| Owner | Jens Rekker | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Location | Dunedin, Otago New Zealand map | ||||||||
| Web/Email | WebPage | ||||||||
| Vehicle | 1989 Ford Courier Flat-deck (aka Table-top) utility | ||||||||
| Motor | Advanced DC XP1263A Series Wound DC Experimental 8" ADC motor, no longer in production. | ||||||||
| Drivetrain | Custom clutch mounting onto lightened flywheel plate and milled steel adapter plate onto bell-housing (Adrian Mulder Precision Engineering). Manual (Standard) 5-speed transmission (transaxle). | ||||||||
| Controller | Curtis 1221 PO51 96V to 144V model, 500A, no longer in production. Makes the same whining noise as a Curtis 1231C, probably related. | ||||||||
| Batteries | 24 Exide ED105, 6.00 Volt, Lead-Acid, Flooded Exide clone of the Trojan T105. Much more available and less expensive in this country. C20 capacity about 215 Ah individually, and 31 kWh as a pack. | ||||||||
| System Voltage | 144 Volts | ||||||||
| Charger | Zivan NG3 144-15 240 VAC, single phase model | ||||||||
| Heater | Not decided. Probably 12V "Hotrod" heater in time for next year's winter. | ||||||||
| DC/DC Converter | Iota DSL45 | ||||||||
| Instrumentation | Voltmeter Ammeter Curtis 900R "Fuel Gauge" | ||||||||
| Top Speed | 60 MPH (96 KPH) Doors start to rattle if you go faster. | ||||||||
| Acceleration | Slower than with the petrol engine. The faster you accelerate, the facter the amps pile on though! | ||||||||
| Range | 45 Miles (72 Kilometers) I'm not really interested in trying out the full DOD range. Mostly just operate it in the top half of DOD with short trips. | ||||||||
| Watt Hours/Mile | 400 Wh/Mile Still need to fit the new AC charging meter. Will know more accurately once trials run. | ||||||||
| EV Miles |
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| Seating Capacity | 3 friendly adults across bench seat. | ||||||||
| Curb Weight | 4,400 Pounds (1,999 Kilograms) Weighed it on the weighbridge. Got quite a shock when weighed in at 2,010 kg without driver. May need to go on a mass diet soon. | ||||||||
| Tires | Pirelli Chrono P3000 LRR tyres 850 kg per tyre weight capacity 70 psi pressure rating. | ||||||||
| Conversion Time | 5 months. | ||||||||
| Conversion Cost | About $11,000US. I've been lucky enough to source a lot of new parts locally in New Zealand or Australia, plus a second-hand motor and controller from Auckland. Otherwise, the shipping costs would have severely inflated the total. | ||||||||
| Additional Features | Manual steering standard (no power steering requirement). Electric vacuum pump and reservoir brake assist (EVParts). Steel well-side deck / tray removed and replaced with tube steel - wood flatdeck (table-top) for weight savings. 18 x back battery rack goes full width behind cab as two rows of 9 batteries fitted lenghtwise. Leaves 6 foot length of flatdeck for carrying payload. | ||||||||
| The choice of donor vehicle was dictated by the strict vehicle certification and inspection requirements in New Zealand for modifications of any kind. The Ford Courier recommended itself by the wide gap between the curb weight and Gross Vehicle Mass / Maximum (GVM) rating allowing the additional weight of the battery pack and a good payload following conversion. The battery packs could also be placed outside any zone considered the 'passenger compartment', simplifying battery clamp-down and gas venting certification requirements. We also wanted reasonable range for our commuter EV, so that we could stray a bit further from the city limits if we wanted to. The standard New Zealand 240 VAC house voltage eases the difficulty of finding an outlet for opportunistic charging. New Zealand derives over 70% of national electrical power from renewable sources, such as hydro, wind and geothermal. So, it is a good place to gain the best benefit to the atmosphere of displacing gasoline. | |||||||||
1989 Ford Courier
“Red Beaut Ute”
Last Updated 12-10-2008
Copyright © 1997-2024 by Mike Chancey