Build Your Own Electric Vehicle | Build Your Own

Build Your Own Electric Vehicle

Authors: Seth Leitman and Bob Brant

Published: September 2008

eISBN: 9780071643511 0071643516 | ISBN: 9780071543736

Contents

Preface

Acknowledgments

1 Why Electric Vehicles Are Still Right for Today!

Convert That Car!

What Is an Electric Vehicle?

Electric Motors

Batteries

Controllers

Have You Driven an Electric Vehicle Lately?

Electric Vehicles Offer the “Total Experience”

Electric Vehicles Are Fun to Drive

Electric Vehicles Make a Difference by Standing Out

Electric Vehicles Save Money

Electric Vehicles Are Customizable

Safety First

Electric Vehicles Save the Environment

Electric Vehicle Myths (Dispelling the Rumors)

Myth #1: Electric Vehicles Can’t Go Fast Enough

Myth #2: Electric Vehicles Have Limited Range

Myth #3: Electric Vehicles Are Not Convenient

Myth #4: Electric Vehicles Are Expensive

Disadvantages

Time to Purchase/Build

Repairs

The Force Is with You

2 Electric Vehicles Save the Environment and Energy

Why Do Electric Vehicles Save the Environment?

Save the Environment and Save Some Money Too!

Fuel-Efficient Vehicles

So Who’s to Blame?

Toxic Solid Waste Pollution

Toxic Input Fluids Pollution

Waste Heat Due to Inefficiency

Electric Utilities Love Electric Vehicles

Summary

Legacy of Internal Combustion Engine Is Environmental Problems

A Proactive Solution

3 Electric Vehicle History

Timeline of Vehicle History

The Timeline of Electric Cars

Up Until 1915

1940 to 1989

After 1973: Phoenix Rising, Quickly

Third Wave After 1979: EVs Enter a Black Hole

Mid-1960s to 1990s

The 1990s–2000s

Electric Vehicles for the 21st Century

Tesla

eBox

Hybrid and Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles

Near Future Trends For Electric Drive

4 The Best Electric Vehicle for You

Electric Vehicle Purchase Decisions

Conversions Save You Money and Time

Buying Ready-to-Run

Buying Ready-to-Run from an Independent Manufacturer

Conversion Shops

Converting a Vehicle

Custom-Built Electric Vehicles

Electric Vehicles Built from Plans

Electric Vehicles Built from Kits

Converting Existing Vehicles

Converting Existing Vans

Electric Vehicle Conversion Decisions

Your Chassis Makes a Difference

Your Batteries Make a Difference

The Procedure

How Much Is This Going to Cost?

Conversion for Fun and Profit

Motor, Controller, Battery Tests—Your Electric Car Will Run Just Fine!

5 Chassis and Design

Choose the Best Chassis for Your EV

Optimize Your EV

Conventions and Formulas

It Ain’t Heavy, It’s My EV

Remove All Unessential Weight

Weight and Acceleration

Weight and Climbing

Weight Affects Speed

Weight Affects Range

Remove the Weight but Keep Your Balance

Remember the 30 Percent Rule

Streamline Your EV Thinking

Aerodynamic Drag Force Defined

Choose the Lowest Coefficient of Drag

Choose the Smallest Frontal Area

Relative Wind Contributes to Aerodynamic Drag

Aerodynamic Drag Force Data You Can Use

Shape Rear Airflow

Shape Wheel Well and Underbody Airflow

Block and/or Shape Front Airflow

Roll with the Road

Rolling Resistance Defined

Pay Attention to Your Tires

Use Radial Tires

Use High Tire Inflation Pressures

Brake Drag and Steering Scuff Add to Rolling Resistance

Rolling Resistance Force Data You Can Use

Less Is More with Drivetrains

Drivetrains

Difference in Motor vs. Engine Specifications

Going through the Gears

Automatic vs. Manual Transmission

Use a Used Transmission

Heavy vs. Light Drivetrains and Fluids

Design Your EV

Horsepower, Torque, and Current

Calculation Overview

Torque Required Worksheet

Torque Available Worksheet

Torque Required and Available Graph

Buy Your EV Chassis

Why Conversion Is Best

The Other Side of Conversion

How to Get the Best Deal

Late-Model Used Vehicles (Late 1980s and Onward)

Keep Your Needs List Handy

Buy or Borrow the Manuals

Sell Unused Engine Parts

6 Electric Motors

Why an Electric Motor?

Horsepower

DC Electric Motors

Magnetism and Electricity

Conductors and Magnetic Fields

DC Motors in General

DC Motors in the Real World

Series Motors

DC Motor Types

Series DC Motors

Reversing

Regenerative Braking

Shunt DC Motors

Compound DC Motors

Permanent Magnet DC Motors

Brushless DC Motors

Universal DC Motors

AC Electric Motors

Transformers

AC Induction Motors

Single-Phase AC Induction Motors

Polyphase AC Induction Motors

Wound-Rotor Induction Motors

Today’s Best EV Motor Solution

Series DC Motors Are the Best Approach Today

Today’s Winner: WarP Motors

The Advance FB1-4001

Tomorrow’s Best EV Motor Solution

DC and AC Working Together

Tuning

Keep It Simple

Conclusion

7 The Controller

Controller Overview

Controller Overview

Switch Controller

Solid-State Controller

Electronic Controllers

AC Controller

DC Motor Controller—The Lesson of the Jones Switch

An Off-the-Shelf Curtis PWM DC Motor Controller

AC Controllers

Today’s Best Controller Solution

Zilla Controller (One of the Best DC Controller for Conversions) ZAPI

Metric Mind Engineering

Electric Vehicles’ Controllers Help to Dispel All Myths about Electric Cars Today

AC Propulsion Inc. to the Rescue—Today

Tesla

Conclusion

8 Batteries

Battery Overview

Inside Your Battery

Active Materials

Electrolytes

Overall Chemical Reaction

Discharging Chemical Reaction

Charging Chemical Reaction

Electrolyte Specific Gravity

State-of-Charge

Gassing

Equalizing

Electrolyte Replacement

Sulfation

Outside Your Battery

Basic Electrical Definitions

Battery Capacity and Rating

The Gentle Art of Battery Recharging

Temperature Determines Performance for Lead-Acid Batteries

Age Determines Performance for Lead-Acid Batteries

Battery Charge—Use It or Lose It

State-of-Charge Measurement—Volts or Specific Gravity

Discharge Not in Haste

Lead-Acid Batteries

Battery Types

Battery Construction

Battery Distribution and Cost

Battery Core Deposit

Battery Installation Guidance

TLC and Maintenance for Your Batteries

Today’s Best Battery Solution

Five Trojan Battery Solutions

Tomorrow’s Best Battery Solution—Today

Future Batteries: The Big Picture

Batteries and the RAV4 EV Experience

9 The Charger and Electrical System

Charger Overview

Battery Discharging and Charging Cycle

What You Can Learn from a Battery Cycle-Life Test

Battery Discharging Cycle

Battery Charging Cycle

The Ideal Battery Charger

The Real-World Battery Charger

The Manzita Micro PFC-20

The Zivan NG3

Other Battery Charging Solutions

Rapid Charging

Induction Charging

Replacement Battery Packs

Beyond Tomorrow

Your EV’s Electrical System

High-Voltage, High-Current Power System

Low-Voltage, Low-Current Instrumentation System

Terminal Strip

Shunts

Ammeter

Voltmeter

Battery Indicator

Temperature Meter

Rotary Switch

Fans

Low-Voltage Protection Fuses

Low-Voltage Interlocks

DC-to-DC Converter

Auxiliary Battery Charger

Wiring It All Together

Checking

10 Electric Vehicle Conversion

Conversion Overview

Before Conversion

Arrange for Help

Arrange for Space

Arrange for Tools

Arrange for Purchases and Deliveries

Conversion

Chassis

Purchase the Chassis

Purchase Other Components

Prepare the Chassis

Removing Chassis Parts

Mechanical

Mounting Your Electric Motor

Mounting and Testing Your Electric Motor

Fabricating Battery Mounts

Additional Mechanical Components

Cleanup from Mechanical to Electrical Stage

Electrical

High-Current System

Low-Voltage System

Junction Box

Charger System

Battery

Battery Installation

Battery Wiring

Accessory Battery

After Conversion

System Checkout on Blocks

Neighborhood Trial Run

First Visitor Does a Second Take

Improved Cooling

Further Improved Cooling

Paint, Polish, and Sign

Onward and Upward

Put Yourself in the Picture

11 Maximize Your Electric Vehicle Enjoyment

Licensing and Insurance Overview

Getting Licensed

Getting Insured

Safety Footnote

Driving and Maintenance Overview

Driving Your Electric Vehicle

Caring for Your Electric Vehicle

Battery Care

Tire Care

Lubricants

Checking Connections

Emergency Kit

12 Sources

Less Is More

Clubs, Associations, and Organizations

Electric Auto Association

Electric Utilities and Power Associations

Government

Manufacturers, Converters, and Consultants

Manufacturers

Conversion Specialists

Vehicles and Components

Experienced EV Conversions and Consulting

Consultants

Suppliers

Conversion Kits

Conversion Plans

Motors

Controllers

Batteries

Chargers

Other Parts

Books, Articles, and Papers

Books

Articles

Publishers

Newsletters

Online Industry Publications

Grassroots Electric Drive Sites

Federal Government Sites

State- and Community-Related Electric Vehicle Sites

General Electric Drive Information Sites

Other Related Web Sites

Index