Ed Thorpe's 1998 Ford Ranger EV

Owner

Ed Thorpe

Owner's Other EVs

1998 Honda EVplus
2000 Corbin Sparrow
2001 Xootr eX3
1993 Kewet EL-JET3
1973 Aurenthetic Charger

Location

Alameda, California US ^map

Vehicle

1998 Ford Ranger EV
OEM Lead-Acid Battery Pickup, production vehicle by Ford. Originally part of the Alabama Freeway Maintenance fleet.

Motor

Siemens Type 1 PV5133-4WS20W11 3-Phase AC
90 HP 67 kW 3 phase 13,000 RPM max

Drivetrain

Single speed ratio 12.518:1, RWD, Rear Motor

Controller

Siemens Mfg. By Siemens A.G. for Ford
300 Amp with regen, up to about 350v

Batteries

26 Hawker PC-2150 Oddyssey, 12.00 Volt, Lead-Acid, AGM
Group 31 batteries to replace OEM 8v pack for greater range and dependability (upgraded 7/2007).

System Voltage

312 Volts

Charger

Siemens Ford OEM Mfg. by Siemens?
4-5 kW on-board Avcon 240 VAC inlet individual battery monitoring(passive)

Heater

2 stage electric resistance (PTC) with automatic climate control

DC/DC Converter

Lambda Ford OEM Mfg. by Lambda
100 Amp output, liquid cooled

Instrumentation

a) speedometer
b) miles to empty
c) "fuel" gauge
d) system temperature
e) warning lights for: "on" indicator, low charge, power limit, malfunction, charging, etc.

Top Speed

86 MPH (138 KPH)
computer limited.

Acceleration

reasonable

Range

50 Miles (80 Kilometers)
Range has increased with replacement pack, although need to drive daily to keep the pack exercised. Have achieved 50 miles commuting using 70% of capacity.

Watt Hours/Mile

400 Wh/Mile
Presently can only calc efficiency after recharging from the outlet. Including fan loads and balancing, a full-range charge typically averages 400 whr/m.

EV Miles

Start:	10,193 Miles (16,400 Kilometers)
Current:	23,000 Miles (37,007 Kilometers)
Total:	12,807 Miles (20,606 Kilometers)
	As of 5/1/2008

Seating Capacity

2 adults or 3 people max, bench seat.

Curb Weight

4,750 Pounds (2,159 Kilograms)
650 pound payload
(gas model 1998 is 3,060 lb curb)

Tires

Uniroyal Tigerpaw LRR (50 psi) P225-70R15

Conversion Time

OEM, only conversion time is for replacing with alternative batteries.

Conversion Cost

TBD

Additional Features

Economy mode to increase range
Variable regenerative braking
Variable assist electro-hydraulic power steering
Sanden 3-phase electric air conditioning
Battery thermal managment (warmers and fan)
Four wheel power ABS disc brakes
Tilt steering
dual 2nd generation air bags
alloy wheels
Explorer suspension components and frame rails
heat rejecting glass
Composite leaf springs & Watts linkage
aluminum hood
Really cool looking aluminum dropped real axle to which the traction motor is mounted.
tonneau cover
full ODB2 diagnastics

Basically a City 15-22 mpg, Highway 20-27 mpg(epa)gas pickup purpose-built as all-electric, with raised ground clearance due to the battery box. Performing at better than 75 mpge (miles per gal. equivalence) when measured from the wall (AC input).

Original battery pack was: 39 8v East Penn VRLA AGM 85 ahr special-built battery for Ford, measuring 15.28" (388mm) x 4.1" (112mm) x 6.94" (176.25mm), weighing 42.5 lb (19.3Kg) each. Together combines into a 2000 lb VRLA battery pack with heaters mounted in composite box between frame rails (Explorer frame, Ranger cab & body). Original pack allowed range of about 50 miles per charge. Have driven 6 65+ miles trips with 10% warning < 1 mile from end with about 5,000 miles on OEM pack. But OEM pack only warrantied for about 12,000 miles under Ford's original program.

code by jerry