Jim Sander's 1972 VW Super Beetle

Owner	Jim Sander
Location	Seattle, Washington United States ^map
Web	WebPage
Vehicle	1972 Volkswagen Super Beetle
Motor	D&D Motor Systems, Inc. Series Wound DC
Drivetrain	Original 4 speed transaxle, rear wheel drive.
Controller	Alltrax AXE-7245
Batteries	9, 8.00 Volt, Lead-Acid, Flooded 72 volt seems under powered and the bare minimum. I will likely upgrade in the future
System Voltage	72 Volts
Charger	Quick Charge
Heater	Cheesy 12 volt defroster
DC/DC Converter	12 volt battery
Instrumentation	Ammeter, 150 Volt Meter, 12 volt meter
Top Speed	47 MPH (75 KPH) Still breaking it in. I think with some tinkering with the linkage it will go faster. Hills really suck.
Acceleration	Modest
Range	28 Miles (45 Kilometers) I've never run it into the ground so any absolute figure is impossible. My best guess is 26-28 miles. I live in West Seattle which is all hills and that skews the range.
Seating Capacity	4 humans
Curb Weight	0 Lead acid batteries are like driving with a heiffer in the back seat.
Tires	4
Conversion Time	2 months
Conversion Cost	+/- 3500.00
I am not a mechanic. I began this project because I was angry about oil, the Iraq war, pollution and the general greed of the oil/automotive industries. What I discovered was that it wasn't as hard or as expensive as I thought it would be. When I took my 85 year old dad out on the first test run he turned to me and said, almost sadly: " They've been pulling the wool over our eyes for years haven't they?"

1972 VW Super Beetle“Buzz”