OwnerJames May
Owner's Other EV1991 Rover Metro
LocationCoventry, England United Kingdom map
Email email image
Vehicle1994 Rover Metro
Small British car with 1.1 or 1.4 Rover K-series engine. This one is a special edition called "Nightfire Special"
MotorAdvanced DC L91-4003 Series Wound DC
The motor and adapter plate are from my other Rover Metro which has been retired.
DrivetrainFWD manual, flywheel and clutch
ControllerCafe Electric Zilla 1KLV
Sadly, these great controllers are currently out of production.
Batteries12 Odyssey PC2150, 12.00 Volt, Lead-Acid, AGM
System Voltage144 Volts
ChargerZivan NG3
NG3 - 144V On order
In addition I may add individual chargers, off board. That way I don't have to worry about balancing.
HeaterCurrently the Zilla controller coolant is pumped through the heater matrix. Long term an electric water heater connected to the original heater matrix powered by the traction pack.
DC/DC Converter not decided yet
-probably a Curtis DC-DC converter, maybe a homemade DC-DC
InstrumentationPaktrakr, analogue ammeter and voltmeter, eventually either an e-meter or e-vision meter.
Top Speed75 MPH (120 KPH)
(ball park guess)
AccelerationGood acceleration, similar or better than the original 1.1
Range25 Miles (40 Kilometers)
I am intending to use this vehicle for my daily commute which is 14 miles round trip.
EV Miles
Start:62,474 Miles (100,520 Kilometers)
Seating Capacity4 adults
Curb Weight2,550 Pounds (1,159 Kilograms)
ish
Tiresstandard, Low Rolling resistance to come
Conversion Timeexpecting around 3 months.
Conversion Costexpecting around 5000 GBP when it's all added up.
This car was bought on e-bay for 100 GBP. It isn't in great condition and I am going to have to do some bodywork repairs while I am waiting for the Zilla controller.
This vehicle is currently under construction.

Update 27 Aug/08: Nearly finished. The motor is in place and all the electrics are hooked up. Woohoo It runs! Still have to add the charger, DC-DC and instruments. Then comes the MOT safety test.

code by jerry