OwnerAndrew Merton
LocationLower Hutt, Wellington New Zealand map
Vehicle1995 BMW 328i/4 SE
MotorAdvanced DC FB1-4001A Series Wound DC
Drivetrain5-speed manual (probably clutch-less)
ControllerCurtis 1231C-8601
Batteries12 Trojan T1275, 12.00 Volt, Lead-Acid, Flooded
This is what I'd like to use, but we'll
see how much everything weighs after I've
removed the ICE...
System Voltage144 Volts
ChargerZivan NG3
HeaterBlankets, probably, at least initially!
DC/DC ConverterThermaltake 450W (modified)
InstrumentationStandard, hopefully, but modified to show
useful stuff (amps, volts etc). The E36
electrics shouldn't be too complex for
hacking (the iBus (CAN?) wasn't introduced
until the E46)
Top Speed60 MPH (96 KPH)
This is what I need to avoid irritating
other users on New Zealand's motorways...
AccelerationHopefully there'll be enough
Range30 Miles (48 Kilometers)
Again, this is what I need for my commute,
so if it doesn't get this much, I'll be
disappointed!
EV Miles
Start:205,000 Miles (329,845 Kilometers)
Current:205,000 Miles (329,845 Kilometers)
Total:0 Miles (0 Kilometers)
Seating CapacityI need at least 3, but 4 would be nice...
TiresYokohama 225/50 16" tyres (came with the
car. Might need to go to something with
lower RR...)

Conversion CostCar: NZ$ 4020 ~US$ 2000
Components: NZ$ 7000 ~US$ 3500

(so far...)
28-Mar-2009: The car is being handed over tomorrow, but it's
9 hours drive away, so I won't actually get it until we fly
to Auckland in a couple of weeks.

Still clearing the garage...

20-Nov-2009: had the car for a while now; started removing
bits as of about 2 weeks ago. Nearly ready to pull the
actual engine. I'm going to get the AC drained first - won't
be using it for a while, so there's not much point in
needing to be careful about it while the other work is going
on.

code by jerry