Owner | John Santini | ||
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Location | Columbia, New Jersey United States map | ||
Web/Email | WebPage | ||
Vehicle | 1988 Pontiac Fiero OK, so there's not much original from the 1988 Fiero. All that remains are the seats, the steering column and most of the front suspension. This is a ground-up EV project which may eventually become a plug-in hybrid. The concept is essentially the same as the Chevy Volt. However, since I decided I MUST use lithium Ion batteries, and they're so expensive, I'm also focusing on low weight and high efficiency. UPDATE: the prices of lithium ion batteries have come down dramatically. so the first step will be a straight EV. A range extending motor-generator will be a future option. | ||
Motor | ABM 4DGF132Md4 3-Phase AC This is a specially wound low voltage 3 phase AC motor | ||
Drivetrain | My first attempt was a single speed gearbelt 6:1 direct drive to a tandem rear wheel assembly. The 3 wheel concept was problematic in wet or snowy weather, so I converted it to a conventional rear differential with an independent trailing arm suspension. The motor is direct coupled to the Toyota Supra 5.71 differential. Works great now. | ||
Controller | Curtis 1238 3 phase AC Motor Controller. Set for maximum regen capability. Best in the business, IMHO. | ||
Batteries | 30 Thunder Sky LPH200, 3.30 Volt, Lithium Iron Phosphate I finally gott a set of 200AH lithium ion cells. I'm very pleased with them. Internal impedance is very low, and the cells seem to stay in balance within a few millivolts. I've got almost three years and over 10K miles on them now and they have stayed in balance without external balancing circuitry. I monitor each cell with an Agilent data logger. UPDATE: still good as new at the 24K mile mark. | ||
System Voltage | 100 Volts | ||
Charger | MER43WRB-N54D00 (TDI Power) These are telecom/industrial chargers made by TDI Power. Lightweight and high efficiency. 110 or 220VAC input, 54V/80A (2, one on each half of the pack)I could recharge a fully discharged pack in under 3 hours, although I only need 30 minutes for a full charge when I get to work. | ||
Heater | pair of hair dryers (series/parallel for low/high speed)doubles as defroster. Works very well. | ||
DC/DC Converter | modified BC-1 built by EHV Systems in the '70's The original Vicor brick lasted about 6 months, and a Syncor block lasted even less. I had an old BC-1 DC/DC converter from an SCT Rabbit conversion. I modified it with some modern FETs and Schottky diodes and it's been running fine for 2 years now. | ||
Instrumentation | digital panel meters for volts and amps. More to come. | ||
Top Speed | 75 MPH (120 KPH) Geared and plenty of power for the top end of 75MPH. The new differential gives me a slightly higher top end which is nice when driving on Rt 80, even though the speed limit is 65... | ||
Acceleration | 0-60 in 12 seconds | ||
Range | 90 Miles (144 Kilometers) 90 miles by calculation but I actually tried it a few months ago and I got an actual 83 miles averaging around 50MPH in hilly NJ driving. This is a pure electric with the new lithium ion batteries. I originally planned to add a gas engine and alternator to generate 13KW continuous, allowing for continuous cruising on gasoline. I have the 250CC Honda motorcycle engine on a test stand and a permanent magnet modified GM alternator. One of these days I'll make it a hybrid.... | ||
Watt Hours/Mile | 280 Wh/Mile This is based on rough road testing. Looks like its 187Wh/mi at around 45mph. I still haven't taken the time to fully characterize the car. | ||
EV Miles |
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Seating Capacity | 2 adults | ||
Curb Weight | 2,100 Pounds (954 Kilograms) This is my current weight for the finished car with lithium ion batteries and the 4 wheel configuration. | ||
Tires | General Altimax 185/65R14 | ||
Conversion Time | 3 years | ||
Conversion Cost | $23K | ||
Additional Features | The motor controller has Regenerative braking which works extremely well. I've tweaked the parameters for regenerative braking. The way I have it set up, it feels as though you're driving a car with a manual transmission in second gear. I can drive it to work (18.5 miles/30 minutes) without ever touching the brake pedal. Had to add motorized struts to raise and lower the gull wing doors. Eliminated the door latches and associated alignment problems. Also added a driver to activate the brake lights whenever the regen current is above 60 amps. I was almost rear-ended a few times before I installed it. | ||
This is my daily driver to work. Check out my website for the running build diary. The project started as a 3 wheel hybrid. Although it handled great on dry pavement, I had too many issues with the 3 wheel configuration (you can't straddle road kill and your drive wheels are on the dreaded center strip of the road. So I converted it to a conventional 4 wheel with rear trailing arm configuration. The single differential in the rear is chassis mounted with half shafts going out to the wheels. It's from a Toyota Supra which was available with 5.71 gears. I have a 250CC Honda Motorcycle engine and an alternator on a test stand. One of these days it'll become a Hybrid. Reliability has been excellent. I drive it every day to work, and haven't had any breakdowns since my rear axle snapped in the 3 wheel configuration. UPDATE: 31K miles / November 2015: Car has been running great in my daily commute. 5 years on the Lithium Ion Batteries, and I haven't noticed a decrease in range. I'm a believer in Lithium Ion, definitely worth the money. I think the car will die from rust before the batteries give out. WebPage /> |