OwnerJonathan Sackner-Bernstein
LocationChevy Chase, Maryland United States map
Email email image
Vehicle1995 Honda del Sol
MotorAdvanced DC FB1-4001 Series Wound DC
ControllerCurtis 1231
Batteries21 Energizer 220 AH, 6.00 Volt, Lead-Acid, Flooded
System Voltage126 Volts
Charger
Full Wave/Half Wave Bridge Rectifier (40A
max)
Heater120V space heater
Instrumentationcycle analyst high voltage and 12V battery
monitor
Top Speed70 MPH (112 KPH)
Range45 Miles (72 Kilometers)
Seating Capacity2 adults
Curb Weight3,700 Pounds (1,681 Kilograms)
Tiresnew
Conversion Time3+ years reading about it, talking to
people and considering design issues. Then
only 2 months for Jim to complete the
conversion, 3/4 of that time to build, 1/4
to test
Conversion CostJust under $15k including car, repairs and
the conversion
Additional FeaturesThis is a straight forward conversion by James Weirick of
Barberton, OH. If you want to have someone do your
conversion, call Jim.

I didn't know him before we started, and he was the ideal
person for the job. He has plenty of energy to work
collaboratively on design and keeps things simple.

Best of all, great car delivered on time and within
budget!

And for those competitive types, Jim's work gets me more
miles of range per dollar invested than Tesla.

Telsa claims 244 miles for $101,500 and Jim got 50 miles
range, for $15K, making the score Tesla 0.0024 miles/$,
Jim 0.0033 miles/$. (Jim is over 37% better.)

Tesla also reports EPA estimated 220 mile range and I peg
Jim's at 40 - as a conservative estimate. In that case,
Jim still comes out ahead, 0.0027 miles/$ to Tesla;'s
0.0022 miles/$ (Jim's is almost 23% better.)
The bad boy charger is not really an adequate long term
approach. Just ordered a PFC-3000 110/220 charger from ev-
america.

Also, the 12 volt battery needed to be upgraded so I'd have
enough energy to run wipers, headlights, radio and even a
bit of the heater. Plus, it seems ideal to run it off the
main pack using a DC-DC converter (just ordered IOTA with
IQ$ at 45Amps).

code by jerry