98 civic EV Build

[Ryland]

electricmgmidget.com

MG's look like they tend to get 200 to 220 watt hours per mile, so a bit better then you can get in the Civic, but I don't think it's enough better to make it worth buying an MG over using the civic you already have that is paid for and has issues with the gas drive train.

I agree that the A123 pouches are going to be harder to work with then cells that are in a nice plastic case with studs on top, but the A123 pouch's have awesome specs and are an awesome price and if you are willing to build a compression case for them, they are also different chemistry with a slightly different voltage then other lithium, off the top of my head I don't know what their voltage is but you will need a BMS that matches them too so that is another hurdle.

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Originally Posted by Ryland

electricmgmidget.com

MG's look like they tend to get 200 to 220 watt hours per mile, so a bit better then you can get in the Civic, but I don't think it's enough better to make it worth buying an MG over using the civic you already have that is paid for and has issues with the gas drive train.

Ryland,

I didn't mean for him to get a MG, I'd bet with good driving techniques and some modifications to improve aerodynamics his Civic can get 100 miles on 19kwh of batteries.

[Ryland]

Even if a civic has a better shape it still has more frontal area then an MG and looking at EValbum the MG's that are out there are using fewer watt hours to go a mile, it's part of why small frontal areas and a light weight car have big advantages.

[XmodAlloy]

Okay, this might just sound a bit far fetched... But I'm getting 150 watt hours/mile with a 1994 Geo Metro running on lead acid batteries... Here are my specs:
Batteries: 12 regular (My beginners ignorance, I failed to get deep cycle) car batteries, RC: 75.
Voltage: 144 nominal.
Motor: 12 inch Baker forklift motor.
Controller: P&S 500 Amp Cougar with higher power IXYS MOSFETs and higher voltage diodes, blew up the originals.
Weight: 2,160 pounds.
Top Speed: 65 MPH in fifth gear.
Peak and constant amperage at 60 MPH: 125 amps max, 50 amps at steady state 60.
Range: somewhere around 15 miles... Pathetic due to the high weight of the LA batts.

Future plans: convert to lithium batteries, I'm getting somewhere around 15 amp hours with the setup I have.

My car could, in theory, have the range of 120 miles with 100 amp hours at 144 volts (45 cells). There is the possibility that my ammeter is slightly miscalabrated, probably not by much though. That's 7000 watts, or 9.5 horsepower, a car should only need about 5 on flat ground with everything running smoothly.

-Don Gibson

[Ryland]

150 watt hours per mile at what speed and what kind of meter are you using to get that figure?
My watt hour per mile figures are using a Kill-A-Watt meter plugged in to the wall outlet that I charge from.

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150wh/m seems low, but I'm new to this so maybe. Like you said, if you off even by 33%, you'll still get very good range with 100Ah Lithium batteries. It could be having a 12 inch motor in a Geo metro. Keep us informed on any new measurements. Also what type of driving your doing is important to know.
www.electricmgmidget.com

[XmodAlloy]

Okay, I guess I wasn't as clear as I could have been. I was getting that figure by taking my average ampere reading on my 10 mile drive and multiplying it with my average voltage. 50 to 55 average amps at 55-60 MPH on hilly terrain. Average voltage of 140 volts. 7,700 watts continuous draw for 0.25 hours (Two miles are at low speed, making the trip fifteen minutes) puts an average power consumption of 1.9 kilowatt hours per trip, divide that by fifteen and you get 130 watt hours per mile. This figure is almost certainly low, low enough that it makes me severely doubt its accuracy. In reality, the number is likely be somewhere around 200 watt hours per mile, but I don't currently have the tools to check the accuracy of my on-board measuring devices. The conversion was done on the cheap and I would not be surprised at all if my numbers are completely wrong! Take it with a grain of salt is all I can say.
This also means that it's not including the charging inefficiencies and battery self discharge issues.
In a month or so, I should get some new tools in to make sure my shunt is of the proper resistance and make sure some other things are not screwy.

Anyway, take care!
-Don