My Solectria Force
OwnerWilliam Swann
Owner's Other EV1994 Solectria E-10
LocationHouston, Texas United States map
Web/EmailWebPage email image
Vehicle1996 Solectria Force
4 Door Geo Metro converted by Solectria (now AzureDynamics)
MotorBrusa 3-Phase AC
12kWatt Motor = 16 HP.
DrivetrainAC Motor - 7:1 gear reduction - differential. I estimated this based on tire dia and max motor RPM.
ControllerBrusa AMF325
Variable frequency drive
Batteries13 Deka Dominator, 12.00 Volt, Lead-Acid, Gel
System Voltage156 Volts
ChargerZivan NG3
See www.hstech.biz for blueprint of charger mount retrofit.
HeaterElectric
DC/DC ConverterAzure Dynamics/Solectria
InstrumentationAmp-Hour meter from Solectria. You can use the a-hr meter to figure the amps by timing the amp-hour change, then dividing by the time. For instance:
.05 a-hr/(5 seconds * (1/3600 HR/SEC))= 36 AMPS. Must keep track of the units.
Top Speed70 MPH (112 KPH)
AccelerationI mostly drive in economy mode, where the amps to the motor is limited.
Range50 Miles (80 Kilometers)
The specifications say 45-50 miles if speed < 35 mph. With a new set of batteries, I did a range test of 57.5 miles. I quit when the top speed was no more than 25 MPH. The test speed was < 40 MPH.
Watt Hours/Mile220 Wh/Mile
The challenge is to minimize Watt-Hours/mile. In the range test above, the a-hr meter registered 62 a-hr for 57.8 miles traveled. watt-hr/mile = 62*156/57.5 = 168. This was one test. But over a years time, I average 220 watt-hr / mile.
EV Miles
Start:5,000 Miles (8,045 Kilometers)
Current:15,800 Miles (25,422 Kilometers)
Total:10,800 Miles (17,377 Kilometers)
Seating Capacity4 adults
Curb Weight2,620 Pounds (1,190 Kilograms)
No passengers or luggage.
Conversion TimeConverted by Solectria
Additional FeaturesI recently got the air conditioning going. It draws about 7 amps. This equates to 1.5 HP. This compares to 36 amps driving current at 30 MPH.
With the exception of having to replace batteries, my carbon footprint is "0"*, as my power company is "renewableles only". And this is with 12 year old technology. Come on Detroit!

*Not quite true, in the sense that the batteries, a consumable, have a carbon footprint, as does the car's manufacture.

code by jerry