Electric car conversion: Project ForkenSwift

[MetroMPG]

Woohoo!! I just increased the ForkenSwift's power by 33% for 20 bucks!

You're looking at a brand new old stock 48V 300A Curtis golf cart controller, just won for $105 CDN including shipping. It'll replace the 48V 225A unit that's in the car which I got for $85 incl. shipping.

Assuming I can re-sell the 225A for what I paid, that's a sweet, sweet $20 upgrade.

Truth is, I could likely end up selling the 225A unit for more than it cost, because sometimes the controller prices on eBay get a little crazy.

For example, there's a bidding war going on right now for a 175A unit that's already over $150, where there's a 225A unit for $75 (Buy it now) available in another auction. Go figure.

(If you're getting the impression I haunt the controller auctions, you'd be correct.)

Anyway: this is the seller - if anybody's shopping for 36/48v controllers, she's had some good deals and some average deals lately. Must have bought up stock from a golf cart company.

http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZcindy369

I can hardly wait to re-do the 0-50 km/h drag race. Sub-30 seconds, here I come!

(Oh those poor, poor batteries... I can already hear them whimpering...)

[Daox]

lol, nice find Metro!

[bennelson]

Welcome to the world of overnight charging! Or at work or during the day!

The only thing I don't like about the cycle is it just has a 36v trickle charger on it. Its 1.5 amp. 70 watts = slow!

A full charge on the cycle after 15 miles of use is 20 hrs.!

If anyone has a 5 amp/36 volt charger they want to donate......


Cool getting the new controller! Gotta love how easy you can upgrade things on electric!!!!!

[jwxr7]

Originally Posted by bennelson

Welcome to the world of overnight charging! Or at work or during the day!

The only thing I don't like about the cycle is it just has a 36v trickle charger on it. Its 1.5 amp. 70 watts = slow!

A full charge on the cycle after 15 miles of use is 20 hrs.!

If anyone has a 5 amp/36 volt charger they want to donate......


Cool getting the new controller! Gotta love how easy you can upgrade things on electric!!!!!

Where did you get the 36v 1.5amp charger? That is about the right size for the e-scooter I've got. Right now I have to break the pack and use 3 seperate 12v trickle chargers.

[Peakster]

I'm real interested to find out how your acceleration improves with the new controller MetroMPG! Sounds exciting.

[MetroMPG]

Just a little side note for record keeping: added 2 L of distilled water to the batteries today. That represents about 6 weeks of water consumption.

Note that earlier last month I added 6 L of water... because I hadn't been checking them regularly over the winter and let them get too low.

Need to look into making a solar water distiller so I'm not getting store bought water that's been trucked from here to eternity if I can produce it passively & "sustainably" relatively easily.

[Daox]

Did you put in the new controller yet (or do you even have it yet)?

[MetroMPG]

No, the controller hasn't come yet. Don't worry, I'll be sure to post as soon as it's here & in the car!

[MetroMPG]

I'm incurable - I just bought another controller on eBay. This one's a 400A 48v unit, remanufactured. I couldn't resist - got it for $102 US. (shipping will probably be around $20).

I now own five controllers!

1 - the original 24/48v SCR controller from the forklift (not really suitable for golf cart batteries, although there are lots in use in EVs in the album)

The rest of them are all Club Car golf cart 36/48v controllers:

2 & 3 - two 225A units - the one currently in the car, and a second identical one I bought as a spare

4 - the 300A new old stock unit I won last week, which hasn't arrived yet

5 - and now this remanufactered 400A unit.

I guess I'm going to be having a controller garage sale at some point this summer

PS: 400A*48V nominal = 19,200 watts = 25.7 hp, not counting losses (controller + motor are probably in the range of 70-80% efficient)

[bennelson]

Invite me to the garage sale.

I may end up wanting one of those things! We'll see how fast and far I go when I "borrow" the controller off the cycle for the ElectroMetro.