Trunk AreaHood AreaCharger Plug-in
OwnerMike Nickerson
LocationMiddleton, Idaho US map
Web/EmailWebPage email image
Vehicle1993 Honda del Sol
MotorAdvanced DC FB1-4001A Series Wound DC
Motor is reverse rotation due to Honda transmission. Motor
has been set to reverse timing to compensate.
DrivetrainAdvanced DC 9" Series DC. Fed by ThunderSky LiFePO4
cells and a Kelly controller.
ControllerKelly KDH14100D
Batteries45 Thunder Sky TS-LFP100AHA , 3.20 Volt, Lithium Iron Phosphate
System Voltage144 Volts
ChargerElcon PFC 2000+
144v charger. Draws 15A on 120V, 10A on 240V.
Automatically switches between 120/240VAC. This allows
me to charge at 220V at home and 110V at work.
HeaterMES DEA RM4 (finally installed and working!)
DC/DC ConverterElcon 132-168V
InstrumentationEV Works Fuel Gauge Driver
Digital Voltmeter
Digital Ammeter with capacitive decoupling circuit from Lee
Hart.

Thermistor in motor driving temperature gauge on dash
Top Speed75 MPH (120 KPH)
AccelerationGood in 2nd. A little doggy in 3rd. Clutchless conversion
means waiting 3-4 seconds for motor to slow before
shifting.
Range55 Miles (88 Kilometers)
(estimated at 60 mph in 3rd gear)

I have driven 45 miles and still had range left.
Watt Hours/Mile250 Wh/Mile
Average Wh/mile on my commute. 23 miles each way with
3/4 highway and 1/4 stop/go traffic as I enter the city.
Measured at the wall, so battery Ah would be 10-
15% less.
EV Miles
Start:204,771 Miles (329,476 Kilometers)
Current:221,990 Miles (357,181 Kilometers)
Total:17,219 Miles (27,705 Kilometers)
 
    As of 4/29/2013
Seating Capacity2 adults
Curb Weight2,550 Pounds (1,159 Kilograms)
Original vehicle was 2300 lbs, removed 250 lbs and added 500
lbs.
TiresPirelli Extra LRR tires (P6 Four Seasons Plus)
Conversion Time150 hours
Conversion Cost$14,600
Additional FeaturesThe original fuel gauge, tachometer, speedometer, and temp gauges work. I
built a tach sending unit with a hall-effect sensor on the auxilliary shaft of
the motor.

Temp gauge is wired to thermistor in motor sized to match original temperature
sending gauge.

Idaho License Plate: LIFEPO4

[March 2010]
Just installed new struts and a manual steering rack.

[April 2010]
I've sold my Paktrakr 800 and EV Dashboard
WebPage />
[May 2010]
Installed an EV Works Fuel Gauge Driver, an Elcon 2000+ charger and a
MiniBMS.

[Jul 2010]
del Sold.

[Aug 2010] (new owner)
Added DC-DC converter switched by main contactor so it's only on when
ignition is on. Realized later that this means DC-DC converter is slowly
draining pack through pre-charge resistor.

[Nov 2010]
Currently rewiring to add solid state relay for heater and DC Converter and
bring BMS and AC relay inside a metal box. Wiring twist-lock receptacle under
fuel filler door. Creating adapter cords for 120V/20A and 240V/20A.

[April 2011]
Wiring is finished and car is back on the road. Still don't have heater installed
though. All other wiring is complete. DC-DC Converter and heater power are
now switched by solid-state relay. DC-DC Converter has
in-rush limiters.

[July 2011]
Finally got the 240V outlet wired in the shop. Now charging at 240V! The
Elcon charger fan runs noticeably faster at 240V. I also have a kWh meter
on the 240V outlet so I can start collecting wh/mile metrics again.

Finished installing the digital meters. They have transformer boards to use
150V as their power input. I figure this lessens the chance of blowing
meters. The current shunt is on the positive side of the pack so I made up a
capacitive coupling circuit from Lee Hart's description on EVDL. This protects
the 50mv input of the meter from any chance of getting 150V.

[December 2011]
Finally got the heater installed. Mornings have been very chilly! Still working
on a final solution to battery heat. LiFePO4 batteries sag more
when cold and this affects performance.

I'm going with Hydor Hydrokables as battery heaters. These are designed for
lizards in terrariums. They seem to have a maximum temperature of 105F.
Hydor also has a thermostat which regulates by cutting AC power.
Adding boxes of 1/2" foam and 1/4" plywood. That's all I can fit in.

[April 2011]
The heaters and battery boxes are finally installed and car is back on the road
again. This required rearranging the cells under the hood and getting
everything packed under the hood again.

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