Here's a picture of said van:
Now, I really love this van. Part of the reason I love it though is the 128kW/400Nm 5 cyl engine. It rockets to 60mph in around 9 seconds. It handles great, rides Ok and is very comfortable.
Kerb weight is listed as ~3800lbs, my payload might push that up to 5000lbs max (I figure there must be 400+lbs in the ICE, fuel and ancillaries). I'd like a 60mph top speed and I need 60 miles of range, however I only really need to do 40mph max most days and usually only drive 30 miles per day, with a lifetime average speed of 20mph.
I do want to keep the current level of acceleration that makes this van so fun at traffic lights (if not better it
). I know there are motors out there that can do this. The van is currently rated to tow 4400lbs, and I'm guessing that as long as I use the gears, that shouldn't be a problem (range reduction aside).
My main question is how much battery do I need (in terms of Wh, cost and physical size? I've done some research, but most of what I've found is a few years old and obviously battery costs keep falling. Do I use average speed in range calculations? My GPS also stores my moving average which is probably more appropriate (I don't remember this off hand).
I figure if I no longer care about the current ICE and just run it until it dies, it lets me save up in the mean time, batteries will only become more affordable, and I've got time to get the A/C, power steer etc EV ready while I wait.