Rear batteriesGaugesTransportFront batterieschargerOn the roadRear viewUnder the hoodside view 2
OwnerLarry
LocationRichmond, Virginia United States map
Vehicle1988 Ford Escort Wagon
Professionally built on brand-new gliders from Ford in 1988.
MotorGeneral Electric 5BT2366C18 Separately Excited DC
BIG! 11.5" dia. x 16" long
Nominal ratings: 25 hp, 103.7V, 205A
DrivetrainStock 4-speed manual transmission and clutch
2nd gear takes it 0-45, 3rd for freeway driving
ControllerSoleq
400-amp, 800 Hz PWM (Love that 800-Hz hum)
BIG! 24" x 12" x 7"
An engineering tour de force: 120 bipolar power transistors wired in parallel for armature control, plus 10 for the field, then another 60 just for the regenerative braking circuit.
Batteries18 NAPA 8146, 6.00 Volt, Lead-Acid, Flooded
225 Ah, GC-2 size group, made by Exide.
When I bought it, it had 18 worn-out Optima 12V D900 blue-tops, but it was clearly built for GC-2's
System Voltage108 Volts
ChargerSoleq
Switchable 16, 20 and 30 amps
Heater2-kW ceramic heater core, temperature-regulated
DC/DC ConverterSoleq
40-amp
Takes its 800-Hz switching signal from the controller
InstrumentationDigital voltmeter and ammeter under dash
Batcon Batstat state-of-charge meter
Analog AC ammeter, DC voltmeter on charger
Onboard residential electric meter records line AC kWh used
LEDS: Power on, Hi/Lo voltage, overheat
Top Speed70 MPH (112 KPH)
From historical data. Highest I've had it is 50, but it could certainly go faster.
Acceleration0-30 in 10 sec
0-45 in 21 sec
Pokey on upgrades, otherwise typical for a 20-yr-old compact.
Range50 Miles (80 Kilometers)
Just a guess really, at 30 mi the SOC reads about 50%.
Watt Hours/Mile359 Wh/Mile
Input line AC Whr as measured by the onboard electric meter for 3 months of real-life commuting in warm weather on surface roads. On a good day I can hit 3 mi/kWh, much better than I expected based on historical data of 1.6-1.9 mi/kWh.
EV Miles
Start:18,630 Miles (29,975 Kilometers)
Current:24,765 Miles (39,846 Kilometers)
Total:6,135 Miles (9,871 Kilometers)
 
    As of 10/11/2010
Seating Capacity5 adults
Curb Weight3,180 Pounds (1,445 Kilograms)
TiresRoadpro GK65 radials
Conversion Time~60 hrs in repairs
Conversion CostOriginally, probably $30-40,000
Purchase price in 2007: $1850
Shipping from Albuquerque: $1300
New battery pack: $1700
Misc. repair parts: $400
Additional FeaturesRegenerative braking, max. 200 amps @ 130V.
Heavy-duty struts
Power brakes with 12V vacuum pump
Air conditioning (not currently functional) runs off an AC inverter

code by jerry