[ausev] question about Geo Metro conversion

[Erik Bigelow]

Will your conversion have a contoller? That would be a big part in
deciding how easy it will be to upgrade. If you have a 72V controller,
adding more batteries will mean replacing the controller. On the other
hand if it's the contactor setup, I would be wary of using it at a
higher voltage. Also if you plan the racks with extra space ahead of
time, it would make upgrading a much smaller task!

In either case, I would strongly recommend a second form of
disconnect, either a second contactor or a circuit breaker that you
can manually disconnect.

Can you tell us a little more about the kit, your plans and dreams,
and how far along you are? I always like hearing EV stories in
progress, it helps motivate me to actually finish mine (as in reattach
the convertible top so I don't have to throw a tarp on it when it
rains and mounting the charger inside the car)

On 1/3/07, Lisa Korf <lkorf at yahoo.com> wrote:
> Yes, he is using the shunt motor kit from Wilderness
> EV.  I'm wondering about others' experience with this
> type of motor.  It's basically the cheapest conversion
> kit out there.
>
> I am using the series motor from Wilderness EV in
> mine.  I'm hoping it won't be too hard to upgrade to
> higher voltage in the future if my 72 volt Civic
> doesn't meet my needs... which I keep hearing might be
> the case.
>
> Thanks!
>
> Lisa
>
>
> --- Aaron Choate <achoate at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > Hi Lisa,
> >
> > Welcome to the list.
> >
> > Is this person using the same kit/manufacturer as
> > you mentioned to me in
> > your email the other day?  I think you had mentioned
> > that your Civic was
> > being done by Winderness Electric Vehicles.  I found
> > this link that seems to
> > revolve around a shunt motor.
> >
> > <http://www.e-volks.com/about1.html>
> >
> > Cheers,
> >
> > Aaron Choate
> >
> > On 1/3/07, Chris Robison <eeyore at phototropia.org>
> > wrote:
> > >
> > > Hi Lisa,
> > >
> > > First, we really don't have enough information.
> > What is the size of the
> > > motor? By "no controller", does that mean
> > "contactor controller", or
> > > literally no controller at all (just a simple
> > switch), meaning there's
> > > nothing between "coast" and "full throttle" ? What
> > size are the batteries?
> > >
> > > Honestly, I doubt this car would be worth much at
> > all. Probably far less
> > > than the value of the parts. It sounds like your
> > friend is making a lot of
> > > mistakes in his design that are seriously limiting
> > his car's usefulness.
> > > 96 volts is barely enough for a satisfactory
> > vehicle, and 120 is generally
> > > the minimum I'd recommend. At the 72 volts your
> > friend has planned, this
> > > car will be confined to slower, smaller streets.
> > It won't be very useful
> > > as a car (not in the US, anyway).  The choice of
> > batteries also sounds
> > > suspect; Interstate makes all sorts of batteries
> > including deep cycle
> > > marine and RV batteries but if he's using their
> > far more common regular
> > > car batteries, they will be quickly ruined by the
> > deep discharges they'll
> > > experience while powering an EV.
> > >
> > > Finally (and this is not as big of a deal) the
> > shunt-wound motor is going
> > > to be less than ideal for use in an EV.
> > Series-wound motors are more
> > > advantageous, giving higher startup torque and a
> > smoother torque curve vs.
> > > RPM.  There are EVs out there that have been built
> > with shunt motors, but
> > > not many.
> > >
> > >   --chris
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > On Tue, January 2, 2007 11:00 pm, Lisa Korf wrote:
> > > > I have a friend who is working on a Geo Metro
> > > > conversion using a shunt motor.  He wants to
> > sell it once it's
> > > completed...
> > > > any idea how quickly it would sell, and how much
> > he should ask for
> > > it?  It
> > > > will have 12 6-volt Interestate batteries, and
> > no controller I
> > > > believe.  Thanks for any input you can provide.
> > I really would like to
> > > get
> > > > multiple opinions about this.
> > > >
> > > > Thanks,
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Lisa - new to the EV community, awaiting arrival
> > of my
> > > > electric Honda Civic hatchback for me and my
> > dogs :)
> > > >
> > > >
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