Electric car conversion: Project ForkenSwift

[Tijeff]

Hi there!

Sorry, my English is not that good.

(3day latter) I’ve finally finish reading thru this entire forum. 1st I can say is thanks, thanks for sharing all of this information, and bringing attention to green transport solutions! I personally have more knowledge in electronic that I do in mechanic but looking back to all of that tread , it’s actually just a matter of patience and ingenuity at fitting pieces together and trying.

That said, I’m thinking about doing the same in Quebec.

I really don’t know how inspection work in Ontario , but I’ve just finish reading documentation about get a car inspection here in Quebec and it seem a bit more severe that yours. I can see two main disparities that you are not restricted on, or find a way around. Our regulation state that for a EV ,batteries should all be sealed outside the passenger compartment, and ventilated. Also they state that an engineer certificate could be asked if they feel like they need one. I guess you didn’t had any problem whit those ?

Also I’ve done many call to get a insurance, and they all send me to hell. Which one did you found finally ? On my frustration I’ve call IBC http://www.ibc.ca/ . They are somehow regulating insurer around Canada, and they said to me that if my car is street legal, I must get insurance, and they actually have the power to force insurance companies to take me! I still have some doubt on how much time and effort such a process could take , and have no idea (nor they do) on the final price ! But they insisted that it can be done.

Did you have any feedback from the guy stating he was going to build His own drive ?

Also, I’m surly going to build myself a little nice graphic lcd , capture rpm, voltage, current and have a real-time display of HP and calculated remaining charge and km ! It not a big matter to build a second one If you’re interested

J-F

[MetroMPG]

Salut, J-F!

Est-tu le meme person qui m'a ecrire par e-mail hier? Je pense que oui - je vais t'ecrire aussi...

Desole - mon francais n'est pas si bon. Ton anglais est meilleur. Alors, en anglais...

Originally Posted by Tijeff

I really don’t know how inspection work in Ontario , but I’ve just finish reading documentation about get a car inspection here in Quebec and it seem a bit more severe that yours. I can see two main disparities that you are not restricted on, or find a way around. Our regulation state that for a EV ,batteries should all be sealed outside the passenger compartment, and ventilated. Also they state that an engineer certificate could be asked if they feel like they need one. I guess you didn’t had any problem whit those ?

No. And we would have failed the inspection on those issues if we had one.

Au sujet d'inspection et assurance, you might want to check with the owner of EV's in Quebec. I met the owner of this car last summer - serial hybrid EV: http://www.evalbum.com/682 - he lives west of Montreal. Or think of contacting owners from this list: htttp://www.evalbum.com/geo/Quebec

Did you have any feedback from the guy stating he was going to build His own drive ?

Sorry - you got me there. I'm drawing a blank on that one and don't remember...

Also, I’m surly going to build myself a little nice graphic lcd , capture rpm, voltage, current and have a real-time display of HP and calculated remaining charge and km ! It not a big matter to build a second one If you’re interested

Oh, an electronics expert! Excellent.

I was just talking to someone this week that I would love to have a "ScanGauge" equivalent for the electric car: something that tracks voltage/amperage and speed, and displays & records (averages) watt hours/km or equivalent. So I can determine how to maximize efficiency while driving. EDIT: of course the requirement is an inexpensive device - there are commercial ones available, but not in my budget range.

Anyway - glad you enjoyed the thread. Welcome to Ecomodder!

Darin

[Peakster]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

Desole - mon francais n'est pas si bon. Ton anglais est meilleur. Alors, en anglais...

Wow MetroMPG! That blew me away. Where did you learn?

[MPaulHolmes]

Darin, I have a strange feeling that you will find a way to fix the FS for about $1 canadian. And it will look better than ever. At least you had a chance to run it through some thorough crash tests. What's the word? 5 star frontal rating?

[bennelson]

Originally Posted by Peakster

Where did you learn?

Are you referring to the French? Lots of Canadians speak it.

It's everyone in the United States that speaks less languages than anyone else in the world.

I bothered to learn Spanish in high school. Was real handy when my timing belt broke in the middle of nowhere at at 3 in the morning. Two nicest hispanics in a pickup truck ever gave me a ride to a phone. Can't believe I know how to say "timing belt" in Spanish...

[bennelson]

I was just talking to someone this week that I would love to have a "ScanGauge" equivalent for the electric car:
Darin

Darin,

What controller are you using in the Forkenswift now?

I have an Alltrax 48V programmable. You can use the PC software to connect that controller to the computer WHILE it is being used. Then you can display it on the computer screen while driving, and/or log the information to look at later.



I have been tempted to strap a computer to the motorcycle and do this. Seriously, that would work fine in the passenger seat of an electric car.
Otherwise, a palm-puter with a serial jack on it could also work.

The software lets you monitor a fair amount of information. Seems like everyone has an old beater computer around. If a person happens to have a programmable controller, this seems like a cheap & easy way to have some more monitoring.

Oh yeah, if you have a Laptop computer with a serial port, that makes it all even easier! (won't work with my Mac laptop, even when I run windows on it. )

[Tijeff]

Oui je suis la même personne :P I’ve realize it would be more profitable to every body to talk here than in private emails.

Arg , I’ve just get rid of my 2 old dying Festivas , my land lord will be angry at me when I’ll begind playing in 2 swifts hehehehe (I already have one)

You're accident is not cool, could this bring back insurance problems/raises ? Or is the other guy not going to declare to the insurance?

Also, more about the inspection questions. I guess you did not had to argue for the added weight and they didn’t see anything wrong whit your modified brake system ?

Quebec doc:
http://www.saaq.gouv.qc.ca/en/docume...ifying_car.php
http://www.saaq.gouv.qc.ca/documents...if_artisan.php

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

Salut, J-F!

I was just talking to someone this week that I would love to have a "ScanGauge" equivalent for the electric car: something that tracks voltage/amperage and speed, and displays & records (averages) watt hours/km or equivalent. So I can determine how to maximize efficiency while driving. EDIT: of course the requirement is an inexpensive device - there are commercial ones available, but not in my budget range.

Darin

The only things is the time to do the code. And for the $ part it’s only a matter of finding an Lcd that do the trick and do a circuit to grab all the information. Well, a bit like some of you, I might be able to do 1 or 2 from scavaged/reused part from my inventory of scrap stuff. But, I’ll probably begin to get a EV car on 4 weels before ! Get a look on a design I’ve done for our solar car project:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sexyblu...n/photostream/
http://eclipse.etsmtl.ca/fr/multimediaphotos.htm

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

Salut, J-F!
there are commercial ones available
Darin

What do they look like ?

Thank for referring me to local resources!

Ooops , that’s a long post !

J-F

[Tijeff]

Completely out of subject but still. Computer power supply and many switching power supply can run directly on DC. By design they internally get the AC to DC , and after they step it down.(you could also increase efficiency by removing/bypassing the internal bridge rectifier) Those power supply are often rated to work from 100-240 vac input (with will translate to 160 to 384 vdc (x1.6 rms to peek) ) but from experience you can often run them as low as 60vdc , but do not expect them to be able to give full power out. (aka a 400w at 60v will tend to make noise and heat when use at more than 70%ish capacity) I’ve used many of the shelf AC power supply to power electronic device on our solar car project when the vicor where broken, and even powered directly my own laptop directly out of 60v lead acid and 144v kokam lithium pack many times. Still try at your own risk with worty equipment. So , if you have a old PC power supply ling around, it could do the trick to power up the 12v appliances and event meaby the headlight is you’re over 60-80Vdc(ish)

But as motor controller, they may spark a bit more when conneted/disconected to a dc source. As you mention it before, making and especially finishing connections in DC is always a problem. One other explanation to this you didn’t mention is that on an AC circuit the current get down to 0 120 time a second (2 time by cycle) . This 0 crossing weaken the arcing and allow to cut it easily. Fuse suffer the same phenomena, always get DC rate fuses, if not, they may end up heating/exploding/burning if they ever cut the circuit as they will continue internally arc longer than designed.

J-F

[MetroMPG]

Originally Posted by MPaulHolmes

I found a really good deal on a possible adapter plate, but it's 11-7/8" x 15-1/4". Is the 11-7/8 going to be too short? How big is the bell housing on a metro? I don't have my car yet, so I can't go outside and measure it. Actually, It will be either a rabbit, geo, swift, justy, or some other tiny car.

Here are the dimensions. 13 and 5/8 is the widest point.

Are you saying it's a rectangle with those dimensions? You could probably squeak it with a Metro. The 12 inches dimension shown below doesn't have bolts at the bottom of the round edge, so it doesn't need to be 12 in.

[MetroMPG]

Peakster: public school. I had french from grades 6-13. I'm not proficient, but I can get by on the basics. Ben: I sure don't know the phrase for timing belt though! I would have been out of luck in your situation.

Originally Posted by MPaulHolmes

Darin, I have a strange feeling that you will find a way to fix the FS for about $1 canadian. And it will look better than ever. At least you had a chance to run it through some thorough crash tests. What's the word? 5 star frontal rating?

And 2-star hatchback corner crash rating. Have you SEEN the crash tests of this generation of Metro that Peakster found? Scary!!

A dollar! No way! I already have all the supplies to fix it, including some left over paint, so other than my time (probably 2 or 3 hours), it'll be "free". Have to get it fixed up before the EV Expo in May though.