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While this thread has come to talking about bio-diesel, the real focus is getting off gasoline.
I am realizing it's going to take more time than I think to convert the truck to diesel, and I will still need to get around while I am doing that.
Rather than trying to beg, borrow, or steal transportation while I convert the truck, I think upgrading my Electro-Metro may increase its range enough to satisfy most of my driving needs.
That is to say that between an upgraded Electro-Metro and occasionally borrowing my wife's car, I shouldn't need to buy a a different car or borrow one for the whole summer.
My plan is to build two battery boxes sunk into the Metro so that I can carry a total of 12 batteries. That will give me two strings of 6 batteries - a 72 volt system - the most that my charger and controller will support.
While the car won't drive any faster, I will have double the battery capacity, meaning I will be able to drive twice as far.
If by some chance, I can get an inexpensive 120 or 144V controller, all I have to do is swap some cabling around to run the batteries in series. (Which means more range AND speed!)
I should be able to knock out the Metro upgrade in the spring and really hop on Bio-dieseling up the truck after that.
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