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Old 02-05-2008, 11:33 PM   #2 (permalink)
MetroMPG
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Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: 1000 Islands, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 22,530

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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I don't want to be a naysayer. OK, yes I do! No. Really...

But the largest assembled brain trust on the subject of EV's is the Electric Vehicle Discussion List: http://evdl.org for info.

The subject of open source home brew controllers comes up every other month on the list, usually suggested by someone who wants to do a conversion, but doesn't want to (or doesn't have the means to) fork over the beans for a commercial controller.

In the 2 years I've been reading posts there, nobody has yet made one. The challenges are serious, when you consider the job a controller has to do and the environment it has to do it in, and the consequences of something going wrong with it while & where it's being used.

And it's not for lack of smarts. The number of really smart people on that list is astounding. The fact that a bunch of really smart & experienced people haven't yet made an open source controller that anyone can build for less money than a commercially produced one tells me something.

Not saying it can't be done. But since I'm not an EE with time to spend on the problem, instead I continue to haunt eBay regularly watching for a bargain on the unit with the specs I'd like to have...
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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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