills are sluggish. More tuning required there.

A few more (and longer) trips before I start going to work with this puppy!

Traction pack goes LIVE

2010-03-15T05:55:00.001-07:00

Over the weekend I made the last of the battery connects, hooked up the DC/DC, and started the first charge. My pack voltage started at ~166V (3.2V/cell), and I was tuning the charger to push the pack to ~176-187V (3.4V-3.6V/cell).

The last thing I need to work on before maiden voyage is the instrumentation, which hopefully will be tonight. Pics soon!

Cells installed, interconnects in process

2010-03-07T18:13:00.001-08:00

I wasted no time in getting the cells into the front and rear battery boxes. Since they don't fit exactly (I knew this in advance), I spent the first part of the day crafting some pieces of lumber to tighten up the cell packs in each box. Here you can see the front box:
and the cells in the rear battery box:

Once the cells were packed in pretty tight, I set about working on the interconnects in the front. This includes the interconnects themselves, and sandwiching cell monitors on the cells. Pretty close work, so I purposely worked on broken series sets of cells. Here is how it looks so far:

Notice the painters tape over the connects not made yet - safety first! This is where the 'light show' is going to start to become evident. Each cell monitor has a green and red LED. Green indicates the cell is in the correct voltage range. Check out the way it looks with the lights out...

Work tomorrow on the rear pack, which has twice as many cells!

Hello my pretties!

2010-03-06T15:00:00.000-08:00

Went down to Lacey, WA today to pick up my 53 SE100AHAs. Here's a picture:

The cells came with interconnect hardware, check out this pile of copper and steel:

The interconnects are stacked sets of solid copper, with a shrink-wrap middle for insulation. Here's a side view of one of them:

I will be doing a test fit in the battery boxes this weekend. Stay tuned!

Bad Timing

2010-02-28T06:31:00.001-08:00

I got the voicemail that my batteries are ready to be picked up, starting Monday! I am traveling on business this week, so it will have to wait until Friday. Doh! So Battery Day is now 3/5. Can't wait!

DC/DC Converter arrived

2010-02-18T16:31:00.000-08:00

The refactored DC/DC converter arrived from Belktronix today. This DC/DC can take inputs of between 150V - 200V input, right around the projected traction pack voltage of 166V. Installation this weekend!

Battery day is 2/23 or 2/24

2010-02-18T16:29:00.000-08:00

Called EV components today, and they reported the lithium cell shipment shows up 2/22, which means after their sorting I can pick them up in Lacey either 2/23 or 2/24. Awesome.

Lexan battery box lids installed

2010-02-01T17:32:00.000-08:00

The lexan clear battery box lids, machined to my specs, arrived this afternoon. Isn't it a bit ironic that some of the cooler things in my EV are those things that you really can't see? They will ooze coolness by what they allow the viewer to see - the lithium cell monitoring LEDs (each cell monitor will have a red and green LED, which are lit or not depending on cell state).

Here is a picture of the front battery box...
What - can't see it? Here is another...

Either the lamp is levitating, or there is a lexan lid - you be the judge!
Here is a picture of the rear battery box with the lid on...
A little easier to see this one with the reflection!

DC/DC converter is almost done. Almost time to buy a real car battery for the aux electronics. That's another thing - the last design only allowed room for a small motorcycle battery for the electronics, which stressed under load. This design actually has one of the former traction pack spots in the front reserved for a proper group 34 car battery - so no potential for 'brown outs' in the LV circuit going forward.

Getting antsy - where are my lithiums?!

Zilla subassembly back in

2010-01-30T22:37:00.000-08:00

I spent tonight finishing the rewiring on the Zilla assembly so that the shunt is now on the battery (-) side of the motor controller. This is necessary because the new TBS monitoring gauge I am installing in the dash will perform a real-time calculation on the energy left in the traction pack, and it needs battery current as one of the input variables (others are traction pack voltage and aux 12v).

The rest of the cabling to the Zilla, the contactor and the shunt has been reconnected, and the subassembly has been rebolted to the car wall. No pictures here, it looks pretty much the way it did before, with the exception that some of the cabling has moved around.

One note - I was informed that my clear lexan battery box lids are in the mail. All I need now are the DC/DC converter from Belktronix (soon) and the batteries themselves to finish up!

I was informed by evcomponents.com that the ship carrying my lithium cells has left China, so I guess we'll see them in a couple of weeks.

New cooling reservoir & front battery box

2010-01-24T11:30:00.001-08:00

I have completed the assembly of the ABS sheets into a solid plastic box for the lithium cells in the front, and the box fits into the steel frame like a glove. Here is a picture:
The clear lexan lid isn't here yet, so I am working out where the cable in holes and fuse block mounts should be. Also, the new Zilla cooling reservoir, possessing a mammoth 2.5 gallon capacity, has been installed as well. Here's another pic:

I had the reservoir custom-made by a vendor that makes plastic fuel tanks. The 'customization' is that this tank has welded 3/8" ribbed fittings on both ends, for flow and cooling of the liquid coming from the motor controller. Note that the tank is now positioned in the direct airflow of the front grill, which should help in overall cooling. I used modified ratchet-down straps for the tank - looks a little temporary, but they do a nice job - very solid. If I find ratchet hold-downs that are a little more permanent, I might replace them.

Note also the fluid pump sitting nearby. That will be put in series with the tank, and will be held down by super-strong double-stick tape pads.

One week to February, which means batteries are almost here!!

Building a box!

2010-01-21T19:28:00.000-08:00

So, as you can see from the diagrams, I have a need for a battery box in the front where I had none before - the lithium batteries are considerably smaller than the original lead acid blocks, and thus require some structural support. The rear battery box will work fine, but the front only had hold-down steel frames.

So I need to build a box.

I decided on the same material as the rear battery box (1/4" ABS plastic), because it is strong, non-conductive, and easy to work with. My cut sheets of ABS arrived yesterday in the mail, and this weekend I will be chemically welding the pieces together. Pics soon.

Another thing... since each cell will be equipped with an active monitoring/balancing circuit on top that provides visual feedback in the form of red and green LEDs, I wanted to make another improvement - clear lexan lids for both battery boxes, to be able to see the cell lights easily. My lexan lids will be arriving in the next week or two.

I am itching to get that email stating my batteries have arrived!!

Countdown to lithium battery arrival...

2010-01-16T22:10:00.000-08:00

The SE100AHAs arrive in February. In preparation, I have been getting the rest of the car hardware ready, and creating diagrams for how this is all going to come together. Here is the front pack:

and here is the rear pack:The red/black interconnects will be copper straps provided by the battery supplier (EV components) along with the fittings. The orange interconnects are most likely 2 AWG gauge welding cable interconnects for those odd corners and end connectors.

The custom controller cooling tank I designed also arrived. It is a 2.5 gallon reservoir (much larger than the original Zilla radiator), and has custom fittings to allow connection of the aquarium pump and hose. I also have marine lock-down straps for both the tank and the larger 12V auxiliary battery that I will be ordering soon.

Counting the days!

While I'm at it...

2009-12-09T21:32:00.000-08:00

I just sold my 16 US125XCs last night. They'll have a good home, in another EV conversion up in Vancouver, BC! So now I work on Electro, waiting quite literally for my lithium battery ship to come in.

Since the batteries are out, I am taking the opportunity to improve a number of systems in Electro, such as better battery instrumentation (a fuel gauge device), some more appropriate HV fuses, and finally reinstalling the venting/heater/defrost system, this time as electric!

I kept the heater/AC core from the original cabby, and tonight started pulling it apart. I got the condenser out (or is it evaporator?), and the heater core itself out of the big box. The heater core is like a small radiator inside the car that is responsible for transferring engine heat to the passenger compartment. Mine is tiny - about 10"x6"x2" - and I believe I can replace the original antifreeze-carrying one with a ceramic heater element for a reasonable price. Pics soon!

Lithium cell balancing modules

2009-11-16T22:22:00.000-08:00

Here's a picture of one of the 53 cell balancing modules I received last week from EV Works in Australia. Each module sits on a cell and monitors its voltage to ensure it stays within appropriate cell limits (2.5V-4.0V). Its signal wires (yet to be soldered on) are daisy chained to neighboring cell modules, and the whole loop is connected to a BMS controller. The BMS controller is inline with the AC line to the charger. If the charger does not taper current back when the cells reach the appropriate voltage during charge, the BMS can literally cut the charger off at the knees. There is also an audible alarm (although unclear how loud) the BMS has to warn of cell anomalies.

Note that this system only protects against over-charging. The Zilla controller already has configurable safeguards for over-discharge of the cells.

I guess I will start soldering wires this weekend. Lots of wires. Fun!

Lithium order increase, and BMS change

2009-11-04T18:17:00.000-08:00

I was a little uncomfortable shelling out ~$2K for a Elithion BMS that had very little documentation and not a lot of explanation from the company, so I started hunting around. Folks that have Thundersky LiFePO4 batteries have also gone with a much cheaper battery balancing system from EV Works in Australia, here's the link:

EV Works BMS controller

This controller costs $AUD 350, which is around $315. Coupled with the 'cell balancing modules' ($AUD 16.90 or $15.21 ea), I should have a reasonable overcharge protection system. The Zilla already protects me from over-discharge, so no worries there. Based on this change, my BMS budget shrank to ~$1000, sooooo... I increased my battery order from 45 to 53, and that still fits in my car, and my budget.

The good news here is that 53 x 3.2V = 170V traction pack. Very close to my original peppy 180V voltage, but with much less weight!

These are the lithium cells I am buying (45 of em)

2009-11-03T18:43:00.001-08:00

Sky Energy SE100AHA LiFePO4 cell info

My winter project: LITHIUM UPGRADE!

2009-11-03T06:06:00.000-08:00

I just placed my order for 45 Sky Energy LiFePO4 cells from evcomponents.com. This new traction pack will be a third the weight of my current pack, and have at least twice the range. Oh, and the voltage will be higher (144V vs. 96V). Don't know when I will get them (they get shipped from China), but pics will be posted when they show up!

New 1.5 KWh battery coming from Panasonic

2009-10-07T17:52:00.000-07:00

A new 1.5 KWh battery from Panasonic, debuting this month.
No idea on the cost, but the marketing fud indicates this might commercially popular. If it is reliable, then 10-12 of these would be all I need for Electro...

Panasonic Lithium Battery Press Release

Another image, minus background

2009-10-04T15:48:00.000-07:00

2009-10-04T10:13:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Lucky at the152.com for providing the MK1 customizer tool!
Here is a mini image of Electro!

Charging parameter experiment

2009-09-21T22:47:00.000-07:00

I have a working hypothesis that I have been routinely undercharging my batteries, and not long enough on the acceptance charge. This would explain the low float voltage, and more limited range. Here are the guidelines I recently found from US Battery:

http://www.usbattery.com/usb_faqs.html

My usual acceptance charge is ~119V for a 96V pack (7.44V for each 6V battery), and only for an hour at that charge.

The guidance above says ~124V for a 96V pack (7.75V for each 6V battery), and 2-4 hours at that charge.

Doing that tonight, we'll see if the floating voltage is any higher tomorrow.

BTW, passed the 1900 mile mark. This car is a great commuter car!

1500 miles!

2009-08-19T21:19:00.000-07:00

Electro just recently passed the 1500 mile mark of being on the road. Awesome!

Back on the road - tuning for temperature!

2009-08-01T22:39:00.000-07:00

I finally received my replacement battery and put the traction pack back together. Electro has been great for the past few weeks, getting me to work and back. We've had a bit of a heat wave here in the PNW, and I didn't connect the fact that the Zilla motor controller was getting hot with the hotter ambient temperature.

But as we approached the all-time record this last week of 103 F, I noticed the check engine warning light from the Zilla would come on earlier and earlier in the drive. I used to just connect that light with battery low warning, but found out that it is also when the Zilla is approaching thermal cutoff of 100 C. Closer watching with ZillaView during driving showed that I was getting upwards to 80 C, which cuts back on the current, but doesn't completely cut out. Anyway, I checked my liquid cooling system, and things are fine, but the mini-radiator/reservoir storing the coolant can't get cool enough on its own, especially when the days get hot. So I installed an extra 12 VDC computer fan, mounted to the radiator to help expedite the heat dissipation. I would prefer to expose the radiator to RAM airflow, but there isn't a convenient space for that.

Tested the new cooling arrangement the other day on my 'devil's run' test hill (1/4 mile extreme grade uphill). The temperature rose predictably, but leveled off at 70 C and recovered to a lower temp fairly quickly! The warning light still flashed at me, but I think that is going to be a fact of life on extremely hot days.

Whoops!

2009-05-31T18:11:00.000-07:00

I had another one of those 'marvel at the power of electricity' moments this weekend...

On a leisurely Sunday drive, the power suddenly cut out on me, never a good thing. Luckily I was at a place near home where I could pull over, call for a quick tow, and all was good. After I got back home, I started checking voltages. I thought at first a fuse has gone out again, but I was wrong - waaaay wrong.

One of my battery posts had melted to about half its original size. Check it...
After being amazed at the melted post for awhile, I started working a theory of why it happened. Most likely a loose connection, coupled with high current draw, equals arc, and further deterioriation, which leads to further arcs, more heat, and MELTING!

The reason I think this happened was because I am using non-flexible cable, and during motion of the car, these connections between batteries, no matter how tightly they're cinched down, will come loose with the vibration of these battery boulders.

The battery in question seems okay voltage-wise. I will be looking into getting the post repaired, and also looking into replacing some of the more at-risk cables with their flexible alternatives.

Live and learn!

Price analysis on Lithium Batteries

2009-05-12T06:01:00.000-07:00

I found this site:
http://ehsmanager.blogspot.com/2009/04/happy-9th-birthday-lithium-ion-battery.html

and the following experience curve on Li-Ion batteries...

I would probably jump in at the $400/KWh point on the curve. For the type of batteries I am looking for in Electro, that would run me $6000.

Enter Electric Hellfire

2009-05-09T06:40:00.000-07:00

Well, Electro took me about a year of evenings and weekends to complete. Electric Hellfire took me exactly one. This kit, from GoldenMotor.com, took a couple of hours to fit to Matt's mountain bike. Here is a pic:

The motor is very subtle - a larger than usual hub on the front wheel. Everything fit perfectly, and although no instructions came with the kit, the PDF from the website and the color-coding of the wires and connectors helped make this assembly a cakewalk. Here is a picture of the controls:

Cruise control and horn on the left, thumb throttle on the right. The kit came with brake controls that hook into the normal brake cables. The only difference with these is that the brakes also are wired into the controller to signal stopping cruise control if it's on.

The installation components are very well manufactured. The wheel went on with no issues (albeit minor brake caliper tuning, which you would do with any new wheel), and the battery box fit easily as well. The only downside to this kit was the motor controller, which arrived with no enclosure. I didn't have an electrical enclosure this narrow to house it, so I made due with some tupperware for now.

The first test ride went flawlessly. Hellfire goes FAST. At full throttle, it can approach 25-30MPH on the flats. It takes hills easily, although super steep hills are still an issue - the draconian hill in our neighborhood was the acid test, and Hellfire made it 3/4 of the way up before conceding. Note: this was while taking Big Daddy up the hill - Matt made it to the top just fine!

I'll try getting a video or two of riding Hellfire posted soon. I also want to test range of the lithium pack.

New EV project looming for the summer: E-Bike!

2009-04-28T21:35:00.000-07:00

I am interested in eventually replacing my lead-acid battery pack with a LiFePO4 pack, which will decrease weight, increase range and speed, all that good stuff. But since LiFePO4 batteries are much more pricey and are managed differently, I thought I'd start with a smaller EV project that uses them, to better understand how they perform.

Enter the E-Bike project!

I bought a donor bike off of craigslist, and have just ordered a DIY E-Bike conversion kit from goldenmotor.com in China. The kit contains a 36V/750W hub motor, 36V10Ah LiFePO4 battery pack, motor controller, throttle, wiring, etc. Should be here in about three weeks. Can't wait!

Lessons learned #347: LRR Tires

2009-04-19T22:12:00.000-07:00

OK, EV fans. If anyone ever tells you that Low Rolling Resistance (LRR) tires are one of the key pieces to your vehicles energy efficiency, LISTEN TO THEM.

I recently bought a used set of low profile tires off of craigslist that made Electro look supercool and be very energy inefficient. Let me explain.

The stock tires for Electro were 185/60/14, which translates into tires that are 185mm wide and go on 14in wheels.

The new "supercool" wheels/tires I bought were 205/40/16s, which means they were 205mm wide, low profile, and had extra big wheels (16in).

Driving the same distance with the wider tires made a HUGE difference in the amount of energy I was using, which is extremely important in an EV. For a trip where I would normally use 7.1 KWh, I ended up using 9.3 KWh. That's 30% more energy - to look cool.

I am going back to stock wheels/tires for now until I can go the other way and find a narrower set of LRR wheels and tires. Hopefully I will find some that will get me significant range increases!

Electric motorcycle dragster video

2009-03-23T21:01:00.001-07:00

Check out this lightning bolt. Power band? We don't need no stinkin' power band!

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

Ford's new electric debuting in 2011

2009-03-21T07:02:00.000-07:00

Designed and built almost entirely by an outside supplier - in Canada!

http://money.cnn.com/2009/03/20/autos/ford_electric/index.htm?postversion=2009032005

Another article about Better Place, an electric car infrastructure company. They're all about replacing gas stations with charge stations.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/03/16/sunday/main4869332.shtml

Power brakes are back!

2009-03-14T16:07:00.001-07:00

Today I installed a new switch for the brake booster, and put a shock absorber between the brake booster motor mount and the battery rack - basically a thick rag. My theory was that, with movement and vibration, the old switch would get stuck on, and run the motor constantly, which was VERY annoying - the vacuum motor has to be the loudest thing in the car at this point. The new switch doesn't get stuck on, but before I installed the rag it did seem to stay on a LONG time before shutting off.

If it is only on for short stints to replace the vacuum in the reservoir, then it is tolerable, and I am now at that point with the shock absorber - yay! Power brakes again - I love it.

I also took the time to check the front batteries for voltages, fluid and hydrometer readings (rear batteries tomorrow). All 8 look good at 6.5V / ~1.250 sg. The overall rest voltage for the pack is 102.5V, which implies ~6.4V for each of the 16 batteries. Either I have some voltage drop across the 2/0 cables (expected), or something's fishy in the one or more of the back 8 (NOT expected) - more tomorrow.

If it's decent weather tomorrow, perhaps I'll make a video of driving Electro around!

The Equalizer!

2009-03-11T18:13:00.000-07:00

Now that the inclement weather has disappeared (again), I am again driving Electro to work. I have noticed some changes in the power while driving, and I suspect it may be time to equalize the battery pack.

I had read that an equalization charge was needed once in a while, but the frequency of the equalization charge varied in who was talking. The common wisdom is once a month.

Equalization charge for a flooded battery is driving the voltage up to 2.6VPC, or 124.5V for a 96V pack. The purpose is to make sure all cells (even the weaker ones) are fully charged. It is hard on the cells, hence the low frequency. So tonight I am the Equalizer. We'll see how it goes.

Good news, I found my video camera after losing it. This means I can post more videos in the weeks to come - stay tuned.

Check out the new Electric Mini Cooper

2009-03-10T17:12:00.000-07:00

http://www.jaylenosgarage.com/video/video_player.shtml?vid=1052621

They don't mention cost, but I heard that they lease for ~$800 each. Yikes.

Electro is now Legally an Electric Vehicle

2009-02-07T13:06:00.000-08:00

The big question that many had as I was doing this conversion was, what do you do when you get the smog-check notice for Electro? It would be pretty amusing to go to the emissions check place and watch those guys try to figure out where the exhaust pipe was, but more likely than not I would end up getting a fail because they wouldn't know what to do, and then I'd have to react by scrambling through a bureaucratic maze at the Department of Licensing with my rather esoteric problem.

My tabs don't expire until later this year, so I decided to proactively attack the problem. After a few phone calls, I found out that I just needed to revise the car title to specify 'E' powered instead of 'G' powered. All this without a vehicle inspection or anything. Cost me $19 and the time to wait in line at the local DOL office! I did have to sign a statement saying that the car is no longer gas-burning, and they said the revised title would be sent out in a few weeks. Easy!

Bonus gear discovered!

2009-01-26T06:06:00.000-08:00

During driving of Electro over the last few months, I had noticed two minor problems with the gear shift pattern. First, the Reverse (up/left) was dangerously close to First (up/mostly left), and I even though I theoretically had 5 gears in the transmission, I could never get into Fifth. This was becoming more of a problem as I started approaching freeway speeds on my commute last week.

This weekend I set about looking through the VW shift linkage and connections, and found that my shifting rod part of the linkage (the rod running between the shifter and the engine compartment) was slightly misaligned. Its connected via a simple clamp and bolt, so after loosening, adjusting and retightening the clamp, I not only retrieved access to Fifth, but also fixed Reverse such that I need to push down on the shifter before up/left. Two problems fixed with one correction!

It's a little cold and rainy this week, so probably no commute trips with Electro (still has leaky roof), but I am considering taking some video of trips soon for the blog.

First week of commuting with Electro

2009-01-24T08:28:00.000-08:00

I finished my first week of commuting to work with Electro - no issues! I have found a great non-freeway route as I break in the EV, and the distance is around 12.5 miles. I can recharge at work, so this is a great distance to break the batteries in on.

Clint Eastwood talks EVs on Letterman!

2009-01-19T17:14:00.000-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBmB32cfD4w&feature=related

Fascinating.

First full commute with Electro - success

2009-01-19T16:37:00.000-08:00

I just returned from driving Electro to work today (10-12 miles each way depending on route). Lots of coworkers had wanted to see this electric jalopy - my one hour show at lunch felt a lot like an entry in a car show... hood up, explaining the car stats, people starting to put their fingers where they shouldn't =). During the commute, I was again concerned about Heartbreak Hill, a fairly steep hill that lasts about 1/2 mile. It is by far the biggest ass-kicker hill for any vehicle in the area, electric or otherwise. Electro attacked it like a champ, at a slower but respectable speed. Which reminds me - in my commute I don't go on the freeway (yet) but I do maintain a healthy speed of between 35-40 MPH. Electro really zips along nicely.

The facilities guy at my work says he bought an 'EV charging station' sign, and will post it on the light pole where I plug in during the day. Awesome!

Test drive #5: Heartbreak hill

2009-01-18T10:12:00.000-08:00

To test out the torque capabilities on my 'lead sled', I drove it on a hilly 18-19 mile course, which includes a brutal 1/2 mile steep uphill climb halfway in. Electro made it back home with charge to spare, but on the brutal hill Electro had to be in second gear and ran at 25-30 mph. Reasonable, but I think I was hitting my Zilla battery current limit. I will be looking at increasing this limit from 600A to either 700A or 800A for short term torque needs.

2009-01-16T06:00:00.001-08:00

You knew it was bound to happen! There will be an electric version of
the Smart Car soon. A partnership between Tesla and Daimler:

http://blog.wired.com/cars/2009/01/tesla-motors-jo.html

Tweaking almost done

2009-01-14T22:38:00.000-08:00

My latest settings in the Zilla seem to be working great for drives:
Battery Amp Limit: 500A
LBV: 67V
LBVI: 71V

I have the current I need for hills & short bursts of acceleration, and I am not in danger of going below the under-load 1.2V/cell limit (57.6V in the 96V pack) which would damage the batteries.

I'll be driving 20 miles a day (or less) while I break the pack in for the next 500 or so miles.

EV Grin Time: Cost per mile for fuel

2009-01-14T22:19:00.000-08:00

I just found out that the cost per KWh in this part of the country ranges from $0.08 non-peak to $0.10 peak (Puget Sound Energy). Let's do some fun math...

0.330 - 0.380 KWh/mi * $0.09/KWh = 3-4 cents a mile.

With a typical sedan of say, 20 MPG @ $2/gal => 2/20 = 10 cents a mile.

Cost is not a driver for me (pardon the pun), but it is cool to see that it costs less to fuel Electro than it does a "gasser". That makes driving an EV just that much more fun!

Simulated commute this evening

2009-01-14T22:01:00.000-08:00

I drove Electro a typical commute distance this evening (~11 miles). Even though it was not the longest I had driven Electro, it was the furthest from home. I drove into an adjacent town, testing Electro at some higher speeds than my neighborhood (avg speed 35 MPH) and on some steeper-than-usual hills. The drive went great, and I expended 3.57 KWh on the trip - this entry lines up with my average energy running so far: 330 Whr/mi.

Another reason I wanted to simulate commute distance was to see what the recovery charge time would be for a typical commute. I have a Kill-A-Watt on order, so I don't know if I am pulling max 15 amps current during the recharge, but regardless, the complete recharge (including 50 minute taper) took 4.5 hours. Not bad!

My employer is allowing me to plug in at work when I start commuting with Electro! Sweet - free fuel for the trip home!

Battery voltage vs. charge

2009-01-12T21:24:00.000-08:00

Battery voltage FAQ

This FAQ has a nice table equating average battery voltage with percentage charge remaining.
According to the table (and extrapolating for 96V):

100% = 2.12V/cell = 101.76V
80% = 2.07V/cell = 99.36V
50% = 2.01V/cell = 96.48V
20% = 1.93V/cell = 92.64V
10% = 1.89V/cell = 90.72V
0% = 1.75V/cell = 84V

This is not to be confused with low voltage under load, which is during current draw. In those cases, voltage may (and does) dip temporarily to 72V or lower (on hills or when accelerating).

Today during the 8.6 KWh test drive, I periodically took readings of average battery pack voltage. If I use the above table and my recorded voltage measurements:

5.1 mi => 80% charge left
13.3 mi => 50% charge left
18.4 mi => 20% charge left
24.7 mi => 10% charge left

Still reconciling this conclusion with the theoretical data. At one hour of use, my US125s are capable of 145AHr, and this equates to 96V*145Ahr*0.80 = 11.1 KWhr should be my actual capacity. So it looks like with fast driving, I get about 24 miles on a charge.

More testing later this week.

Another distance record broken!

2009-01-12T17:06:00.000-08:00

I took Electro out for a test drive with the new Zilla settings of LBV=71 and LBVI=77. I drove around town so as to stay near home, but was not bashful with acceleration and hills. 26.3 miles! A new record for Electro, which expended 8.6 KWh on the trip. I am pleased to report that acceleration was great. No spinning tires, but good for merging with traffic and getting up hills.

I was collecting data the whole time using ZillaView. On average, Electro expends ~4 Ah/mi, and 330-380 Wh/mi in city driving, depending on terrain. Acceleration is good, and I could have driven further, but I was starting to notice acceleration on the slow side. I could still get up to fast speeds, but not very quickly.

I'm excited at the distance progress! Let's see how long it takes to recharge after this drive. Also, in the coming days I think it's time for a longer loop trip!

Tweaking stage

2009-01-12T06:13:00.000-08:00

I have been adjusting the settings of the Zilla for the new 96V pack voltage and using the new flooded US125 batteries to get an optimum driving experience. One of the things I noticed was that this pack has quite a bit more sag in the voltage during high current draw, due in part to the higher internal resistance of these kind of batteries. Because of this, my previous low battery voltage limit of 80V in the Zilla would get 'touched' during acceleration or going up hills. This would lead to the Zilla dialing back current (what it's supposed to do at the limit) and embarrassingly slow speeds!

After some experimentation and data gathering using ZillaView via a laptop connected to the Hairball's data port, I determined that a low battery voltage setting of ~72V (1.5V/cell) works much better, allowing the voltage sag without limiting the current I need during acceleration/hills, which can be as high as 500A from the pack in short bursts (this is my battery current limit).

More test driving tonight!

It's Alive (again)!

2009-01-01T14:48:00.000-08:00

I took Electro for a distance calibration spin with the newly-charged pack this morning. Just gently breaking in the pack, checking my new voltage & current settings on the Zilla, and measuring voltage depletion over distance.

Fantastic!

I easily went 21 miles with no problem, handily beating my previous distance record of 15 miles with the Exide Orbitals. Although I could have, I elected not to go further on this first run, as I am trying not to beat on the pack too hard. The good news is, I can go on a longer trip next test run.

Electro was more sluggish than before, no surprise given the fact that I have an overall heavier weight and lower pack voltage. I will see about modifying the Zilla settings to give an overall increase in instantaneous current and top speed. I definitely won't be able to squeal the tires like I did before, but my hope is that I will be able to have a much larger range with acceptable acceleration and speed.

Stay tuned for more results, and perhaps some pics of me at certain spots with Electro!

New batteries are installed...

2008-12-30T09:35:00.000-08:00

Well, it took some pretty heavy lifting, but my weight training is complete. The new US-125 batteries are installed in Electro. I still have one new cable to make to complete the series string (remember, I now have 16 batteries instead of 15), but I should have the hardware for that today or tomorrow. As I expected, these units fit very well into the existing design, even though they are taller than the original Exide Orbitals.

The front before:

and after:
The rear before:

and after:

I will be wiring in the auxiliary battery soon, and then it's time for another test drive!

Hello my pretties

2008-12-12T17:54:00.000-08:00

Picked them up this afternoon in Seattle. What a handsome bunch. Heavier than my Exides by ~23 lbs. each, this total pack weighs 1072 lbs. Let's hear it for lead baby!

New batteries are in

2008-12-11T18:18:00.001-08:00

I got the call yesterday that my 16 US-125 XC 6V 242 Ah batteries are ready for pickup in Seattle.
Sweet! I'll be picking them up tomorrow.

Upon further review... US Batteries!

2008-11-11T05:51:00.000-08:00

After discovering some issues with Dyno batteries in certain conversions of others, I am going with a tried and tested battery manufacturer - US Battery. The battery I have in mind is the US-125XC. I am talking with the regional sales rep about getting a reasonable quote for 16 of these.

US-125XC Battery Spec

The good news is, I can order these batteries with SAE automotive posts, which preserves most of my cabling.

A nice link to show how many different posts are available. Jeez.

Battery Post Roundup

DC/DC is in (again!)

2008-11-10T20:05:00.000-08:00

The Belktronix DC/DC arrived this weekend, now configured to take 96VDC in instead of 192VDC. I reinstalled in without a hitch. The next challenging task is to reposition the cooling pump and radiator for the Zilla. Originally, the pump (a standard aquarium pump) and the mini-radiator that stores the cooling fluid were mounted in (yet another) poly cutting board section that was mounted to the battery rack. Since the batteries are now going to be taller, this may not work anymore.

Dyno Batteries

2008-10-27T06:44:00.000-07:00

The rewiring is complete, and Electro is ready to receive the 16 6V batteries. The DC-DC is still at Belktronix, being reconfigured for 96V in, and I have been searching for a good vendor to buy my 6V deep-cycle batteries from. I found a local manufacturer, Dyno Batteries in Seattle, that will meet my needs. Here is the type of battery I am planning to purchase:

GC2b 6V Battery Spec

Retrofit progress: Going well!

2008-10-05T22:07:00.000-07:00

This weekend I proceeded to:
1) remove the remaining batteries
2) reroute the under-car conduit to allow the rear battery box to store a full 8 batteries (bringing my total battery capacity up to 16 again)
3) temporarily remove the cooling and power brake booster modules
4) remove and begin to refactor the Hairball and LV fuseblock mounts, which will be condensed to make extra space for the taller 6V batteries

I talked with Bryan @ Belktronix, and he reports that I can in fact have the DC/DC I bought reworked to support an input voltage of 96V. Life is good!

Traction pack retrofit in progress: 12V to 6V

2008-10-03T18:51:00.000-07:00

My calibration data point corroborates what I was afraid of: that my batteries don't contain enough energy for the range & speed that I want. Therefore, I am starting a process of replacing the 12V/55Ah batteries with 6V/232Ah batteries. Thankfully, things are modular and the storage areas (racks in the front, box in the back) will accommodate the 6V batteries just fine. I may need to move some items around in the front (the 6V batteries are taller).

Last night I proceeded to remove the batteries from the front racks in an hour - easy! The Belktronix DC/DC also needs to be modified as well for the new traction pack voltage range - I will be moving it from 180V (15 12V) to 96V (16 6V).

This new traction pack should give me a good deal more range - upwards to 40 miles I think.

Latest data - don't go below 400A motor current!

2008-09-25T05:57:00.000-07:00

I haven't had much time to spend calibrating recently, but I did run Electro around yesterday on significantly lower settings for motor voltage and current. The settings do work, in fact, I managed to set the current TOO low! I had it at 400A max motor current to start, and as many know, current equates to motor torque. I have hills in my neighborhood, and I purposely wanted to see how Electro handled a steeper hill on lower current. It could not do it for lack of torque! It was pretty weird, changing settings via my laptop while stopped on a hill, and then starting up the hill again! Suffice it to say, it seems that ~500A is probably where the 'mild-mannered' max current should be set to allow reasonable hill travel. I also had max motor voltage down to 110V, and did notice that max speed was affected. No distance data yet, stay tuned.

With Fall upon us, I have been also working on weatherproofing Electro in the garage when I have time. Top priority: replace the leaky roof, which is in terrible shape!

Tradeoff: Range vs. Performance

2008-09-10T19:47:00.000-07:00

While I was calibrating Electro for distance driving, I noticed that the Hairball warning was much earlier than I expected. Sure, I can spin the tires, but I would like to also drive farther than 10 miles on a charge. I currently have the Hairball/Zilla configured 'wide-open', i.e. I am delivering the maximum range of current to the motor. I will be tuning this value over the next few weeks to see what the tradeoff is between range and performance. Once I have a reasonable current limit set (one that will give me an acceptable driving range I can live with), I will program valet mode for this traveling mode.

I also have not wired up a switch to the hairball for moving between hotrod and valet mode - easy enough to do though.

Back in Action!

2008-09-08T21:22:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Otmar and Cafe Electric for identifying and fixing my 'Quiet Zilla' problem so quickly!
After ~2weeks, it's back in Electro, and working like a champ. I went for another extended drive this weekend (around 8 miles), and no issues.

I will be taking Electro to a tranny shop tomorrow to get the tranmission seals replaced. Hopefully that will fix the annoying small tranny leak I have!

The 'Quiet Zilla' Problem

2008-08-20T20:54:00.000-07:00

There is a theory that I have experienced the 'quiet Zilla' issue. Here is a link where Otmar describes it:

The 'Quiet Zilla' problem

Ruh-roh! Electro's first towing!

2008-08-17T12:26:00.001-07:00

My EV journey would not be complete without having at least one towing back home. My first was today, but not for the reason I had expected. I was out gathering distance/state-of-charge data to calibrate how far I could travel on a charge, then after taking a nice easy Sunday morning drive, at a stop sign the hairball shut down the motor controller with an error. I still had significant charge on the batteries after only 8.5 miles traveled, but was still stranded.

I called AAA and got Electro a tow home, and am currently trying to decipher the controller error problem.

Stay tuned!

Journey to the center of the Transmission

2008-08-15T17:33:00.000-07:00

I fixed the shifting at speeds problem - loose clutch cable (Thanks Evan, Roger & Mr. BrokeVW.com for helping me identify it!)

Now I am able to really crank into gears at high speed. I have noticed some minor leaking in the transmission, which I had drained and refilled with new transmission oil. It appears to have some seal issues around the drive axles. Here are some pics of the right drive axle:

And the left drive axle:
Consulting some folks about checking the seals here. Nothing of major concern, just don't want to start dripping oil everywhere I go!

Now that I am zipping around in Electro, I realize I need to tune my rear brakes. They work, but are a bit soft.

Some reading material

2008-08-15T07:44:00.000-07:00

I was away from the project this last week on travel, but found some interesting articles on EV technology:

Slashdot report on DIY EV conversions

And an article on Project Better Place, a charging infrastructure building company that will be partnering with Nissan/Renault to set up a charging grid in Israel:

Project Better Place/Nissan Partnership

Distance drive #1

2008-08-10T14:32:00.001-07:00

I drove the farthest yet in Electro - out 3 miles to the local Les Schwab for a steering alignment. Lots of curious looks and questions from the techs! No issues there or on the way back, but I do think I am using too much juice too quickly. Still investigating. I did discover a problem overall, and it is will the tranny - I am having some problems switching to higher gears when needed. This may be more of a transmission/shifter/clutch alignment issue, and actually might explain why I am using more current than expected. Stay tuned on this one.

I mounted the charger port yesterday. Looks pretty slick - check it out. Here it is closed -

And here it is open. The inlet is a marine-grade 110VAC/15A inlet, so the cover is a nice weatherproof touch.

Ladies and Gentlemen... The Charger Has Arrived

2008-08-07T22:31:00.001-07:00

I picked up my PFC-20 today, and not too soon! My batteries were sagging badly after the jaunty test-drive weekend, so a nice long charge is exactly what they needed. The Manzanita Micro unit fits tidily on the rear battery box. Haven't bolted it down yet, just taped - bolting will be done this weekend.

I also plan on driving to a tire place this weekend for a steering alignment. Should be more test driving fun for me!

Layin' some tracks

2008-08-03T15:39:00.000-07:00

I definitely do NOT have a hard time burning rubber. Check out the video!

Electro Acceleration Test #1

Out for a spin!

2008-08-02T09:27:00.000-07:00

I took Electro out for it's maiden voyage yesterday. Works like a champ - it has some kick, let me tell you. I am trying to restrain my lead foot, because I still don't have charging capability. I did run Electro down to a friend's house 1/4 mile away. The funny thing is, besides the power brake booster motor I installed, it is really quiet - maybe I need to play an MP3 of something to let people know I am coming! Here's a candidate -> ElectroNoise

Video of the Maiden Voyage!

IT'S ALIVE!

2008-07-31T21:57:00.000-07:00

After correcting a minor setting problem in the Hairball, I fired up the system for a test. The main contactor engaged, and after putting it into gear, I watched the wheels turn faster and faster as I depressed the Hall Effect pedal. It works, and man is it quiet. It looks like Electro's maiden voyage will be tomorrow! Pics and hopefully video of the main event will be posted.

Awesome!

Traction pack... Online

2008-07-30T05:50:00.000-07:00

The HV fuse arrived this week, and I proceeded to install it and hook up the rest of the traction pack (again). I measured the potential across the HV+ and HV- posts -> 185VDC. Woo-hoo! Hopefully today I will be connecting the traction pack to the DC/DC and will run a controller test to see if everything comes up okay.

Fuse/Charger almost here!

2008-07-23T07:35:00.000-07:00

I've been doing more mundane tasks while waiting for my HV fuse and charger to arrive, i.e. putting in carpet. Packages are enroute from the vendor, so stay tuned!

Cooling system running - Start day approaching!

2008-07-12T23:06:00.000-07:00

I filled the cooling system for the Zilla, and fired up the circulation pump for a test. No leaks, and the system seems to be running well!

The list of things now needed for me to drive Electro is getting really short - actually one item. I need a new 500A HV fuse for front battery pack (blew out the first one on a silly mistake - long story). One should be here in a day or so.

The PFC-20 charger is still not here from Manzanita Micro, but I don't need that to drive the car, just to charge the batteries. This also should be here shortly.

DC/DC is in

2008-07-10T06:08:00.000-07:00

My Belktronix DC/DC converter arrived on 7/4, and I promptly installed it in its space on the driver side wall of the engine compartment. Here is a pic:
After this pic was taken, I also installed a 60A fuse between the DC/DC and the SLI battery, which protects the LV components from any surges.

My new euro bumpers also arrived from RPI Equipped during the week, so I proceeded to put those in as well. Installation was a snap.

Yesterday I connected to the data port on the HB2 with my laptop/Hyperterm connection, and it was alive! When I turned the key to start input, it returned an error code reporting that the traction battery pack being open, which is correct.

Greenwood Auto Show - EV pics

2008-07-01T16:57:00.000-07:00

Fun in the sun at the Greenwood Auto Show in Seattle on June 28.
Lots of EVs!

Me with the Zombie-

The core of the White Zombie - the 'Original Siamese 8' - tandem motors. Also note the Z2K on the side - twice the length of my Z1K...

Me with Plasma Boy -
A pic of the Blue Meanie, another Plasma Boy project -

Zilla wiring/cabling in progress

2008-06-29T22:14:00.001-07:00

The Zilla and Hairball have been *mostly* cabled and wired up. I am trying to keep wiring tidy as I go through this process - it can get messy in a hurry. Here is a pic of the Zilla mount:

And here is a picture of the Hairball mount:

The HEPI accelerator has been wired in as well. The only things missing are the key input and start input wires from the keyswitch. Today I also put work in on the Zilla water pump mount - yes, the Zilla is water-cooled. I made a mount shelf for the mini-reservoir and electric pump - picture pending. This mount will also contain the relays for the vaccuum and water pumps, which will also be wired to the key input. Still working on the cooling plumbing for the Zilla, which is about half-done and consists of coolant tubes running in and out of the Zilla. As I understand it, you can run the Zilla without such cooling, but it is recommended for longer life of the component. At the price I paid for the Zilla, I am a BIG fan of longer life for that thing.

I fixed the sheared bolt situation on the motor as well - by removing the lower nut. Still clearance for the cable lug, so I dodged a bullet there! So the motor is officially wired in as well.

This weekend I went with a friend to the Greenwood Auto Show, which reportedly has a pretty big EV contingent, which grows every year. Surprisingly, I met and had a nice chat with John Wayland and got to see his White Zombie EV up close for the first time, along with some other cool EV conversions! Pics forthcoming.

Christmas came early this year!

2008-06-23T22:29:00.000-07:00

I completely expected the Zilla to show up in August, based on backorder estimates. I was completely floored when a package from Cafe Electric showed up on my doorstep today. Woo-hoo!
My EV may be running sooner than I thought! I unpacked the Z1K and HB2, and did a test fit on the mounts. Here is a pic of how the Zilla fits on the side (no cables yet):
And here is how the Hairball interface fits in the firewall mount:
It's all coming together! Next step is to wire these guys up properly.

Makin' Cables, part 3

2008-06-22T14:25:00.001-07:00

Boy, I have never gotten so sore, or sick of making cables. The good news is I am almost done. The front was a cabling nightmare, routing stuff between the various HV components, both there and soon to be there. Here is a picture of most stuff laid out:Notice the batteries are in and the power brake booster has tubing! Also note the two main HV posts along the back wall. I found this was necessary to keep things in order, and also separating them by a significant amount made good safety sense.

I also cabled up the motor as much as I could, but suffered a (hopefully) minor setback with one of the motor bolts shearing. Ack! Hopefully I can replace the bolt or figure a workaround without taking the motor out!

The HV Side Module

2008-06-14T13:29:00.000-07:00

Those poly cutting boards are a great resource. They cut easily, are drillable, durable, waterproof and are an electrical insulator material. I am using this material anywhere I need mounts, and this is usually in the engine compartment. I started on the HV side module, which will contain the Z1K, the contactor and the current shunt. Even though I don't have the Zilla, I do know the dimensions. This module will also be removable as a unit, allowing me to do work on it outside the engine compartment if I need to. Here is a pic of the HV module, complete with bolt holes that go through into the fender well.More mounts to follow. My wife thinks its a crime how I cut up perfectly good cutting boards!

Makin' Cables, part 2

2008-06-12T20:39:00.000-07:00

I started crafting the battery cables. Still don't have a heat gun, so the heat shrink collars are still loose. I laid out the batteries and cables (without attaching) to see how the dimensions work:
Note the cable conduit. I have decided not to put an eighth battery back here, to allow room for the cables and conduit. So the back cabling is close to complete (still waiting for the charger)!

HV Plumbing Update

2008-06-09T23:17:00.000-07:00

Sunday I tried using fish tape to pull three 2/0 cables through the 1.5" PVC plumbing network I had built under the EV. Ha! I found out the hard way that, even if the cable *is* flexible welding cable, three of them can't snake through more than two 45 degree turns without considerable elbow grease.

I had to rethink the PVC pipe to be essentially a straight shot back, engine compartment to the battery box. Just finished it tonight, with the only bend being a slight rise to get over the rear axle. I was able to keep the straight run with the bracket (the hardest part of the original install).

Pictures of the new undercarriage arrangement. Notice, hardly any turns, and straight into the box:

BTW, my 2/0 automotive battery clamps arrived today with protective hoods. So I can start making battery cables soon!

HV Wiring Conduit Installation

2008-06-01T20:04:00.000-07:00

There will be three HV cables running between the rear and front of the car - the HV+, HV- and HV/2 cables. In order for these cables NOT to run through the passenger compartment, I decided to create an under-car 1.5" PVC conduit in the center channel where the exhaust pipe used to be. I started as near to the rear box as possible. Here is a picture of the rear inlet.
Cables will enter it from a center space under the reinforcing member. From there, they travel through the space formerly occupied by the fuel tank, over the rear axle and into the center channel...
Three brackets constructed of 1/16" steel are bolted in through bolts placed in the floor of the car.It resides well-protected in the center channel. Getting up into the engine compartment was a bit tricky, as I had to navigate around the steering rack.From here it's an easy route up through the passenger side corner of the engine compartment. I did a test run of one 2/0 cable, and although I purposely avoided many right angles in the route, the cable still wouldn't go on its own. Time for some fish tape to help with the cable pulling.

The new license plate arrives

2008-05-28T22:15:00.001-07:00

Check it out...

I also did some work on the front battery racks. The Exide 34XCD batteries have posts that are very close to the edge, so there is a risk of a short with the retaining frames. So some quick work with the angle grinder cut-off wheel, and... voila. Not a problem anymore.

I also made up a plastic (cutting board material) floor for each of the front rack spaces, for proper support and protection of the batteries from underneath. Here is a picture of how all the front batteries look during the test fit. Note the gap below - still have to order battery #16.

Battery layout & wiring

2008-05-26T09:15:00.000-07:00

Both racks are now completely bolted in, and the battery clamps are scheduled to arrive middle of this week. So it's time to start planning the layout of how the batteries will be wired together. Here are some diagrams I whipped up for the front:And for the rear:

Note the use of Anderson connectors to disconnect the battery packs from the rest of the HV circuit in the front and in the back. I have also come to the realization that, based on the type of DC/DC converter I am installing, I may not need an auxiliary battery at all. The DC/DC converter will be connected to the HV traction battery pack at all times, and does not pull much current in "idle" mode (on the order of mA). Plus, I have a nice spot for the DC/DC converter to be mounted - right where the auxiliary battery used to be! Serendipity!