Hi Jim.... No plans to sell the ForkenSwift any time soon!
Are you shopping for new batteries? I'd seriously consider a lithium pack if you're prepared to put the time/effort into monitoring them. Best cost / mile.
By the way, your 48 volt Metro gave me some of the confidence to keep forging ahead with this project. I saw your EV Album entry mid way through this, and thought, "look! Someone else crazy enough to attempt a 48 volt conversion!"
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Dogs like electric cars.
Maybe a month or so ago I took my neighbour's ridiculously lovable labrador retriever out for an electric car ride (very exciting for her) and hike (even more exciting for her) on some new hiking trails in a nearby national park.
On the way home, she fell asleep on the passenger seat. When I told the neighbour this, he said, "WHAT? She never sleeps in the car!"
I'm guessing she liked the quiet ride. (I do remember she perked up whenever some noise went past.)
Freezing rain doesn't.
It's pretty much the only thing that keeps me from using the car. No heat means I can't keep the ice from forming on the windows.
If I pre-heat the car in the driveway (hair dryer plugged in for 20 minutes
), it'll melt the ice from the glass. But without constant heat under way, it just ices up again. Sometimes worse, because the glass is now all wet.
Not really planning to investigate other heating solutions, just relaying a story. Freezing rain isn't too common, and I have alternatives when it happens.