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Old 07-30-2013, 10:37 AM   #1000 (permalink)
MetroMPG
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Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: 1000 Islands, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 22,528

Blackfly - '98 Geo Metro
Team Metro
Last 3: 70.09 mpg (US)

MPGiata - '90 Mazda Miata
90 day: 54.46 mpg (US)

Even Fancier Metro - '14 Mitsubishi Mirage top spec
90 day: 70.75 mpg (US)

Appliance car Mirage - '14 Mitsubishi Mirage ES (base)
90 day: 62.14 mpg (US)
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no lifeboat... plan "C"?

About 2 years ago I picked up a used set of floodies from an EV owner in Ottawa who was switching to lithium. From their description, they should have been just over half "dead". (Or half "alive", if you prefer a more optimistic outlook.) Either way, that's more than good enough for the ForkenSwift.



They've been sitting in the garage, religiously trickle charged with a 7A solar panel to keep them in standby mode for what would probably be the ForkenSwift's final battery pack.

The pack in the car seemed to be getting tired -- it's down to around a comfortable 20-25 km on a charge compared to ~40 km (though that's pushing it) when they went in the car in 2008.

So, 2 days ago I swapped out 5 batteries for replacements from my lead reserve... And there are holes in this lifeboat!

The standby batteries are noticeably worse off than the ones in the car. Even after cycling them 5 times, they just don't have the same capacity. I dunno if it was from sitting so long that did them in, or if the previous owner overstated their capacity when I got 'em. But they're not going to work in the car.
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Project MPGiata! Mods for getting 50+ MPG from a 1990 Miata
Honda mods: Ecomodding my $800 Honda Fit 5-speed beater
Mitsu mods: 70 MPG in my ecomodded, dirt cheap, 3-cylinder Mirage.
Ecodriving test: Manual vs. automatic transmission MPG showdown



EcoModder
has launched a forum for the efficient new Mitsubishi Mirage
www.MetroMPG.com - fuel efficiency info for Geo Metro owners
www.ForkenSwift.com - electric car conversion on a beer budget
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