Project: The Electric Booger (budget EV conversion - '92 Mazda MX-3)

[mechman600]

I would have called BS on your inspector. I am a licensed Canadian motor vehicle inspector and venting/sealed battery boxes are not specified in the Canadian rule book. However, batteries in the cabin must be non-flooded (aka sealed AGM, etc.), as the batteries in the Electric Booger are.

Many brand new medium and heavy duty trucks are built with an unsealed battery box under the passenger seat. Of course, they have Optima Yellow Top AGMs in there.

[thingstodo]

That is GREAT news! Removing the back seat and having the pack mounted to the floor would lower the car's Center of Gravity and make the frame-to-battery-box connection points much easier. And simpler.

While it would be fun to call BS on the inspector... that may be a bit confrontational ...

Perhaps I could ask what rule his interpretation would fall under? Or would it be better to point out that the batteries are not flooded?

[mechman600]

Originally Posted by thingstodo

Perhaps I could ask what rule his interpretation would fall under? Or would it be better to point out that the batteries are not flooded?

Even better - I will scan the relevant pages tonight at work and post it. It will be from the BC manual, which like all provinces is basically an interpretation of the Canadian vehicle standards laws.

[thingstodo]

Excellent idea!

Thanks for digging out the information and sharing

[mechman600]

Ok, so from the BC motor vehicle inspection book:

This is the only piece about batteries, and it is very short.

Unless Saskachewan has a different set of rules, your inspector is being very subjective in his inspections.

[puddleglum]

Mechman, an Echo may be a good option too. You could even use it as a family car once in a while. With lithium you shouldn't need as big a pack to get the same range. I bet you could probably keep a Echo or Tercel at its original weight and have much better performance and the same range. I think what you've done with the booger is awesome, but given its current condition, I can't imagine you selling it easily or for a whole lot. I think you would be better to dismantle it and sell off the batteries and other good bits that you can't reuse. Just my opinion. Good luck and looking forward to where you go from here.

[mechman600]

Originally Posted by puddleglum

Mechman, an Echo may be a good option too.

I agree, but the problem with an Echo is that a) they are over 2035 lbs (I am aiming for sub 2000 lb cars) and b) they are hideously ugly. Like incredibly, disgustingly ugly, and for that reason alone I would never own one. I would rather do a Tercel.

Thanks for the encouragement. I just joined the Vancouver Electric Vehicle Association ($25/yr) so I can post ads on their website. Maybe that will help.

[puddleglum]

Well, you definitely want to convert a car you like. You have to live with it, not any of us. Hope it all works out well.

[mikeyjd]

Originally Posted by mechman600

So yeah, the Electric Booger is up for sale, but I think it will be a hard sell. I am already dreaming up a contingency plan if I cannot get rid of it.

First off, I will ditch the MX-3. It's in rough condition (dents and scratches), old in the tooth (285,000 km/177,000 miles), and a bit porky (2332 lbs original curb weight). 30 HP moving over 1.5 tons of car is getting a bit old. It works fine, but it's not ideal, and less weight would mean being able to do the freeway for short stints. So if nobody wants it before my insurance runs out in May, I am stripping the EV goodies out of it and the scrap guy will haul the glider away.

Possible replacements:
Festiva: 1797 lbs
Swift/Firefly/Metro: 1895 lbs
Tercel: 2090 lbs

My first choice is a Ford Festiva. Maybe the coolest nerdy eco car ever.
"Here, Cheyenne [my 4-1/2 year old daughter], draw me a car. Wow, perfect, you just drew a perfect looking Festiva."
Curb weight of 1797 lbs. That's 535 lbs lighter. Also, I will likely buy a lithium battery pack, which will save an additional 574 lbs and actually fit in the car.

With over 1100 lbs lost, I think I will be happy with my current motor and controller. My Alltrax 7245 controller is meant for 72V nominal but it has a max voltage of 90V, so with lithium I will be able to "cheat" a bit by going with an 80V system voltage (25 cells), where 90V will be 3.6VPC.

I would strongly encourage you to go the Festiva route. I am currently making plans to build my own e-festiva and would love to have someone to bounce ideas off and share info. I've owned about 20 cars now (3x 1.3L festivas) and nothing i've ever had is as much fun or had as much personality as a Festy. Also, there is a great support forum for them fordfestiva.com, that has helped me out on several occasions. There is a decent aftermarket contigent, as the chassis make a wonderful platform for a sleeper racer that can still get 50+ mpg. There are also guys that make custom body parts for reasonable prices, if your into pimping out your ride. I am studying and gathering info to get started in the fall when I have the finances. Best of luck with whatever direction you go!

[mikeyjd]

Originally Posted by mechman600

I agree, but the problem with an Echo is that a) they are over 2035 lbs (I am aiming for sub 2000 lb cars) and b) they are hideously ugly. Like incredibly, disgustingly ugly, and for that reason alone I would never own one. I would rather do a Tercel.

Thanks for the encouragement. I just joined the Vancouver Electric Vehicle Association ($25/yr) so I can post ads on their website. Maybe that will help.

I've tried to convince myself that the echo was just quirky looking in order to let it grow on me... it didn't work at all..