[ausev] New list member and I have a few questions.

[Kevin Douglass]

Hello,

I'm a member of the Houston EAA Group.

I would like to know how you all set up this email list so that we may do
the same here in Houston.

You can contact me at k.douglass at earthlink.net

Thank you.

-----Original Message-----
From: ausev-bounces at austinev.org [mailto:ausev-bounces at austinev.org] On
Behalf Of tomsmail at wtez.net
Sent: Tuesday, November 04, 2008 1:56 PM
To: r5aaap at yahoo.com; AustinEV News Announcements and General Discussion
Cc: ausev at austinev.org
Subject: Re: [ausev] New list member and I have a few questions.

Hello,

FWIW, I would strongly advise not going into debt.  Very few things justify
indebtedness; e.g. like a home purchase (and even that has gotten out of
hand lately, hasn't it?).

400 amps is plenty for the AC systems.  The DMOC445 tops out at 275A.  Is it
the AC22 or the AC55 you are looking at?  

The AC55 is one large motor.  You will need about 8 inchs plus some margin
for vibration, c.c. between input shaft and output shaft of your
transmission for clearance.  PLEASE check the transmission measurements
first!  I don't know what they are on a Saturn but the Saturn strikes me as
a compact car.  The saturn is an excellent choice for a converison I think,
but it may not work with AC55.

The AC55 wants 336V nominal to get the max power output, but will work with
less.  The transistors on the DMOC are limited to 400V forward and reverse,
so I recommend 312V to maximize regen potential, and save a little weight.
The AC22 will work with 240V.

Battery fitment may not be a problem if you are using SLA from
(Enersys)Genesis - they come in many different sizes and scale well.  I
currently have 26 count of G16EP on the Tracker, which weighs a total of 338
lbs.   26 count of G26EP will weight 579 lbs.  (not bad!).  This is my
unsubstantiated estimate: 26xG26EP=20 miles.  I will admit that interconnect
for so many batteries is a pain.

The AC22 strikes me as a bit underpowered for a 2200 lb car.  I would think
about AC22 if I had a Geo Metro, Toyota Yaris, or some other sub-1900 lb
donor vehicle.

You've got a gold mine with the Mazda - at 3000 lbs. it would make an
excellent donor for an AC55 based conversion.  But do not go direct connect.
Keep the manual transmission and get some 2" 'body lift kits' if you need
extra motor clearance above the steering linkage.  With the pickup, you can
afford to look at larger batteries.

ElectroAutomotive is a very reputable company and dealing with them was
acceptable; they were helpful and very professional in the face of delays
from their supplier.  Expect delays from Azure.  My one complaint would be
their payment policy - I don't feel as comfortable handing over $$,000 when
they don't have something in stock with such a known long lead time.  It is
a risk.  I would like to have seen a fractional security deposit payment
with the remainder payed on delivery to feel totally good about it.  

In summary, I would recommend a cheaper DC system for your Saturn in the
short term, and hold on to the Mazda for something more expensive later.

Tom


--- r5aaap at yahoo.com wrote:

From: David Leon <r5aaap at yahoo.com>
To: ausev at austinev.org
Subject: [ausev] New list member and I have a few questions.
Date: Wed, 22 Oct 2008 03:50:28 -0700 (PDT)

I live in an apartment complex (temporary), so I don't have access to
an outside 120/240 source, or a shop/garage to do the conversion.

I was leaning toward the AC kit offered by electroautomotive for $12,000.
I figured it would be a good fit for my 97 Saturn SW1 that I own. I 
figured once I got the first conversion completed, I would convert the 
2008 Mazda B2300 after I made the mistakes with the Saturn.

My questions are, "Has anyone done business with electroautomotive?"
"Could I do better with alternative vendors for similar parts for the
AC kit that electroautomotive offers?"

Then I have a question about financing. Financing at market rates doesn't
make sense money wise. It could only make sense at 0% interest with a 
60 month term. I'm only considering the cost of the parts of the AC kit
at $12,000. My time and labor for the conversion is not included in that
cost.

Are there any federal, state, or local (grants, incentives, tax credits,
etc)
that I could enlist to offset the initial $12,000 cost of the AC kit?

And finally, I guess I'm looking for the optimum conversion by going AC with
the highest possible voltage. I've seen that wet cell deep cycle batteries 
are limited by a maximum current of approximately 400 amps. I figure if I
keep the duty cycle low and the current down, I can get the most lifetime
from the batteries.

Thanks again,
Wannabe EV in San Marcos


      
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