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| Electro Metro; Lotsa pics | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Aug 23 2012, 11:40 PM (15,558 Views) | |
| evmetro | Dec 11 2012, 02:55 PM Post #31 |
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Building an EV is much like building a hotrod or harley. It can cost very little, or an awful lot. The way it performs can be equally wild. The lead sled metro in this thread does not even have regenerating brakes, and drives like a metro with an extra 1000 pounds in it. It will still blow the doors off a gasoline metro and cost half as much to fuel, but still not a really enjoyable ride. The build that I am finishing now with the 3 phase ac motor and lithium feels a world different. The brake regen feel is very different, but I can get used to not needing the brake pedal. I have gotten used to not having a clutch too. |
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| Cobb | Dec 11 2012, 03:13 PM Post #32 |
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BANNED
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Tell us more. I got the inverter out of an HCH since I understand its one hell of a 3 phase controller for ac or dc motors up to 600 volts and 600 amps. I was going to use it to drive a motor connected to or in parallel to the drive shaft of my suzuki and use my phev kit lifepo4 battery pack to run it for testing purposes before I go up in scale. The inverter is part of the IMA system and needs 24 volts to power the electronics. If you use a 3 phase dc motor you need to wire up the rotor position sensors and a square wave generator to drive it.
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| evmetro | Dec 11 2012, 11:08 PM Post #33 |
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Do it to it! 600 volts and 600 amps sounds fun. |
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| nerys | Dec 12 2012, 12:53 AM Post #34 |
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Grr
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I would love to hear what you consider "cost a little" for a EV. I sure can't afford one. of any kind :-( |
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| evmetro | Dec 12 2012, 02:08 AM Post #35 |
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You can find lead sleds out there that need new batteries or nobody knows how to work on it for under 5k. |
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| Cobb | Dec 12 2012, 07:01 AM Post #36 |
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BANNED
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Thats what I plan to do when I get the dough. Look for one that "needs new batteries".
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| evmetro | Dec 12 2012, 10:22 AM Post #37 |
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All the dead ones for sale that I come across are lead sleds, and I think that this is because lithium is still pretty new. you could find an older lead sled and convert to lithium to get a nice ev for less. The biggest expense I have encountered is the cost of lithium, but you may not need as much as you would think. While many people think they need a lot of range, they don't often take into consideration how little they really do drive. People like to have the ability to go much further than they really do. While more lithium is nicer, it is a major cost that can be reduced by getting realistic. |
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| Cobb | Dec 12 2012, 01:15 PM Post #38 |
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BANNED
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Owning a hybrid with nickel metal cells and a phev kit with lifepo4 cells Ive gotten a crash course in battery balancing as well as maintenance. Unlike a power tool you can run til it stops spinning and recharge it, doing so to an EV will ruin the batteries. Ive known a few people who wanted an ev, built an ev and drove it every charge til it couldnt maintain speed ruining the battery pack. So finding an ev that needs a new pack is a good thing. That means the owner knew nothing about batteries and didnt drive it much. The more I learn about the above mentioned batteries, the more Id rather stick with plain old deep cycle lead acid. Ive brought those back from the dead. I cant say the same for the others. |
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| evmetro | Jan 29 2013, 01:12 AM Post #39 |
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I finally got around to getting the lead out.![]() Looks like the suspension was beefed up a little to hold the 1600lbs of lead. The new pack that is on its way will only be about 350lbs. ![]()
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| patrickbruce | Jan 29 2013, 01:20 AM Post #40 |
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average teenage gearhead
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niiiiiiice |
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| patrickbruce | Jan 29 2013, 01:21 AM Post #41 |
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average teenage gearhead
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can I buy the center caps from you?
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| evmetro | Mar 22 2013, 11:03 PM Post #42 |
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I got some framework done for the under hood components. ![]() The green box is the charger, the purple one is the controller. ![]() Got batteries in today... I got 45 of the smaller cells shown here. They are 100ah, and 3.2 volts each. 45 of these in a series string will make 144 volts. Those bigger cells are for my 93 metro.
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| evmetro | Mar 22 2013, 11:18 PM Post #43 |
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I arranged the cells here for a proposed box shape... 9 cells by 5 cells for 45. about 24"x30". I want to fab a box for these right away so that I can wire them up in parallel and balance them. It takes awhile on my power supply to get them all top balanced, so if I fab a box for them, I can mount the box while the cells balance.
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| nerys | Mar 23 2013, 12:39 AM Post #44 |
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Grr
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man I wish I had that kind of cash. just WOW. what kind of range and lifespan do you think you will get out of them? how much did they cost? |
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| evmetro | Mar 23 2013, 12:57 AM Post #45 |
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This 100ah pack should get about 60 miles range, and I suspect that this type of pack will be what the do it your selfer community will embrace. One of the first things that newcomers to EVs experiences is something we call "range anxiety" Most people are used to 250 to 500 miles of range from a tank of gasoline, and have a hard time with having less. In reality, most of us will never see more than 50 miles a day, which is what this pack is suited for. figure 20 miles to work, 20 miles home, and 10 to 20 miles of whatever. Plug it in in your driveway or garage at night and it is ready to do the same thing in the morning. If you have a bigger commute, get a bigger pack, but lithium is not cheap. This pack is about 5K$ and can be a workhorse, which is why I want to build this Metro on a tight budget. When you look at a longer range, you may consider having a tahoe or suburban in your garage for that trip to disneyland/world... kinda like you don't need a yacht for two guys to go fishing- take a little bass boat out on the lake for this. |
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I got the inverter out of an HCH since I understand its one hell of a 3 phase controller for ac or dc motors up to 600 volts and 600 amps. I was going to use it to drive a motor connected to or in parallel to the drive shaft of my suzuki and use my phev kit lifepo4 battery pack to run it for testing purposes before I go up in scale.





7:23 PM Jul 10