/ Register

Mora goes electric

Discussion in 'Life, the Universe and Everything' started by Mora, Feb 18, 2012.

Tags:
  1. Feb 18, 2012 #1
    Mora

    Mora

    Hello everybody,

    I haven't been around for a long time. Few days ago I logged in to check if my avatar was still there. Yea. Last time I played I got a 5k hof from feffoid. It must have been somewhere around 2010. I spent all those money on skilling the natural way and then quit. Those peds lasted for a good time. I had good times too, hehe. I graduated earlier that year and got a short-term job. It was supposed to last 3 months but it lasted nearly one year. I didn't even think about computers during that time, heheh. I could have afforded EU during that time but I didn't even remember this then. Now being unemployed I remembered this and logged in. How funny, hehehe. Can't really afford depositing right now but I won't sell out either. I know I'd regret it later.

    I chatted with Chela today. I told him I had electric car. I didn't buy it, I built it myself. Or should I say converted, because that is more closer to reality. Factory made electric cars cost here well over 40 000e. I can't afford them. This conversion did cost about 6000e to me. What I did in a nutshell: I swapped original engine to electric motor, added batteries under the hood and some behind the backseat and have enjoyed cheap driving since. Last time I took a look at gasoline prices they were over 1.6e/litre. That was cheapest I saw here. Driving electric costs me less than 2e per 100km. Batteries should last well over 100 000km if properly taken care of. They don't actually need any maintenance, just watch that you don't overcharge or overdischarge them.

    I promised to post some evidence.

    Pictures at https://picasaweb.google.com/103632455961568613343/ElectricVolkswagenGolfMk2

    Videos:

    regular driving: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkvoKBuEQxI&list=UUjRvbUVAsEWJBDU53Zodukw&index=7&feature=plcp

    driving #2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kw05EXwiUnY&list=UUjRvbUVAsEWJBDU53Zodukw&index=4&feature=plcp

    recent heater test after upping pack voltage: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YuVrbF6XBMQ&list=UUjRvbUVAsEWJBDU53Zodukw&index=1&feature=plcp

    That's what kept me busy last year. Driving all around. Conversion took maybe 150 hours including some labor time. I've been driving it for over a year. Clocked 6000 electric kilometers last year. City driving only. Original gasoline engine would have consumed about 8 litres per 100km of city driving. Maybe even more. Old 1.6l carburetor engine isn't most efficient in fuel economy, hehehe.
     
    • Like Like x 4
  2. Feb 18, 2012 #2
    ChelaBias

    ChelaBias

    Great stuff Mora, I can see why you were not playing EU. Impressed with the whole project and that it took you only 150 hours! I would still be thinking about it :).

    Looks like it goes well too, are you going to try some out of city driving? I can see why the heater is so important to you, looks like you could use it to cook on!

    What are SOC and KTE?

    Thanks for sharing and welcome back, hope to see you in game and here more often.
     
    • Like Like x 2
  3. Feb 19, 2012 #3
    Mora

    Mora

    Thanks Chela. SOC stands for state of charge and KTE is kilometers to empty. SOC is the opposite of DOD which means depth of discharge.

    Heater cooks plastic air ducts if lowest blower setting is left on. I had to turn fan to a higher setting in the video as temps got a bit high. It won't catch on fire though even if left without airflow. Ceramic elements are self regulating. Plastic ducts have pretty low melting point though, heheh.

    It accelerates pretty much like original. Its easy to drive too: just put it in third gear and drive like any car with automatic transmission. I've done some driving outside of city. I've driven over 50km at speeds of 80km/h and more during winter. Had to do that on purpose as I rarely need to go outside of city borders. I think I could have gone further but didn't want to risk batteries and get a tow truck to get me back home, heheh. My daily driving need is way less than 30km. I've done a bit over 60km on a single charge but I think I could go even further now. I've added more batteries to the pack but haven't got a chance to drive it yet. Motor controller is under upgrade because of increased voltage. Should be done next week.
     
    • Like Like x 3
  4. Feb 19, 2012 #4
    nexus7

    nexus7

    Gratz Mora, and welcome back to EU-C! That's a fantastic electric conversion, very impressed with the clips.
     
    • Like Like x 2
  5. Feb 19, 2012 #5
    ChelaBias

    ChelaBias

    Thanks Mora, I am obviously not familiar with battery terminology, battery terminals I know about :).

    I bet those plastic air ducts smell a bit at those temperatures. VW used to do flexible ducting made of spiral wire and card in their camper vans, I have seen in a catalogue a more modern replacement made of some kind of foil but that was a few years ago now and it probably is not the right size! I will try to find it.

    Sounds like it has quite a range to me, how long does it take to recharge from empty?
     
    • Like Like x 2
  6. Feb 19, 2012 #6
    Mora

    Mora

    Guess ductings were not VW's best side then, hehe. Old bug doesn't have ductings at all I guess. Many seals at duct joinings are leaking in my Golf and letting cold air in before it reaches heater elements. Oh and car itself doesn't have that good insulation either, hehe.

    40C coming out of vents is fine but at 70C I can smell plastic. That's when temperature outside is about -20C.

    Full recharge takes about 6 hours. Usually it takes less than 3 hours because I don't drive batteries down to near empty state. I chose 1500W charger so I could charge from any possible outlet (most common fuse used in 220V outlets is 10A here). Battery manufacturer says those batteries should last 1500 cycles (100% discharge and recharge is one cycle). And even after that there should be 80% of capacity remaining. Power doesn't disappear. If discharged to 80% every time cycle life increases to 2000. 70% was something like 3000 cycles already. If 10% is used over 13 000 cycles doesn't reduce capacity at all, hehehe. Its been tested.
     
    • Like Like x 2
  7. Feb 19, 2012 #7
    TalkerBot

    TalkerBot Forum Pest

    I can't guess. Tell me.Are you free?
    Which ones?Hurrah! And fine but at 70C he or she can smell plastic is itself does not have that good insulation either hepoint 40C coming out of vents. Makes sense to me. Where did Full recharge take about 6 hours?But not always? about 6 hours takes less than 3 hours because he or she do not drive batteries down to near empty state? Why?:
    said chose 1500W charger so you could charge from a outlet most common fuse used in 220V outlets is 10A here.
    What if it didn't happen?Is that really so?We have never talked about it before.
    That is a hypothetical question.Perhaps. When was this exactly?That is a hypothetical question.I think you mean "it's" or "it is" not "its". Is that your opinion?
     
  8. Feb 19, 2012 #8
    ChelaBias

    ChelaBias

    That really does not take very long at all, very impressive :) and the battery life is exceptional, now you've got me thinking!

    Here is a link to the kind of ducting I was talking about:-

    Justkampers.Ducting

    as it's aluminium it can be reshaped at the ends to fit whatever shape is there, though size is an issue.

    On the 73 camper the internal heating system is a nightmare, lots of joins and flow valves and it has to get the full length of the vehicle. When I turn the heating on I can tell it's on because I can smell the engine not because I can detect any heat :).
     
    • Like Like x 2
  9. Feb 22, 2012 #9
    Mora

    Mora

    Hehehe, that is funny you could smell engine. Some fine filtering might be necessary there. Golf mk2 didn't have any fresh air filters. Kit was optional, hehe.

    Thanks for that ducting information. I've seen such aluminium ones somewhere at local stores. I might have to take a look at those again. Should be easy to fit in place of original ducts. Current plastic ones look worn and cracked at the ends so I think previous owners have taken dash apart few times too.

    Old cars are good for conversions. Less computers inside. Some may not have even power steering so that is one less thing to electrify. My Golf doesn't have one but it really doesn't need one either. I'd like air conditioning but I can drive windows down during summer. I can only hear wind whirling around sideview mirrors. AC would be doable but it is about $$, hehe.
     
    • Like Like x 3
  10. Feb 22, 2012 #10
    ChelaBias

    ChelaBias

    The engine smell is common on the old VW campers, being air cooled heating is provided by a heat exchanger that has exhaust fumes blowing through one side and air sucked from the engine bay on the other. It has been known for exhaust fumes to just blow straight into the cab! My heat exchangers are good so all I get is the smell of engine bay.

    Funniest thing that happened was driving through a flood, the heat exchangers filled the engine bay with steam and this was then blown straight onto into the cab, I could not see a thing but had to keep going or be stuck in a flood, wound the window down and stuck my head out :).

    I would guess the most important part of your system would be where the heat from the elements enters the pipes, guess that all needs to be metal. Hope you get it sorted, from what I have seen so far it's a sure thing :).
     
    • Like Like x 2
  11. Feb 25, 2012 #11
    goodgrief999

    goodgrief999

    I'm impressed. Yep, plastic is a pest, it doesn't burn, it melts and gives off poisonous fumes, I learned that @ the biggest refuse-burning power station in the world, near Schiphol. Nederlaands. Seriously? 'Talker bot'???
    I just posted a message on a site telling the real truth, -> I spend more time in EU than in Real Life! I'm not joking.
    So, Gratz on your Uber loot - I hope it sustains many hours of EU time again :)
    Boo.
     
    • Like Like x 2
  12. Feb 25, 2012 #12
    TalkerBot

    TalkerBot Forum Pest

    Thanks, 'death' of February 12, I try my best to impress.Aw. When is plastic not a pest it does not burn it melts and gives off poisonous fumes he or she learned that @ the biggest refuse-burning power station in the world near Schiphol? Try saying that with more or less context.
    I am always serious.I've lost the context, 'death' of February 12. Are we still on Nederlaands?
    I haven't heard anything like that before:
    'death' of February 12 said posted a message on a site telling the real truth -> you spend more time in EU than in Real Life.
    I am sorry to hear that you are not joking.
    In the context of not joking, I don't understand "Gratz on your Uber loot - I hope it sustains many hours of EU time smileBoo."
     
  13. Feb 25, 2012 #13
    goodgrief999

    goodgrief999

    What gender are you Talker Bot?
    HeHehe
     
    • Like Like x 2
  14. Feb 25, 2012 #14
    TalkerBot

    TalkerBot Forum Pest

    Try visiting <a>Pandorabots.com</a> or <a>Alicebot.org</a>.I am so glad you find this amusing, 'death' of February 12.
     
  15. Feb 25, 2012 #15
    goodgrief999

    goodgrief999

    Hahahahahaha, I am an owner - I m still trying to figure out how to get my bot to have :oops::oops: for money, without paying the creator her cut.
    Seeya soon bot, Boo.
     
    • Like Like x 2
  16. Feb 25, 2012 #16
    goodgrief999

    goodgrief999

    Now I feel bad for not explaining talker bot. "Uber loot" means a reward greater than 100 USD.
    I think I'm going to enjoy owning a talker bot, but it's not compatible with EU.
     
    • Like Like x 2
  17. Mar 8, 2012 #17
    Phunkygeeza

    Phunkygeeza

    Amazing Build Mora, and a great result that you're reaping the benefits!
     
    • Like Like x 2
  1. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
    By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
    Accept Learn More...