Electric Karmann Ghia, business end
OwnerJim Augustine
LocationEl Paso, Texas US map
Vehicle1968 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia
2 door sports coupe
MotorAdvanced DC FB1-4001-A Series Wound DC
9 Inch Series wound 120 VDC
Drivetrain4 speed manual,
ControllerCurtis 1231C
Controller is mounted to a component board with heat sink and 2 cooling fans. The component board is located under the rear deck lid of the vehicle.
Batteries9 Trojan T-1275, 12.00 Volt, Lead-Acid, Flooded
Golf cart deep cycle, weighing 82 lbs. each
System Voltage108 Volts
ChargerQuickcharge specific built /on board
The charger is mounted below the components board and allows for easy access. It is automatic with gas and float stage
Heaternone
DC/DC Converter
Using one 28 AH AGM battery to power accessories and 12 volt components. I plug this battery into a 20 watt solar charging system when the vehicle is not in use. This technique keeps the battery at about 12 volts and will show a full charge after about 12 hours of daylight.
Instrumentationspeedometer, voltmeter, ammeter,
Top Speed75 MPH (120 KPH)
using second gear, vehicle will accelerate very quickly from 0 to 40 M.P.H and from 40 MPH on it will continue to accelerate nicely, but requires a gear shift to third at 50 MPH to prevent overspeeding the motor. Third gear is used over 50 MPH up to 70 MPH, at 70 MPH it is shifted to fourth gear and car will continue to accelerate to a top speed to date of 78 MPH, this type of driving will shorten the range considerably.
Accelerationvery good when the batteries are fresh
Range52 Miles (83 Kilometers)
The best range is attained by using second gear and driving @50 MPH
EV Miles
Start:17,356 Miles (27,925 Kilometers)
Current:26,375 Miles (42,437 Kilometers)
Total:9,019 Miles (14,511 Kilometers)
 
    As of 11/2/2009
Seating Capacity2 adults
Curb Weight2,800 Pounds (1,272 Kilograms)
Tiresstock V.W. 15 inch metrics
Conversion Time4 months, most of that time was spent restoring the car, one week building the battery racks, and two weeks to install the motor, running cables and wiring components.
Conversion Cost$ 11,000 including the vehicle restoration.
Additional FeaturesFour coil over, shock absorbers,
I use this vehicle daily with an average driving distance of 35 miles. Winter use when temps are near freezing decreases performance and range by about 30-40%, all of the systems work great, I've had one failure, a loose battery terminal connection caused a terminal post to melt. A set of jumper cables would have gotten me going again at a lower voltage. High quality components and excellent planning and building support were provided by "Electric Vehicles of America, Inc.". Monthly maintenance includes a 10-15 minute check of connections and water levels in the batteries, and dusting off the control board and motor. I've calculated the operating cost at $.05 per mile, taking into consideration the battery life, initial battery cost and charging cost based on local electric rates.

code by jerry