Electric car conversion: Project ForkenSwift

[MetroMPG]

Long weekend in Canada: today the car got its annual wash & wax (and a little rubbing compound on the roof - oxidized paint). Getting it spiffed up for next weekend's EV Expo in Ottawa.

[MetroMPG]

It works really well. I basically copied the Xebra owner's installation exactly, right down to the style of handle (which falls nicely to hand... ergonomic and everything).

I've already "dinged" the bell out of anger at a girl in an SUV who pulled out in front of me while driving along (not because she couldn't hear me, but because she was demonstrating a general lack of driving skill and/or manners).

Haven't actually rung it - out of necessity - for a pedestrian yet.

Photos! (Video to follow! Maybe even sometime in 2009!)



Here's the bell, positioned up close to the hood/bumper gap for best ... alerting. The OEM horn is installed pretty much in the same position on the other side.



Handle is a piece of aluminum tube, with hole drilled in it. The cable goes in the hole, then I tightened a nut & bolt on the end to give me something to pull against.

Ding ding! "Hey kids! It's the ice cream truck! No, no. It's that killer electric car again."

Here's the Xebra video again. My setup is nearly the same. Just picture the ForkenSwift instead of a 3 wheeled, 4 door egg:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZpwnfzQKwc

[MetroMPG]

The car is all spiffed up for the EV Expo in Ottawa tomorrow.

3 years overdue, I also spiffed up the car's website too. Fleshed it out with more info. Check it: Electric car conversion on a beer budget - ForkenSwift.com

Other than a few more videos to make and topics to post about, one big thing I'd like to do is add a proper photo album, with pics sorted by subject. EG: so people looking for coupler images could find them.

[MetroMPG]

Here's how I got the car up to this weekend's EV Expo, in Ottawa:



Expo details & a few photos here: EV Expo - Saturday May 23, 2009 in Ottawa (some pics posted)

And that pic prompted dcb to post a great photo with an idea for setting up a motorcycle-based EV pusher: halfbakery: motorcycle pusher for light EV

[Thalass]

If you're going to use a motorcycle as a range-extender, you might as well have it up front like a horse!

"Yah, Kawasaki! On Yamaha! Get going, Triumph!" haha


I still say that if you're going to have a warning device, it should be something like a fog horn or police siren or something. Scare the crap out of people not paying attention.

[metroschultz]

Originally Posted by Thalass

I still say that if you're going to have a warning device, it should be something like a fog horn or police siren or something. Scare the crap out of people not paying attention.

I recommend a digital recording device, (Ipod with external speakers?) with the sound of a horse drawn wagon, playing through a P.A. system.
Loud enough to be heard 20 or 30 feet away.
It will make them turn around to see the horseys, but instead they will see you barreling at them at the unbelievable breakneck speed of 18 mph.
If they don't move then................Hit them with the 3 tone Road Blaster air horns.

[MetroMPG]

That's funny. I forget which auto company is actually considering klip klop as their EV signature, but I have to say I was thinking about just that last night.

BTW, I have been using the bell, defensively, as it was meant to be used. I love it.

Rule of thumb: if they haven't made eye contact with me yet, and I'm going to be passing close at low speed, ding ding!

[watt-a-mezz]

Hello MetroMPG, Have been watching your you tube videos since the beginning. I like the bell idea, never did care for horns much. I am not sure, but I think the old electrics had large electric bells on them. BTW, thank you for the welcome, hope to learn some and possibly help some. Take Care, Watt

[MetroMPG]

I got e-mail from someone today:

I want to hire you to do another conversion for cheap.
Can you do it?

Can I do another cheap conversion? Yes! Will I? No! Respectfully, one was enough.

I've had more than a couple of requests like this.

Last week the mailman said he wanted to buy it. (Probably because I had it cleaned up for the EV Expo and it looked pretty shiny.)

[MetroMPG]

Hi Watt (with a name like that - electric drive is your destiny)...

The old electric trolleys all had bells! The electric streetcars in Toronto still use them.

I'm hoping to do the video of the pedestrian proximity warning device this weekend, if it ever stops raining.