[justin.w]

Was scrolling through the net and came across this:

http://www.evalbum.com/1149

I thought it was pretty impressive anyway. Even though $4500 buys a lot of fuel for a sierra

[oozuk]

Grahame at suzi auto services at springwood Qld is right into this stuff, he has successfuly built a few electric swifts and just finished off a swb WT hard top electric sierra.

He just won an award for the development of electric vehicles in SE Qld, so he is the man if your interested in going this route just bring a fat wallet.

[zukenutter]

Saw Graham's electric swift last time I was there. Very cool.

[Fatzook]

They are pretty cool. But range is quite limited. Would make a good inner city run around.

[boostedbrick]

Suzi Auto Services over this way do electric conversions.. Basic packages starting at 15k though
For a 40 - 50 k range.. Guess it would be suitable for getting to work and back.

[oozuk]

boostedbrick wrote:

Suzi Auto Services over this way do electric conversions.. Basic packages starting at 15k though
For a 40 - 50 k range.. Guess it would be suitable for getting to work and back.

that's who i was talking about in the post above

[Fatzook]

oozuk wrote:

boostedbrick wrote:

Suzi Auto Services over this way do electric conversions.. Basic packages starting at 15k though
For a 40 - 50 k range.. Guess it would be suitable for getting to work and back.

that's who i was talking about in the post above

Thats who EVERYOne was talking about in the 3 previous posts.

Its great that he is tinkering with alternative powers, but 10K for a early 90's swift with 50-80kms range is obscene IMO. It would literally NEVER pay for itself.

[zukenutter]

The tech will get better and the parts/conversions will get cheaper. Range is going to be the problem for a while but I think it's very exciting to see electric finally happening.
Definitely only a 2nd car for inner city use at the moment though.

[got_bar_work]

U can get good range if u get good batt but it costs heaps

[zukenutter]

Don't think so on a retro-fitted electric car. I think they are inefficient compared to a purpose built electric car.

[Joshyboy26]

so whats the power like in them? about the same as a normal sierra or a bit less? cos i thought i read somewhere itll only do 80kays so if it will only do that and only do 40kms to a charge its pretty useless really (as a real car) but super cool nonetheless. i wouuld love to go 4byin in one, just have everything quiet it would be so strange

[boostedbrick]

Fatzook wrote:

oozuk wrote:

boostedbrick wrote:

Suzi Auto Services over this way do electric conversions.. Basic packages starting at 15k though
For a 40 - 50 k range.. Guess it would be suitable for getting to work and back.

that's who i was talking about in the post above

Thats who EVERYOne was talking about in the 3 previous posts.

Its great that he is tinkering with alternative powers, but 10K for a early 90's swift with 50-80kms range is obscene IMO. It would literally NEVER pay for itself.

I didn't know his name was Grahame and misread oozuk's post... I made a mistake on the internet, so sorry

[zukenutter]

Joshyboy26 wrote:

so whats the power like in them? about the same as a normal sierra or a bit less? cos i thought i read somewhere itll only do 80kays so if it will only do that and only do 40kms to a charge its pretty useless really (as a real car) but super cool nonetheless. i wouuld love to go 4byin in one, just have everything quiet it would be so strange

Acceleration is probably better, but the electric motor in that Sierra doesn't have very high RPM, so probably not matched well to the transfer and diff ratios. Some larger tyres would probably be of benefit.

[Joshyboy26]

yh the ratios say 10.xx in low range an 6.xx in high thats huge!

[Fatzook]

Joshyboy26 wrote:

so whats the power like in them? about the same as a normal sierra or a bit less? cos i thought i read somewhere itll only do 80kays so if it will only do that and only do 40kms to a charge its pretty useless really (as a real car) but super cool nonetheless. i wouuld love to go 4byin in one, just have everything quiet it would be so strange

I'd say it would be a massive improvement in torque. Range is directly related to storage. I've no idea what sort of batteries he is using, but when you think about it, the production and disposal of spent batteries is probably just as harmful to the environment as a well tuned petrol powered motor is when releasing exhaust fumes anyway.

I've seen a few Hydrogen powered electric cars in the states. THAT is clean energy! Compressed H2 gas is about the same price per L as petrol in the US, and the only emission is H2O

[Joshyboy26]

Yes but generally they get the H2 from water which they use electricity to split. guess what electricity is mainly produce from in aus ( or victoria certainly) brown coal! We still need a better way of producing power in aus. So while it may be 'clean' energy at the car end it still sucks just as much at the other end

[Fatzook]

Joshyboy26 wrote:

Yes but generally they get the H2 from water which they use electricity to split. guess what electricity is mainly produce from in aus ( or victoria certainly) brown coal! We still need a better way of producing power in aus. So while it may be 'clean' energy at the car end it still sucks just as much at the other end

True. The US ( especially Cali) has giant windfarms to generate power, so they are miles ahead of us here. If you could use alternative pwer to generate the electricity required to split the h20 molecules, then it would be a proper green fuel.

[Jackson]

Getting hydrogen from water is high school science experiment, most of the hydrogen produced comes from methane.

[JrZook]

Fatzook wrote:

the production and disposal of spent batteries is probably just as harmful to the environment as a well tuned petrol powered motor is when releasing exhaust fumes anyway

This tends to get overlooked quite often

[jonno_racing]

I'd love to build an eletric car, it has always been a intrest of mine living in tasmania all of our power is hydro eletric.
if you could get 100km rage with a decent charge time it would be practical for around 90% of what I do.

[Fatzook]

jonno_racing wrote:

with a decent charge time

Exactly! No point running it to work for your 8hr work day if it won't be charged for the trip home via the pub Although charging it on your bosses dime would be cool.

[zukenutter]

Joshyboy26 wrote:

Yes but generally they get the H2 from water which they use electricity to split. guess what electricity is mainly produce from in aus ( or victoria certainly) brown coal! We still need a better way of producing power in aus. So while it may be 'clean' energy at the car end it still sucks just as much at the other end

Sucks but still cleaner and less emissions overall. Plus the emissions are away from built-up areas so cleaner air in the city.

[Joshyboy26]

Jackson wrote:

Getting hydrogen from water is high school science experiment, most of the hydrogen produced comes from methane.

How do they split methane to get H2?

[losfer]

bahh dont get me started on electric cars ....

[Fatzook]

losfer wrote:

bahh dont get me started on electric cars ....

C'mon. Give us some inside info

[losfer]

what do you want to know ?

[Fatzook]

losfer wrote:

what do you want to know ?

What type of batteries are you guys using? And how does the torque output of the elec motor compared to the 4 banger?

[losfer]

we were using agm deep cycle , but they dont have a very good range , we have started to use lithium , but they are very expensive , and also the battery management system is quite complex , with lithium you cant let them get under a certain charge or be charged over a certain voltage or they are damaged very easily , so theres a complex management system that has to attach to each cell to detect undercharge or overcharge , it also manages battery temps etc.

unlike an ICE the electric motor has a very flat torque curve , you have torque from woe to go which is a great thing in a 4wd i guess but yes the rev range of the electric motor is very limited. as far as power output we are using 144v 11Kw engine in the sierra , unlike ICE 11Kw in an electric car equates to a lot more than 11Kw in a ICE.

we design the gearboxes to lock out 1st and second gear because the engine has so much torque you basically start off in 3rd and change to 5th once going. using 1st gear is neck snapping but takes you nowhere..

[Fatzook]

So what is the estimated top speed in 5th for the sierra? Just trying to get an idea of the gearing with the rev range of the elec motor.

Also, would twin motors be feasable for a light drag car? All out acceleration for 400m then shut down.

You guys taken a swift out to willowbank yet?

[got_bar_work]

What type of motor are u using