OwnerJames Edmonson
Owner's Other EVsElectric Kazuma
2000 Ford Ranger
LocationCorinth, Mississippi United States map
Email email image
Vehicle1995 Volkswagen Jetta GLS
MotorAdvanced DC FB1-4001A Series Wound DC
9"
Drivetrain5 speed
ControllerCurtis 1231C-7701
This is my second Curtis 1231C-7701, I fried the first one driving 65 MPH in 100F weather for 50 miles
Batteries20 US Battery US-125, 6.00 Volt, Lead-Acid, Flooded
Battery pack changed 3/31/07. Now running on 20 new US Battery 145XC.
System Voltage120 Volts
ChargerZivan NG3
120 VAC input, 120 VDC output
Heater1500 watt electric
DC/DC ConverterZivan NG1
InstrumentationWestburg voltmeter and ammeter
Top Speed83 MPH (133 KPH)
maybe faster
Accelerationzippy enough to keep up with highway traffic
Range65 Miles (104 Kilometers)
85+ miles with opportunity charging
EV Miles
Start:154,135 Miles (248,003 Kilometers)
Current:180,167 Miles (289,888 Kilometers)
Total:26,032 Miles (41,885 Kilometers)
 
    As of 1/29/2008
Seating Capacity5 adults
Curb Weight4,000 Pounds (1,818 Kilograms)
Glider 2600 lbs
Lead 1400lbs
TiresToyo 42 psi
Conversion Time9 months
Conversion Cost$13,000
Additional FeaturesThis vehicle appears stock with the exception of the voltmeter and ammeter and an after market AM/FM/CD player.
Since placement into service on 10/31/2005 I have logged 1500 gas free miles with out a single breakdown or being stranded out of "juice". My daily commute is 50 miles round trip which I can manage with ease. With opportunity charging I have driven 85 miles in single day and still had plenty of volts to spare. Update 5/3/06, I have now driven 5700 miles and on 5/2/06 broke the 100 miles in one day barrier with two opportunity charges. I have also added a Swampy Iceter AC system with a 36 qt cooler. This runs on 12 volts and ice and will drop the passenger compartment temp by 20 degrees for 1.5 hours while pulling only 3 to 4 amps.Update 7/10/06, over 8000 miles now, broke the 150 mile barier in 24 hours with several opportunity charges. for details e-mail me.Update 9/5/06, over 10,000 miles now and still going strong. update on the swampy, while it will drop the temp 20 degrees, if the inside temp of the car is 130 after sitting in the sun all day then it will drop it down to a cool 110. next ev will have AC.Update 10/31/06, on the road one year today, 12600 miles and the batteries show no signs of giving up despite some unintentional abuse (a few cells went completely dry before i noticed)In one year i have used 3701 kwh of electricity at a cost of $.07 per kwh or $257.67 to go more that 12600 miles. thats about $.02 per mile.Update 3/6/07 Over 16600 miles and the battery pack is starting to show signs of wear. My range without opportunity charging has decreased to about 37 miles. I can still make my daily commute as long as i plug in when ever i stop. I think i have abused, neglected and pushed these batteries. Despite frequent charging i have pushed them below the 80% DOD on multiple occasions. i have also allowed the cells to go dry and sit in a discharged state for hours on end. where it did take from 6 to 10 hours to recharge from a 50% to 80% DOD, now it takes 12 hours or more. I am on the rapid down hill portion of the battery life curve. my next pack will have a greater enery density ( i have ordered a set of US battery US145XC with a C20 of 251). Hopefully this will keep me from discharging the pack so deeply each day and subsequently increase the number of charge/discharge cycle I can get. I also plan on adding an automatic watering system to avoid the dry cell events. 4/3/07 Update. Changed the battery pack out. Wow, it's nice to drive my 54 mile daily commute, without charging, and still have 120 volts on my meter when i get home. The down side is that the pack was pricey at $3K. Update 10/25/07 23,000 miles now and several minor problems. In july I fried my curtis controler Driving in the 100 degree F heat at 65mph for 50 miles. I replaced the whole unit and will repair and keep the old one as a backup. Will also plan on placing a small box fan over the unit to assist in cooling. In September, one of the power input terminals on my Zivan NG3 burned through the board. I was able to repair the board and terminal with a new male connector, light soildering and some fiberglass resin. I also had to replace the left rear wheel bearing. Most likely from the excessive weight in the trunk. I am now routinely driving 60 to 65 miles a day often without opportunity charging. 1/29/08 Update. 26000 miles and still going. My Zivan NG3 failed on me again. This time the control selector inside the case fell off its 8 prong connector. this was an easy fix and i was back charging within an hour. It has been cold this winter (20-30F at night and 40F in the day) and I am still able to drive my daily commute without problems.

code by jerry