Why did we decide to convert a vehicle?
We decided to invest in wind energy several years ago because we believe that if we use energy efficiently, we can generate what we need in a non-polluting way. And, the energy is essentially free once you make the initial investment. Who knows what energy costs will do?
- We discovered that we were generating more electricity than we expected with the wind turbine (50% more on average), especially if we were careful about our use.
- Needed another car soon, and decided that our transportation need was a good place to use the excess.
- Wanted to drive cleaner, pollute less
- Wanted to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels
- Wanted more stability in transportation fuel costs
- Didn’t want to wait on “The Big Three”, so, the next option was to convert a vehicle ourselves. Started researching EV’s a couple years ago and found that there were none capable of highway speeds available for purchase from a manufacturer – they’d been discontinued or destroyed (watch “Who Killed the Electric Car”). Electric cars are not new. Click here for a history of electric cars.
Facts:
· Almost 2/3 of our country’s oil demand is used for transportation. One of the best ways to reduce dependence on foreign oil is to come up with transportation alternatives.
· EV’s are about 50% more efficient than gas powered vehicles. That is, 50% more of the energy in the fuel put into the vehicle ends up at the wheels – including electric generation losses at the powerplant.
· Batteries are 99% recyclable, and this is commonplace in the U.S. Remember that “core charge” you paid last time you replaced your car battery? And, battery technology is improving.
As a side note – we don’t feel sorry for the automakers, people have wanted efficient cars (not just 30 mpg), plug-in hybrids that allow most commuting to be done on a charge at home, and all-electric vehicles for a long time. The technology has been there for 15 years; it just hasn’t been allowed in the main-stream or developed further. For instance, the new Tesla Roadster can go approximately 220 miles on a charge, and 0 – 60 mph in under 4 seconds. If the big three had continued making progress with EV technology, they’d have a vehicle like this available now too. We’d all be much farther ahead than we are now.
FAQ’s:
Are
some vehicles better suited to convert to EV’s?
Just about any vehicle can
be converted, but it helps to have a light vehicle with a good payload
capacity. And, kits and transmission adaptors are made for some vehicles,
minimizing the need for lots of fabrication.
What
vehicle did you convert?
The challenge in our case
was the type and length of our commute – mostly highway speeds for a solid 40
miles round trip. This would mean not only lots of batteries, but high capacity
batteries. A vehicle that fit the bill was a 2002 Chevy S-10 Pickup. The
original vehicle had A/C, power steering, and power brakes, but we kept only
the power brakes. We found a “kit” for this vehicle at www.CanEV.com.
How
much did it cost?
In our case, about $15,000
including batteries. Components or kit costs are anywhere from about $5000 to
$12,000 depending on the vehicle and completeness of the kit. Batteries (golf
cart) can cost anywhere from $1500 to $5000 depending on how fast and how far
you need to drive.
How
long did it take?
Study and homework, about 6
months in spare time. Once components arrived, the better part of 5 months,
including lots more study and homework. Experienced mechanics and people with
electrical backgrounds could do it more quickly.
Did
you have help?
We couldn’t have done it
without the help of Joe Hulverson, who provided work space and practically did
all the mechanical work. If he didn’t do it, he guided me all the way. Randy
from RightHand Engineering (one of the electrical component suppliers) also
provided lots of assistance via email since he recently did the same
conversion. Many other garages and auto parts suppliers in Marquette were very
helpful too.
What
motor did you use?
Advanced DC, 9 inch, 28 HP
continuous, 100 HP peak
What
kind of transmission?
EV’s almost always use a
manual transmission or direct drive. Automatic transmissions make poor
conversions. We used the original, 5 speed manual transmission.
How
many batteries did it take?
We used 26, 6V, 250 Amp-hr
golf cart batteries wired in series. Nominal 156V, 250 Amp-hr pack.
How
much does it weigh?
Much more than before the
conversion – a bout 4500 lbs, because batteries are heavy.
How
far can you go on a charge?
About 40 miles (leaves
about 20% battery reserve)
How
fast can you go?
About 70 mph
How
long does it take to recharge?
About 6 hrs at 240V, or
about 12 hrs at 120V
What
kind of mileage do you get?
About 2 miles per kWh of
electricity
What
does it cost to drive?
At $0.14/kWh, it costs
about 7 cents/mile, but our first 100 kWh (or 200 miles on average) are
courtesy of our wind turbine. For comparison, a 30 mpg car at $3/gal of gas
would cost about 10 cents/mile.
Is
additional maintenance required?
Water batteries every month
or so.
What
are some advantages?
Quiet, relaxing ride. No
oil changes, tune-ups, exhaust repairs, coolant flushes, and … no stops at the
gas station.
What
are some Disadvantages?
For a converted vehicle,
possibly limited driving season in UP.
Where
can I go for more information?
Electric Auto Association www.eaaev.org
Don’t
wind turbines kill birds?
Yes, but not near as many
as cars, house windows, and communications towers; and we seem to have no
problem continuing to build these things. Cats too, by the way, kill far more
birds than wind turbines. Sited appropriately, wind turbines (especially
residential size) are far less hazardous to wildlife than most other man-made
(and many naturally occurring) threats.
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