Engine compartmentRearSide ViewElectric PlugLaptop Test StationPakTrakr Digital MonitorI.C.E. JunkHID HeadlightsUnderTheHoodHybrid Battery Pack
OwnerMichael Barkley
Owner's Other EVsE-Trailer
1992 Murray 42
E-Rotary Mower
1987 Toyota Celica Convertible
LocationBonham, Texas United States map
Web/EmailWebPage email image
Vehicle1994 Mitsubishi Eclipse
White
MotorJack and Heintz G29 Shunt Wound DC
Aircraft Generator, cooled with a 3" inline forced air blower.
Drivetrain5 speed manual transmission
ControllerAlltrax 7245
Cooled with 3 pentium4 heatsinks and fans attached to the controller, and by air blown across the controller from the original ICE's radiator fan.
Batteries13 Interstate US2000, 6.00 Volt, Lead-Acid, Flooded
Motor armature powered with a 78vdc Hybrid pack of LiFePO4/Pb, and the motor field is powered with a separate 24vdc AGM pack.
System Voltage78 Volts
ChargerSchumacher
78 volt pack charged with a Schumacher 10amp charger. 24 volt pack charged with a 24vdc SLA specific charger. 12 volt aux battery charged with a 6amp Schumacher charger
Heater12volt Ceramic Heater, of which I still haven't installed.
DC/DC Converter N/A
Have an 8amp, 12vdc out DC/DC module feeding the Aux 12volt battery that kicks in when the Aux battery gets lower than 12vdc.
InstrumentationPakTrakr Battery Monitor w/current sensor, Digital Multimeter as a secondary voltage monitor also. Digital monitor plugged into a cigarette port monitoring the aux 12vdc battery.
Top Speed65 MPH (104 KPH)
Batteries aren't completely strapped down and enclosed (Still in the build process), therefore I have not taken it out on the HIGHWAY much, but have been able to get up to 65mph on less traveled roads.
AccelerationHad torque issues from a deadstart, but after powering up the field with a separate 24vdc battery pack, and using the 78vdc pack voltage through the Alltrax controller, the car has no problems at inclines from a deadstart.
Range30 Miles (48 Kilometers)
It's looking like by just driving the car at city street speeds, and as high as 45mph on occasion, I can get 30 miles easily, and still hover around 50% DOD on the main battery pack. I doubt since the main pack is only 78vdc, that I'll do much highway driving just because of the current needed to keep that speed at that lower voltage. Hopefully I'll be able to upgrade to a 96vdc controller sometime in the future.
Watt Hours/Mile225 Wh/Mile
EV Miles
Current:500 Miles (804 Kilometers)
Seating Capacity2
Curb Weight3,292 Pounds (1,496 Kilograms)
This is what a local "CAT" scale showed.
Tires165R15 - Volkswagen Beetle style tires, with max PSI allowable by tire manufacturer. Trying for lower rolling resistance, with these skinny tires.
Conversion Time4 months and counting
Conversion CostUnder $3000 - The result of scrounging, scraping, and hunting at various surplus, and scrapyards.
Additional Features12/26/2007 - Installing some LiFePo4 modules in parallel across each of the golf cart batteries, to stiffen them, during acceleration. Have enough for 5 of them, will monitor performance between them and the non stiffened GC batteries.
01/05/2008 - Remaining LiFePO4 cells are on the way, to finish hybridizing the Pb pack. I certainly gained some performance with just 32vdc of LiFePO4 cells paralled onto the main pack. Can't wait to get the entire pack hybridized.


LED Headlights: Experimenting with LED array's for headlights.

LED Bulbs: Have replaced all the lamps that are powered when driving the EV at night, to LED bulbs so that my current draw from the AUX battery and DC/DC converter are much lower.

Air Conditioning: Currently have a small cooler that holds three large blueice packs, mounted in the side of the cooler is a squirrel cage fan that forces air out the bottom side of the cooler while pulling warm air in from the top of the cooler. By the time the air is pulled through the blueice packs, it is nice and cold. The fan runs from a cigarette lighter port, from the Aux 12vdc battery.

11/16/08 - Hybrid pack of LiFePO4 & Flooded Pb/acid batteries are working very well with each other. My normal trip that would usually end at 50% DOD, now ends at around to 75% DOD. The LiFePO4 have never overcharged, with the cheap charger, as I suspect the GC Batteries are protecting them. I've also installed a set of HID Headlights for my low beams. They were off the shelf, and easy to install. I've not pursued the LED headlights anymore as of this time, not enough hours in the day for all my EV experiments.

I'm building this EV, to show the Texomaland Community that the concept works. Interested people can see a vehicle that actually runs on battery power, and can then envision building one themselves.

More photos/progress can be seen at:

www.flickr.com/mbarkley

Many thanks to my fellow members of: www.nteaa.org

The, North Texas Electric Auto Association

code by jerry