Ben Nelson's Electro-Metro Build thread - Page 121 - Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum

Hondo · 08-20-2009, 05:28 PM

Ben,

Where are you showing the car on Saturday? I have a wedding that I have to attend, but if its not to far away I might be able to come.

Hondo

PS I got my new mower running on gas to check out everything and wow, with a 7 foot swath it only took me 20 minutes to mow my yard that used to take 1 1/2 hours with my other rider. Now to go silent!!

nubie · 08-20-2009, 07:52 PM

Cool, glad you were able to get that one sorted out.

I wonder if that may have increased your range?

bennelson · 08-31-2009, 12:58 AM

I think my brake caliper seized up suddenly, like right before pulling into the driveway.

I don't think it was really dragging before them.

I have tried running the car a bit farther lately.

I talked with my sister's landlord the other day. She lives in a town about 10 miles away. I can make it there and back on a charge, but the car absolutely limps at the end.

I asked her landlord about charging at her place. It's an upper/lower duplex, so he lives downstairs and my sister and brother-in-law live upstairs. I got permission to charge up with a power cord running into their garage when I am working in that town. I promised to bring the landlord garden produce in exchange for vehicle charging.

That's my first official charging station outside of my own garage!
So far, I have charged up once there. The car performed great on the way home. There was plenty of power, and the batteries were very happy!

I also drove my car to my other brother-in-law's house the other day. We were going on a road trip (in his car) so I drove the Electro-Metro to his house - WAY too far to go there and back, but I parked my car in his garage to charge while we were gone. The car drove great on the way home.

Also, I finally drove the Metro up the great big giant hill near my house. It was one of those where I was planning to eventually try going up that hill on a fresh charge on some nice sunny day when there was little traffic.

Instead, I was driving back home tonight, with my wife, from my parent's house, after a very long day. I was on auto-pilot and half-way up the big hill before I thought about it. Oh well, too late to pull over or turn around.

The car went fine up the hill. It did pull plenty of amps, but didn't blow my 250 amp main fuse. It did slow to about 25 mph up the hill, but was ok otherwise. Also, the hill is steeper on one side than the other, and we were going up the side with the slightly gentler slope.

bennelson · 08-31-2009, 07:50 PM

Today, my wife and I went down to the state bike trail to go for a ride.
It's about 8 or 9 miles away, with half of that being 55 mph road.

Typically, I would just throw our bikes in the back of the pickup truck, like when we go camping, but since it was in range, I decided to take the Electro-Metro instead.

I rigged up my old "hatch-hugger" bike rack to the back of the car. Her's is a girls bike with a REALLY low center bar - the only way to carry it is upside-down - that's why the one tire is so far up in the air.

I did 43 mph in the 55 zone. Traffic wasn't too bad, and the F-150 behind me didn't try passing me either of the two times when it had plenty of time and space to.

We biked for about 2 hours while the car sat in a parking lot. On the drive back home, we were passed by a blue Geo Metro with Virginia plates. He also had a bike rack on the back. He honked, waved, and gave a big thumbs-up. I wonder if he knew the car was electric as well?

-Ben

PS - Does an Electric Metro with two bikes bolted to it count as a hybrid?

order99 · 08-31-2009, 07:56 PM

Only if you're pedaling at the time.

bennelson · 09-01-2009, 10:53 PM

I was just going through some old photos.

I found one of an electric Jetta I saw at the Citicar Gathering this past spring.

The instrumentation of ammeter and voltmeter is nearly identical to that of the Electro-Metro!

MetroMPG · 09-02-2009, 12:47 AM

Does that Jetta have a 110v outlet in the center console?

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Ben: I'll see your two bikes on your EV and raise you two kayaks (photo tomorrow)!

bennelson · 09-02-2009, 11:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

Does that Jetta have a 110v outlet in the center console?

Yeah. That's Bob Rice's car. It also has a door-bell on the console. That activates the "a-WOO-gaaa" horn.

His main fuse is from, I kid you not, an Amtrak train.

I look forward to the kayak photos!