Troll under the bridge in Fremont
OwnerKent Bakke
LocationSeattle, Washington US map
Vehicle1973 Volkswagen Bug
Originally restored and converted in 1994 by Beetles Unlimited in Seattle.
MotorAdvanced DC 9 inch Series Wound DC
DrivetrainStock rear trans axle 4 speed
ControllerDC Power Systems Raptor 600
600 Amps
Batteries12 Valence U-24, 12.00 Volt, Lithium-Polymer
Each battery has its own battery management system (BMS) and is comprised of 4 3.3 Volt cells. Each cell is individually monitored by the BMS and through the central BMS talks to the Manzanita PFC20 charger.
System Voltage144 Volts
ChargerManzanita Micro PFC20
Heaterceramic? Will have to verify
DC/DC ConverterIntelli Power PD 9160
InstrumentationE-meter, analog voltmeter and ammeter
only the E-meter is currently hooked up.
Top Speed80 MPH (128 KPH)
or whatever a stock 73 Bug can safely do.
Accelerationstrong
Range50 Miles (80 Kilometers)
guesstimate, not actual. Will update when we get more cycles on the pack and do a range test. Stay tuned
Watt Hours/Mile300 Wh/Mile
guesstimate. Will get and post actuals later
EV Miles
Current:22,333 Miles (35,933 Kilometers)
Seating Capacity2 adults
Curb Weight2,400 Pounds (1,090 Kilograms)
Pretty stock, no back seat however. All batteries are behind the front seats.
Tireslow rolling resistance
Conversion TimeUnknown. Last battery install took approximately 48 man-hours
Conversion CostAs originally converted $16,000, latest battery pack about double the invested value of the car.
Previous pack was two parallel strings of 12 Optimas each. 24 batteries total 144 Volts nominal. Current pack is half the weight and twice (at least) the Amp-Hour capacity.

code by jerry