Ben Nelson's Electro-Metro Build thread

[Nerys]

is there simply no practical way to move 3500 pounds 65miles on a charge? I so badly want to go electric but my one way commute to work is 54 miles and would need at least 10 miles "buffer" to be safe.

[MPaulHolmes]

It can be done with a truck and maybe 24-30 of the BIG 6v trojan batteries. Alternatively, $8000 worth of Lithium?

[Christ]

Originally Posted by MPaulHolmes

It can be done with a truck and maybe 24-30 of the BIG 6v trojan batteries. Alternatively, $8000 worth of Lithium?

I heard somewhere that the weight of the battery pack should be right around 1/2 the vehicle's overall weight. Is this true?

So that means that my 3500# Caravan could have a 1700# pack? That's alot of batteries...

[MPaulHolmes]

yes. 1/3 to 1/2 is what I heard.

[Christ]

Ok, so 1700/50 = 34...

Going with 33 batteries, I could make any thing from 12V high-capacity to 396V basic capacity... And still have a 12V main battery.

That's awesome... and a total weight of 5200#... Oh... my...

[MPaulHolmes]

ya that's heavy. hehe. But there are some trucks that are way over 6000 pounds that get over 100 miles per charge.

[Christ]

On floodies?

[MPaulHolmes]

ya!

[Nerys]

man thats a lot of batteries. I am betting thats what 5-6 grand in batteries and support equipment. and to have to replace them every 3-4 years. Damit I want them nimh batteries so badly. 20 year lifespan sounds so nice.

[Christ]

Originally Posted by Nerys

man thats a lot of batteries. I am betting thats what 5-6 grand in batteries and support equipment. and to have to replace them every 3-4 years. Damit I want them nimh batteries so badly. 20 year lifespan sounds so nice.

Why spend that much on them? I can get them for ~$9 from Farmers and those people that replace their batteries whether they're bad or not, match them up in packs, and run them until they're completely useless... then turn them in for the couple dollars back that I spent as a core, or take them to some tractor shops that will let me trade batteries of similar sizes for their "bad ones".

I don't see where resourceful people like EM residents should have to spend that kind of cash on something that's supposed to SAVE you money. It's ridiculous to think that one should have to spend thousands on a propulsion device every 4 years... (like a lease, right?)

I'm fairly certain that the only real price burden in my case would be the controller and such... and if Paul's stuff is successful, that isn't really a problem either, right? I mean, it's quite reasonable to think that you could build a high-range decent-speed EV for around $3000.

I'd rather look into salvaging cells from "bad" laptop batteries and cell phone batteries, though. Lithium is such a great alternative, and for the same weight, I could run MORE THAN A THOUSAND VOLTS, not that too many motors are built to handle it.

This is, of course, all assuming that I'm even going to convert to EV.