The
conversion seems to have received a fair amount of publicity and with it, a fair
amount of questions!Frequently Asked Questions
The
conversion seems to have received a fair amount of publicity and with it, a fair
amount of questions!
I find that every day I'm often answering the same questions, such as how far does it go, why did you choose the Tredia and so on, so I thought the best idea would be to put it all down in a list format.
There are some very good questions that have been asked, and I've listed all the common ones. Of course if you find there's a question missing from the list you can always email me and I'll chuck it on here!
I've also created a video of the frequently asked questions in person. Sometimes it's a bit easier to imagine something when it's in a video, as opposed to photos and text.
So, on to the questions!
How fast does it go?
I’m expecting between 130 km/h and 140 km/h which is around 80 to 86mph. Of
course I'll never know what the top speed is because doing so would be breaking
the speed limit and we can’t have that now can we? ;)
How far can it go per charge?
So far I’ve squeezed 35 kilometres (21 miles) out of half a charge, so in theory I
should be able to go 70km or 42 miles if I drained it flat. That is with gentle,
economical driving. Planting your foot hard down at the lights to show off the
acceleration seriously kills your range - although it's worth it! Our city is
small and the car was built with that in mind so the current range is just what
I was expecting from my small battery pack. Obviously adding more batteries
would give you more mileage if this sort of range isn't enough for your own
needs.
How long does it take to recharge?
Charging from half-empty to full used to take over 10 hours, but now it normally takes
around 2 hours and 45 minutes on my fancy new Zivan charger! Cool huh? I never
take the pack below half way as it reduces the life of the batteries.
What's kind of acceleration does it have?
The acceleration is much better than I expected! It does 0 to 50 kilometres an
hour (31 miles an hour) in just on 5 seconds in second gear. If I used 1st
gear to start and could change gear quickly then it would be even faster. I
expect the good acceleration is partly due to the lighter, smaller battery packs
I'm using. The whole battery pack weighs only 230 kilograms (507 pounds).
How heavy is the car?
It’s 1180 kilograms after all the batteries have gone in. This is only 200
kilograms heavier than the standard weight which means I didn't have to upgrade
the suspension or brakes which all adds up to costing less.
Has your power bill gone up?
Yes. It's gone up by around $15 a month. This is mostly because we're using the
electric car a lot lately. If we were still driving a gas powered car
with our increased driving and the increased fuel costs, our monthly fuel bill
would be over $250 a month. One day I'd like to run both the car and the house
wholly off solar power. Now wouldn't that be fantastic!
How do you change gear with no clutch?
I hardly ever need to! Second gear is all I ever use for around town. These
motors have a "redline" of 5800 and they like spinning fast as the internal
fans keeps the air rushing through. If I want to hit the highway then I can
put the car into 3rd gear. It’s very easy to do although it takes a couple of
seconds longer than in a car with a clutch. You have to take your foot off the
gas, wait for the motor to wind down a little and the gear lever slots in
easily. Starting off in 2nd gear doesn't strain the motor as DC motors are
renowned for their strong, low-speed torque.
How do you stop that whining noise at low speed?
You don't. In fact you learn to love it! That noise is the controller lowering
the voltage at low speed by chopping it up hundreds of times a second. Doing
that creates the violin-like noise you can hear. There’s nothing I can do about
it so I’ve decided to find it cool.
Why don't you install a generator to charge the car
while driving?
This is a very common question but with today’s technology it’s currently
impossible to recharge your car while driving as you’d end up using more power
to turn a generator than you could get back. Some claim there are
generators around that create more power that is needed to turn it (aka
perpetual motion systems) however I've
never seen anyone selling them so I don't yet believe the stories. There are heaps
of videos on youtube about these magical, perpetual-motion generators, and some
very enthusiastic supporters but until we can actually buy one it's battery technology that interests me more. It
can be a really controversial
topic so I’ll leave it there!
There is one option though, you can use a thing called Regenerative Braking, which is where the motor becomes a generator when you’re braking or going downhill. You can gain about 10% extra range with this regenerative braking and Hybrids use it too. Unfortunately the Curtis controllers don't have that option! Maybe the next EV?
What happens when you want to drive long distance?
We have a couple of options. With the $2080 a year we save in fuel, we'll be able to take a plane to other cities instead of driving. Alternatively, my mate Rob has offered for us to borrow his car whenever we need it - as long as I give it a wash! Sounds like quite a fair deal to me. Saves owning & servicing my old gas car.
Why don’t you tow a generator on a trailer for long distance?
I’d thought about it, but it turns out I’d need a generator weighing and costing around the same as the Tredia just to generate enough power for some of the steep mountainous roads in New Zealand, so it’s easier and cheaper to fly or borrow a gas car for long distance driving.
Why did you choose that car?
It met my basic criteria so I bought it. I was after a simple, small/medium car with no power steering or air conditioning for very little money. For $180 it was a great first EV.
Is it really worth it financially?
Yes it is. Including electricity, Road User Charges, Vehicle Registration fees, 6 monthly Warrant of Fitness inspections, depreciation, general servicing (including tyres) and even including a replacement battery pack every three years, the Tredia costs around $0.24 cents per kilometre to run. In comparison (according to the NZ AA) the average petrol-powered car in New Zealand costs $0.88 cents per kilometre to run - and that was when fuel was $1.50 a litre. Another financial benefit to owning an EV is that as long as they're maintained and the batteries are in good shape, they hold their value.
What’s it like owning an EV
So far it’s brilliant. We’ve only been driving it since February (2008) but we’ve still managed to clock up over three thousand gas free kilometres - which isn’t easy in a city this size. With the price of fuel at $1.98 a litre ($5.70 US per gallon), it's a real money saver. Not only that but there’s 3 to 4 tonnes less carbon in the atmosphere each year thanks to this simple little car.
It’s also very satisfying driving past the gas stations, or parking next to a gas pump only to buy some chewing gum with “Electric Vehicle” on the back of the car. I’m surprised more people aren’t converting their cars. I still get the "EV Grin" a lot while driving - I'm still amazed at how there's nothing but electricity powering me up the hills. It’s bloody fantastic!
What would you do differently next time?
Ahhh, they say the second conversion is always the best one and I'd agree.
If (probably more like
when) I convert another car, I’d choose a more modern car. I have no regrets
about using the Tredia for my first conversion, but I’d recommend to anyone
about to convert their own car, don’t buy one with rust or bodywork needed. It’s
not worth the hassle. Spend an extra few dollars and get a tidy, rust free
example. It can shave months off your conversion process and save you money in
the long run. Secondly, I’d choose a car that’s more sleek, aerodynamic and good
looking. Differences in aerodynamics alone can sometimes add 1/3 more range to
your conversion.
Would you convert
another car?
Yeah,
now that I know how easy it is! But it’ll have to wait as we’re just beginning
to save for a house. In fact for the last 6 months I’ve been thinking of what
car I would convert next.
I do like the new Daihatsu Sirion on the left here… Hmmm… Now that you can buy a pack of lightweight LiFePO4 (lithium) batteries for almost the same price as lead-acid (dollar for mile) it's starting to spark my interest.
I worked out that a lithium battery pack the same size as the Tredia (12.2kWh) would cost around $12,000 US from LionEV.com and yet it would give 80% more range and weigh around half the weight!
So you never know, that unsuspecting car on the left could be KiwiEV II...
Having said that, it's only been a few months since I've finished the first one and while my wife’s been incredibly supportive in this project, I can tell you right now, she would probably kill me if I bought home another car for converting!
So there you have it. These have been the most common questions I get asked by email and in person. If you do have any other questions please let me have them and I’ll add them to this list.
If you’re looking where to
start for your first conversion, I suggest you compare the hundreds of existing
conversions at
www.evalbum.com. That will give you an idea of how much others have spent
and what specs they’ve achieved. Then, for the hundreds of questions you’ll have
afterwards, check out
www.diyelectriccar.com – the group there are really great. That’s where I
asked all my beginners questions!
I really do hope my site has
inspired others to start their own conversions, and helped prove how easy it all
is. If you’re thinking about it, go out and do it. Find a donor car and have a
go. You’ve got nothing to lose. As I've mentioned before, if I can do this then
anyone can!
A video of the above questions... answered, is available by clicking "play" above.
Technical Specifications
People
have often asked what controller and motor I'm using, what batteries I've chosen
and what are the rules for building an EV in New Zealand etc, so I thought it
would make sense to put it all on a page somewhere for easy access.
Firstly, the legal requirements for building or converting an electric vehicle in New Zealand are available here. These are quite rare documents that another converter Nick Smith managed to get hold of and gave me a copy. Thanks Nick! :) I had them scanned as they're unavailable online and very second hand, so ignore the notes scribbled onto the pages. There are 24 pages in all and it's split into three PDF documents viewable by clicking on them below:
A list of all New Zealand Electric Vehicle certifiers is available below. The companies with box "4" ticked are EV Certifiers. This is getting a little old now as it still has "025" cellphone numbers which don't exist anymore: New Zealand Electric Vehicle Certifiers
- The motor I am using is the Advanced DC FB1-4001A (double shaft) Direct Current motor. With the batteries I'm using I'll get around 45 kilowatts (60 horsepower) peak output. Although the motor is rated at 120 volts, it can handle 144 volts just fine. The technical drawing (blueprint drawing) of the motor is available in PDF format here:
FB1-4001A Technical Drawing (186 KB)
- The controller I'm using is the Curtis 1231C controller. This is rated at a maximum of 144 volts and 500 amps. I would have liked to use the 1000 amp Zilla Z1K controller but money is in short supply. I'm certainly not disappointed though. The Curtis brand offer reliable, long-life controllers and seem to be the benchmark for most conversions worldwide from what I can tell. The user manual for the Curtis 1231C is available in PDF format here:
Curtis Manual for 1231C and 1221C (322 KB)
- The battery pack consists of twelve individual 12 volt deep-cycle Hella Endurant MDC24/85 batteries, rated at 85A/hrs and 515 CCA.
The 12 batteries will be connected in series to create 144 volts. Electric Vehicles must use deep-cycle batteries as they can handle a serious discharge much better than regular car or marine batteries. They're more expensive than marine or car batteries but last generally six times longer under standard use. While my battery pack is small with an unimpressive range, New Plymouth is a small town that's less than 10km (6 miles) across so range isn't important in our situation. The typical life expectancy of deep cycle lead acid batteries in an EV is generally about 3 years.
- The charging system I originally used consisted of 12 individual Calibre 3.5 Amp Australian made chargers - one for each battery. The reason for this setup was the cost. Overall this method cost me $708 NZ ($490 USD), as opposed to $1400 NZ for a single "pack" charger.
Now while this method was definitely cheap, it was slooooow. It ended up being cheaper to buy a $1400 Zivan 16 amp pack charger than replacing all the individual 12v chargers with 16 amp ones. So now that I've bought a 16 amp pack charger I'd have to say that I prefer it for speed and convenience.
The budget so far is made up of EV Conversion related purchases only. I have not included paint or basic tools as these are not applicable to every EV, and many tools I will use for other purposes. My own labour has been excluded also, unless I'm paying someone else for it of course!
The EV budget so far in New Zealand dollars is:
Advanced DC FB1-4001A Motor $3100
(including freight & import taxes)
Curtis 1231C Controller $2608
(including freight & import taxes)
Curtis PB6 Pot Box $140 (including freight & import taxes)
Recharging Socket & Plug $15
Turbo Timer $15
Motor Bracket/Mounts $80
Gearbox/Motor Adapter Plate $1112
Calibre Battery Chargers (8) $708
Thomas Vacuum Pump & Switch $110
Digital 200v DC Voltmeter $24 (including freight)
Digital 500A DC Ammeter + Shunt $74 (including freight)
200V DC 10A Solid State Relays(2) $154 (including freight)
160V 250A DC Circuit Breaker $175 (including freight)
SW200 Main Contactor $137 (including freight)
Extraction Fans for Battery Box $18 (including freight)
High Voltage Fuses & Holders (2) $180 (including freight)
70mm2 Welding "Main" Cable (12m) $202
Inertia (Crash) Cutoff Switch $112 (including freight)
Choke Cable (for circuit breaker) $25
Aluminium Cooling Plate $68
MDC2485 Deep Cycle Batteries (12) $2580
Materials for Rear Battery Box $40
New Recharging Plug & Socket $250 (including freight)
TOTAL (so far)....................$11,927 NZ Dollars (approx $9100 USD)
While the whole project seems like quite a lot of money as a lump sum, it was spread out over a year and not so noticeable that way. Unfortunately around $2000 of the whole conversion was simply wasted in freight costs which happens when you're down here on the bottom of the world. The currency difference stung a little too. Don't be put off however. My conversion has only cost so much because I want an EV that will perform well in on the highway and general city traffic too. You could easily build an EV for half the cost if highway capability isn't needed.
Basically I wanted to create a car that dispels the myth that EV's are all slow, lethargic jokes on wheels. :) It's cost more than originally planned but it's absolutely worth it.
I hope this and the FAQ section proves useful, especially to the other Kiwi EV Converters out there!