Go Back   EcoModder Forum > Off-Topic > The Lounge
Register Now
 Register Now
 


Reply  Post New Thread
 
Submit Tools LinkBack Thread Tools
Old 06-03-2008, 02:14 AM   #1 (permalink)
Nomadic Chicken
 
WaxyChicken's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Posts: 350
Thanks: 2
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
My First Electric car Experience

Sunday evening, my wife and I were driving to go have dinner to with my parents. We passed a little red car on the street and suddenly I turned and almost snapped at her "That's electric!" She nearly slammed on the breaks - I was so excited that she thought she was about to hit a dog or something (much like yelling "LOOK OUT!"

The little red car:


she eyed the car quickly and then tried to dismiss it but her interest was peeked. On the way back to our house I (surprisingly easily) got her to swing down the access road and let me take a look at it. I don't know how i knew, but i did know. It was electric - you could see some of the batteries through the hatch back. She parked the car and i went up to the door and gave it a knock.

After a few minutes I was greeted by an elderly white gentleman named Bob who - at first cautious of a stranger knocking at his door - soon exploded with excitement as he gave my wife and I a tour of his car. It was a 90's Yugo that no longer ran because of transmission problems. But his love for the car was bubbling over.

The car was a 120V 90's Yugo that he bought from an EV guy that left town.
It contained 6 batteries in the hatch and 4 under the hood with a small 10HP motor. He loved the little car and even though it it didn't run i don't think he would of sold it for anything in the world.

While we were discussing the car my wife mentioned something about another project in the driveway. He soon wisked us both over to something hidden under a blue tarp, peeled back the tarp and displayed his pride and joy:

A 1979 Citicar!
I was so excited that I actually forgot the name of the car!




He provided us a tour of this car.
When he'd bought it the wiring was shot. He'd documented all the wiring and then ripped it out to restore it ----- Then lost the documentation.
It sat for several years before he re-found the documentation and says that eventually, if god graces him with a few more years of life, he may retake the task of restoring the Citicar to drivable condition.

My wife LOVED the Citicar and wishes she had one of her own - i don't blame her!

We exchanged e-mails and down the road - if ever again i manage to have spending money, i may just try and buy the little thing and give a shot at restoring it.

Although the cars weren't in running condition, the experience was very refreshing and exciting for me and my wife both. It may of provided some extra steam for me and my wife to finish our (very) stuck EV project.

I've told my wife several times "I saw an electric car today!" i could tell because of the sound, the plug hanging out of the gas tank, whatever. She only half believed me. but now her faith in my EV spotting is devout.

The ironic thing:
If i realized that little car was a Yugo then i wouldn't of stopped. Yugo's have a very high Weight/Size ratio because of how they are so cheaply made. I would of guessed the weight to be too inefficient for electric.

All pics from the day:




  Reply With Quote
Alt Today
Popular topics

Other popular topics in this forum...

   
Old 06-03-2008, 10:36 AM   #2 (permalink)
Administrator
 
Daox's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Germantown, WI
Posts: 11,203

CM400E - '81 Honda CM400E
90 day: 51.49 mpg (US)

Daox's Grey Prius - '04 Toyota Prius
Team Toyota
90 day: 49.53 mpg (US)

Daox's Insight - '00 Honda Insight
90 day: 64.33 mpg (US)

Swarthy - '14 Mitsubishi Mirage DE
Mitsubishi
90 day: 56.69 mpg (US)

Daox's Volt - '13 Chevrolet Volt
Thanks: 2,501
Thanked 2,587 Times in 1,554 Posts
Sounds like a good time. Thanks for sharing the pics.
__________________
Current project: A better alternator delete
  Reply With Quote
Old 06-09-2008, 04:34 AM   #3 (permalink)
EcoModding Minded
 
Chris D.'s Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Eagan, MN
Posts: 667

Lunar Mist - '02 Toyota Tacoma SR5
90 day: 25.31 mpg (US)

Silver Streak - '08 Toyota Corolla S
90 day: 38.25 mpg (US)
Thanks: 67
Thanked 25 Times in 12 Posts
Send a message via AIM to Chris D.
Ive never seen a citi car until now..

very cool, looks like something out of Tron
__________________


  Reply With Quote
Old 06-09-2008, 08:59 AM   #4 (permalink)
Bicycle Junky
 
NoCO2's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Atlanta, GA
Posts: 464

Putsaround - '96 Toyota Camry LE
90 day: 32.74 mpg (US)

The Commuter - '07 Trek 1000SL
90 day: 617.28 mpg (US)

Zippy - '91 Honda Civic DX
90 day: 33.29 mpg (US)
Thanks: 0
Thanked 6 Times in 4 Posts
If I had a place to plug in an EV, I would seriously consider building one. However, until I'm out of apartments and into a house with a garage, or just a house for that matter, an EV is kind of impractical.

Great pictures though, and great story, thanks for sharing. I really wish more people around where I lived cared about conserving fuel, but everyone around where I live drives SUVs like there is a giant ravaged animal chasing them, so I never get to see any EVs where I live.
__________________
  Reply With Quote
Old 06-10-2008, 12:02 AM   #5 (permalink)
EcoModding Lurker
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: California
Posts: 73
Thanks: 0
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
I found a site with quite a few pictures of the Citicar, and the three relays they used for supplying the motor with 12, 24 or 48 volts (a rudimentary speed control, I guess). Its at http://www.bjharding.com/citicar/moreev.htm
  Reply With Quote
Old 06-10-2008, 12:08 AM   #6 (permalink)
EcoModding Apprentice
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: So. IN.
Posts: 188

Blue - '77 Chevy P/U
Thanks: 0
Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post
thats cool
  Reply With Quote
Old 08-24-2008, 02:50 AM   #7 (permalink)
EM Noob
 
HaPPI's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Akron, OH area
Posts: 11

The Toy Car - '04 Toyota Echo 4 dr

High Bred - '07 Toyota Prius
Thanks: 0
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
So don't plug in!

Quote:
Originally Posted by NoCO2 View Post
If I had a place to plug in an EV, I would seriously consider building one. However, until I'm out of apartments and into a house with a garage, or just a house for that matter, an EV is kind of impractical.
NoCO2, who says you have to plug in? If you get enough insolation where you park, put PV panels on the vehicle and let it graze. That is , if you don't mind folks staring!

HaPPI
__________________
HaPPI
  Reply With Quote
Old 09-05-2008, 12:06 PM   #8 (permalink)
PaulH
 
MPaulHolmes's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Maricopa, AZ (sort of. Actually outside of town)
Posts: 3,832

Michael's Electric Beetle - '71 Volkswagen Superbeetle 500000
Thanks: 1,362
Thanked 1,202 Times in 765 Posts
The really really fun thing is when you get to a stop light and just sit there, in a car that is totally dead. It's not gently vibrating, spewing anything into the air. It just sits there dead! It's the weirdest thing I have ever experienced! Then, you just have to trust that the accelerator will do something when you press it.
__________________
kits and boards
  Reply With Quote
Old 09-05-2008, 08:46 PM   #9 (permalink)
Master EcoModder
 
basjoos's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Upstate SC
Posts: 1,088

Aerocivic - '92 Honda Civic CX
Last 3: 70.54 mpg (US)

AerocivicLB - '92 Honda Civic CX
Team Honda
90 day: 55.14 mpg (US)

Camryglide - '20 Toyota Camry hybrid LE
90 day: 62.94 mpg (US)
Thanks: 16
Thanked 677 Times in 302 Posts
You get the same effect with a steam car. While sitting at the stoplight, the engine is sitting motionless at 0 rpm and as long as the steam pressure is at normal levels, the burner doesn't fire. Steam cars produce ungodly amounts of low end torque.

__________________
aerocivic.com
  Reply With Quote
Reply  Post New Thread


Tags
120v, brushed, citicar, phoenix, yugo

Thread Tools


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Electric car conversion: Project ForkenSwift MetroMPG Fossil Fuel Free 1041 07-28-2014 09:19 AM
EcoModding for Beginners: Getting great gas mileage. SVOboy EcoModding Central 55 08-20-2012 11:34 PM
Win $100.00 in Free Gas! Design Contest: Ecomod my Ride XFi EcoModding Central 127 02-17-2011 12:07 AM
Electric Car (Tata Nano as host?) Yaristock Fossil Fuel Free 10 04-08-2009 07:59 PM
Paul MacCready did the GM electric car DAN Aerodynamics 1 02-06-2008 09:05 AM



Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Content Relevant URLs by vBSEO 3.5.2
All content copyright EcoModder.com