OwnerTom Rapini
LocationMentor, Ohio United States map
Email email image
Vehicle1972 Honda N600
Sedan
MotorGeneral Electric Series Wound DC
12 HP, 67 VDC, 160 amp continuous, air cooled.

Replaced brushes in 2016, about 30,000 miles on
the motor.
DrivetrainOriginal 4-speed transmission
ControllerCurtis 1221C
... reliable, but squeals at start up - very
annoying, EV's should be quiet!
Batteries36, 3.20 Volt, Lithium Iron Phosphate
Finally made the jump to Li batteries !!! Lots
of up-front money, but performance improvement
has been great, and the life/cycle benefits
should more than make it
worthwhile !
System Voltage115 Volts
ChargerManzanita Micro PFC30 --- 30amp @ 240 volt
This is a great, versatile charger. Thanks
Bruce Roberts (check out his Porcshe EV !) I
can easily crank the amps up or down depending
on where I am plugging in to charge
HeaterWaste motor heat did not provide enough, plus I
wanted to dedicate its cooling fan. So in Jan.
of 2016 I made a simple electric heater with two
large resistance elements stuck inside a 3"
flexible exhaust pipe.
DC/DC ConverterMeanwell SD-200D-12
Tried wiring my 115VDC main battery bank into
a standard AC to DC converter (thought the DC
might just pass right through the rectifier
circuitry). Nope, it didn't like the DC. So
I now have a legitimate DC to DC converter.
I undersized it a bit (only 200 watts),
thinking it would just draw off the battery
if it couldn't deliver enough current during
the rare times I need headlights AND wipers
AND all other accessories. UNFORTUNATELY,
instead of holding its max current of 30
amps, it FAULTS OUT and shuts completely off
!!! My work-around was to shut off the
wipers before I use the turn signal or brake
lights if I am driving at night in the rain!
BUT, in 2019 LED light bulbs came to the
rescue ! The drop in current draw by
changing all the tail and turn-signal lights
to LED bulbs has solved the current fault
problem
InstrumentationGrin Technologies Cycle Analyst, high current
model... excellent $150 investment
Top Speed60 MPH (96 KPH)
Its an around-town car, not used on freeways or
at speeds over 45mph
AccelerationFair, car is underpowered with the 12hp motor.
Was a real dog with the lead acid batteries, but
now it is much lighter and quicker. Can easily
maintain 40 mph speed on hills once it gets
going
Range70 Miles (112 Kilometers)
Not completely tested yet, Li batteries
installed Sept. 28, 2015
EV Miles
Current:37 Miles (59 Kilometers)
Seating Capacity2 adults
Curb Weight1,600 Pounds (727 Kilograms)
Original curb weight was 1300 lbs, removed
engine and accessories, added motor and
batteries. Guessing weight is now around 1600,
judging by how much the springs came up once I
switched out the lead-acid's
TiresStandard 10" radials... that's right, TEN inch !
Conversion TimeHours plus more hours... still counting. With
the upgrades and rusted-body change-outs, its
got to be over 1500 hours by now !
Conversion Costaround $2000 originally, just spent $150 for
meter and $3800 for batteries in 2015
The car's battery charging is supplemented by my home's 5500 watt
photovoltaic array. It has been very reliable, over 28,000 miles
under electric power, but this is more a testimonial to the
simplicity and reliability of the electric vehicle rather than my
technical skills.

Picture here is FOURTH generation and also the third body, as I've
rusted out two others driving in our snowy, salt obsessed, suburb of
Cleveland.

1993 - First generation was with seven 12 volt marine batteries
1998 - Second generation was with twelve 6 volt Trojans
2006 - Third generation with multiple purchases of used gel-cells
2015 - LiFePo4
last update for this data, 11-21-22

code by jerry