Wire harnessMotor Motor MountCompleted battery wiring.Control board and chargersBattery boxController board
OwnerPaul B.
LocationIrvine, California United States map
Email email image
Vehicle1977 Volkswagen Bus
MotorAdvanced DC FB1-4001A Series Wound DC
EV America conversion parts. Adapter was trimmed down to
flow with bellhousing.
DrivetrainStock transaxle rebuilt with new bearings and seals.
Clutchless
ControllerCurtis 1231C
96-144 V 500 Amp limit
Batteries12 Trojan T-1275, 12.00 Volt, Lead-Acid, Flooded
System Voltage144 Volts
ChargerQuick Charge Op-144-20 230VAC and OP144-8 115VAC
Two onboard chargers. One for home and the other for
when only 110 is available.
HeaterNone - Have not needed one so far.
DC/DC ConverterAstrodyne DC-DC SB50
InstrumentationWestberg Voltmeter and Ammeter
Top Speed65 MPH (104 KPH)
I have been up to about 65 mph (downhill). Seems to move
along quite well. I can run at 55 mph on flat ground but it pulls 200+ amps, so I have not run at 55 too often.
AccelerationPretty peppy but I never drove the ICE version so I can't
compare.
Range30 Miles (48 Kilometers)
I have only travelled 30 miles before charging.
EV Miles
Start:56,057 Miles (90,195 Kilometers)
Current:61,843 Miles (99,505 Kilometers)
Total:5,786 Miles (9,309 Kilometers)
 
    As of 9/29/2010
Seating Capacity5 adults
TiresYokohama Y356 195/75/14R LT
Conversion TimeStarted in June 2008 with restoration.

A month and a half of weekends and weeknights. I estimate
about 120-130 hours of time spent planning and completing
the conversion.
Conversion CostEstimates currently at 14K + for conversion plus vehicle
restoration, I am a little afraid to look at the total cost
including all the little things that add up near the end.
11-29-09 - Added an onboard 1.5 amp small battery charger to charge the 12 volt accesory battery everytime the traction pack is charged. This keeps the lights bright all the time.

10-12-09 - Been charging with my on-board 110 volt charger nightly and have found this to be perfect for a full charge in twelve hours. My 220 will charge in about 6-8 hours.

9-5-09 - Replaced the the vent fan on the battery box with a 12 volt brushless fan. The original was a bilge blower that was not up to the number of duty hours.

8-1-09 - Quickcharger 220 volt began to perform poorly. I contacted the manufacturer and they sent out a new version of the 220 Quickcharger. Now it charges quickly again. The new version is slightly larger and has a built in fan to keep it cool. Customer service was quick and attentive.

4-3-09 - Lots of inquiries from co-workers and other who have found out it is electric. Amazing how so many people are interested in it. Hopefully as more people see EV's, they will start driving more of a market which will improve the technology.

3-7-09 - All is working well, except I have to charge my 12volt accessory battery about twice per week. The onboard DC/DC converter does not seem to keep up with vacuum pump and light usage. I am not running any stereo or other auxillary equipment.

I think the bus is a great around town EV, but would not be a great commuter where more than fifteen miles one way is needed and/or freeway driving is required. The kids love riding in it and has lots of room for the groceries and hardware store runs.

3-1-09 - I watered the batteries for the first time. I used about 1/2 gallon for all twelve batteries. The terminals were slightly loose on about a third of the batteries, but no evidence of overheating or distortion was found.

2-12-09 - With the amount of amps drawn in third gear to maintain 50+mph I have settled with running mostly at 40 mph in second. I will continue to look at ways to increase efficiency at that speed, but I think aerodynamics is a major factor. The bus gets used almost daily for my daily commute and on the weekends for errands and church.

2-4-09 - Been driving for over a month. Only had one problem so far, the 12volt accessory battery dropped below the necessary voltage for driving with headlamps on. I had to turn around and charge it. I am not sure why my DC/DC converter did not maintain the state of charge for the accessory battery.

1-6-09 - Been driving for over a week now. It takes a little getting used to watching
the lights and traffic ahead to get the most out of the energy used. I find that I drive
everywhere on city streets in second gear. The bus seems to run best at 40 mph in
second which is when the motor is running at a calculated 5000 rpm.

12-31-08 - Tried my first hill. The hill pulled lots of amps and I felt a significant
decrease in performance after the climb. I tried to keep the amps as low as possible
and still make it up the hill. I will try to always adjust my route around all hills.

12-28-08 - Have taken the bus an several local store trips. I went into fourth gear
and got up to 52 mph with no problem.

12-27-08 - Been driving and charging over the past two days. I have about fifteen
smiling miles so far. Shifting is not a problem without the clutch. You just take a
little time between gears and it slips right in. I have been running second gear up to
about 35 and then shifting into third.

12-26-08 - Finished up the necessary wiring to get the bus driveable. I towed it
down to the DMV and got it smog exempt and listed as an electric vehicle. That was
the easiest part of the enitire conversion. Road test to come once fully charged. Road
test was a little slow, but I went back and readjusted the throttle cable and pot box
and got much better performance.

12-12-08 - Completed fiber board for controller and contactors. Batteries are being
wired and final wiring to gauges being run.

12-4-08 - Mounted vacuum brake pump and switch.

12-3-08 - Wired up the relay and fuse box to power the controller board. Still need
to run wires to dash for voltmeter and ammeter.

11-30-08 - Started on the battery box 31x41x12. It will house all twelve Trojan
batteries and will be mounted behind the front seats. The box is plywood re-
enforced with external aluminum.

11-28-08 - Almosted completed the mock-up controller board. Most of the wiring
on the board is done and placement of components have been identified. I have
ordered a piece of G10 board for the final controller board.

11-17-08 - Installed plywood controller board above the motor. It hinges up to
allow access to motor power cables. Will start installing all the components and
wiring the controller, contacts, relays and DC/DC converter.

11-16-08 - Finished motor mount and installed it. I made the mount from a piece
of 2 inch flat stock, 3/16ths thick. I bent the material around a steel ten pound
weight. I started work on the mock-up controller board made from plywood. Began
construction on 30X40X12 battery box.

11-12-08 - Worked on the motor mount to cradle the motor. Looked for possible
non-conductive material for controller and contactor board - polycarbonate and high
end fiber/composite board (a little costly compared to wood).

11-10-08 - Built mount for both onboard chargers. They will be mounted in the
location of the old gas tank. Built a pair of 2 guage crimpers, these should help make
the welding cable look professional and strong.

11-9-08 - I have the engine and tranny mounted and will begin the install of the
controller and on-board chargers.




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