Owner | George Fox University | ||||||
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Location | Newberg, Oregon United States map | ||||||
Vehicle | 1992 Ford Ranger Low speed grounds and maintenance vehicle converted and used by George Fox University Plant Services for mowing lawns and other short grounds and maintenance related errands. | ||||||
Motor | Advanced DC L91-4003 Series Wound DC 6.7" Dia. 72-120 volt 130 amps continuous 150 amps for one hour 500 amps peak 13 HP continuous 15 HP for one hour 43 HP peak | ||||||
Drivetrain | Advanced DC L91-4003 motor directly coupled to stock 5 speed (clutch-less one speed use). | ||||||
Controller | Alltrax AXE 7245 24 to 72 Volt Input Current Limit: 450 amps 30 second rating: 450 amps 2 minute rating: 450 amps 5 minute rating: 350 amps 1 hour rating: 200 amps | ||||||
Batteries | 6 Trojan T-1275, 12.00 Volt, Lead-Acid, Flooded 12V, 120 AH @ 5 Hr Rate Dimensions (L,W,H): 12-7/8", 7-1/8", 10-7/8" Weight 82 lbs. | ||||||
System Voltage | 72 Volts | ||||||
Charger | Quick Charge SCO7210 Quick Charge Select-A-Charge On Board 72 Volt 10 Amp Charger Dimensions (L,W,H): 9", 6-1/2", 6" Weight: 26 lbs. | ||||||
Heater | None | ||||||
Instrumentation | Stock instruments plus battery pack voltage meter. | ||||||
Top Speed | 40 MPH (64 KPH) Being a low speed maintenance vehicle the clutch was eliminated during the conversion with the intention of only using 1st gear. The truck tops out at around 25mph in 1st gear and 40 mph in 3rd. Upshifting is not too difficult, but downshifting is nearly impossible without coming to a complete stop. | ||||||
Acceleration | Acceleration is good from 0-25mph. From there on acceleration is very slow and impractical. | ||||||
Range | 9 Miles (14 Kilometers) Cruising at 25mph will yield an estimated 9 mile range at 75% depth of discharge. The longest trip so far was 7 miles, after which the battery had plenty of capacity to spare. Round trip from physical pant to main campus is 1.65 miles so running 5 loads of grass clippings and lawn mowers is possible. | ||||||
Watt Hours/Mile | 450 Wh/Mile At 25 mph the batteries are supplying 165.7 Amps at 67.9 Volts (11,250 Watts). | ||||||
EV Miles |
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Seating Capacity | 2 adults | ||||||
Conversion Time | 200 Hrs. (approximate) over the course of 2 months. | ||||||
Conversion Cost | $3,738 for parts and materials. This excludes metal scraps used for making the battery box, motor mounts, alternator bracket etc. | ||||||
Additional Features | An alternator is mounted to the motors auxiliary shaft to help charge the 12V battery. The alternators field is only energized when the brakes are applied via the brake switch and and a relay. A 1 amp trickle charger is connected to the 12V system whenever the vehicle is plugged in. No DC/DC converter is used. 3/4" thick Owens Corning Foamular rigid foam insulation surrounds the batteries. The waste energy from charging/discharging keeps them warm during occasionally freezing winter weather. Since the 1992 Ranger did not come with manual brakes, the master cylinder, brake pedal, and firewall plate off an older Ranger were adapted. This eliminated the need for a vacuum pump to supply the brake booster. |