Hours

How much time does an EV conversion take? I've tracked the hours below with my previous project's hours in parenthesis. This project has gone much quicker but includes a few more things like the wiring harness, tachometer, BMS, etc. Building the adapter plate took much more time in the last project. Since I still have to install the brake pump, charger, BMS, Batteries and tachometer the numbers are estimates.

• Prep 35 hours (30)
• Motor Mount 18 hours (50)
• Low voltage Wiring 30 hours est. (20)
• Cables and racks 41 hours (30)
• Misc. Paint & Clean-up 10 hours est. (20)
• Total 135 hours (150)

Firewall rack

This rack will hold 3 of sets of Li cells. Since I left the original aux. battery it couldn't be exactly like Tim's racks but is close, 12"x37". I've extended the front with 3 10" pieces of angle, 1 1/2"x1/8". They will hold the control box, controller and charger. I won't need a sheet of plastic or plywood because of the box containing the fuse, cut-off switch, contactor, and wiring terminal.

Left side.

Right side.

Front rack

This rack will hold 2 of the 5 cell packs and is mounted very similarly to Tim's front rack except it is a welded box 35.5" x 7". I've only mounted it to the top single bolt on the "towing" mount of the frame. The straps coming down are 3/4" x 1/8" and bolted to the rack with 1/4" bolts. Instead of powder coating I used a propane torch to burn off the oils and moisture and then primed and painted.

Left side.

Right side.

Rear rack

The rear rack is 30" x 12" and will hold 4 of the 5 cell blocks. The tube is 14.5 inches but because of the frame under the trunk, the whole rack had to be mounted 1.5" from the forward wall of the trunk. If the tube was 16" it would have been a better fit. The holes and bolts are 3/8".

Battery Racks

I've ordered 45 Thundersky 100 Ah cells from Dave at evcomponents in Issaquah, WA. They are supposed to be here any day so I've got to get the racks installed. The cells are 145mm X 220mm X 68mm or 5.7" X 8.66" X 2.6". The are already prestrapped in groups of 5 (5.7" X 13.85" X 8.66"). I'll put 2 in the front rack, 3 in the firewall rack and 4 in the trunk. They are 7.7 lbs. each so the weights should be similar to the ICE parts removed from the car. I cut the pieces and had a friend weld them together. I'll follow the installation advice and instructions from Tim Kutscha, with a few changes. I'm not bolting the racks but welding them at 45 degree angles. Since the dimensions of my batteries are thinner the racks will be narrower. Also, the del Sol trunk appears to be a different shape than the Civic. I'll just prime and paint the racks instead of powdercoating them. Here is a picture of the welded racks.

Vantage Green Truck

Ron let me drive his Vantage Green Truck last week. Very nice. It has smooth acceleration, nice interior, and a flashing light on the top! The display is very small and the regen is pretty agressive so it slows down quickly.