Volt Colt - 3Volt-Colt-10Volt Colt - 6Volt Colt - 7Volt-Colt-8Volt-Colt-9
OwnerPeter Flipsen Jr and Patricia Visser
LocationPocatello, Idaho US map
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Vehicle1991 Plymouth Colt GL
Made by Mitsubishi; virtually identical to same year Dodge Colt, Eagle Summit, and Mitsubishi Mirage.
MotorAdvanced DC FB1-4001A Series Wound DC
9.1" diameter, dual shaft. Rated at 25.2 HP @ 120V (continuous; 85 HP peak). Peak torque = 110 ft. lbs. @ 120V & 500 Amps.
DrivetrainFWD; original 5 spd transmission with clutch.
ControllerLogisystems 144-AFX
750 Amp, 120-144V. Using a Curtis PB-6 potbox.
Batteries10 Universal Batteries UB121100, 12.00 Volt, Lead-Acid, AGM
This is our 2nd pack; were added at 138187 (2074 EV miles). 1st pack were flooded RV/Marine (very poor choice).
System Voltage120 Volts
ChargerRussco SC 18-120 SO
3 stage, 110V model with digital shutoff; mounted onboard to permit opportunity charging.
Heater1500W ceramic (electric) element installed in place of original (liquid) heater core in the dash using procedure found at WebPage (inside Carl's heated garage it puts out 136 deg F at low fan speed and 118 deg F at high fan speed). Output not as warm as original ICE but seems to get the job done.
DC/DC ConverterIota DLS-55
Charges 12V accessory battery.
InstrumentationReplaced old temp and fuel guages in dash with 500A current gauge (measures motor amps) and 12V LED volt meter (monitors accessory battery and serves as "on" indicator). Mounted Paktrakr BMS WebPage with optional current sensor to monitor battery amps on steering column. Mounted state of charge guage and Hall effect tachometer (both from WebPage ) in custom pod from WebPage on driver's side windshield pillar. Hall effect tach sender purchased from EV Parts WebPage
Top Speed65 MPH (104 KPH)
Tested by Carl prior to delivery. Have easily had it to 55 mph (in 3rd gear) myself, but rarely go above 40 mph.
AccelerationA little sluggish (not surprising at 550 lbs above original curb weight) but I manage OK in city traffic.
Range25 Miles (40 Kilometers)
Estimated so far - longest trip has been 15 miles with 45% DOD. Still breaking in new AGM batteries. Have blocked off grill, set tire pressure to 40 psi (factory rec = 29; may go to max of 44), added smooth wheel covers, and installed belly pan to close in engine compartment; pan goes from front grill to just behind front seats. All changes aimed at reducing drag coefficient from original 0.36 WebPage . Will evaluate impact of changes using spreadsheet at WebPage
Watt Hours/MileWas doing about an average of 500 Whr per mile overall with previous RV / Marine batteries (based on KWhr useage and distance travelled). Looking a little better with AGMs so far.
EV Miles
Start:136,113 Miles (219,005 Kilometers)
Current:138,434 Miles (222,740 Kilometers)
Total:2,321 Miles (3,734 Kilometers)
 
    As of 11/16/2009
Seating CapacityTwo (removed rear seat cushion and rear seat belts) - can only handle 374 lbs total load to stay within GVWR of 3174 lbs.
Curb Weight2,800 Pounds (1,272 Kilograms)
Weighed at local recycler (with new batteries). Stock from factory = 2249 lbs.
Tires175/70/R13. Using Toyo tires it came with but will eventually switch to a true low rolling-resistance tire. Check out WebPage
Conversion TimeAbout 6 months from purchasing donor to having it running.
Conversion CostAbout $14,000 (parts and labor) so far, not counting the $1200 invested in donor car (purchase + initial delivery cost).
7/26/08 - donor with blown ICE (internal combustion engine) purchased in Cut Bank, MT.

8/16/08 - removed fuel tank, exhaust pipe, muffler, and catalytic converter.

8/23/08 - decided to have car converted by Carl Clark and Spencer Stromberg of the "Electric Car Company of Utah" WebPage in Salt Lake City.

8/29/08 to 10/24/08 - "stinker" engine (ICE) removed. Adaptor plate completed, flywheel "lightened", and driveline (transmission, adaptor, new clutch, electric motor) assembled by Spencer. Bench test successful. Driveline and charger installed. Battery frames (hold 6 in rear and 4 in front) installed. Rear frames covered with sheet metal cases underneath; spray foam between batteries and cases for insulation. Front and rear battery packs connected using cables run in plastic conduit set into old exhaust pipe trace.

10/31/08 - custom rear springs from Coil Spring Specialties WebPage installed to handle extra weight in rear.

11/15/08 - heater installed in dash by Spencer; for procedure see WebPage

11/24/08 to 12/15/08 - controller recalled by Logisystems due to defective part. Successful trial run made using temporary controller. Inertia switch, fusible links, and main breaker installed.

01/07/09 - replacement controller rec'd and installed.

01/19/09 - car delivered today; took a quick little spin around the block. Finally a functional EV - we love it and have the EV grin to show it!

02/01/09 - installed "moonie" wheel covers and belly pan under engine compartment ourselves to help reduce drag; belly pan made from .06" thick Plas-Tex wall panel from Home Depot; pan also protects electrical parts from rain/snow. For similar belly pan see WebPage Now using car as our regular commuter (3.5 miles each way).

03/01/09 - put electric fan in garage to exhaust fumes from charging; goes through vent pipe installed near top of exterior wall.

03/14/09 to 03/29/09 - noticed some acid spillage onto engine and moved front batteries into back. Fortunately upgraded rear springs can handle the weight. Ride height very close to original. Car seems pretty stable so far.

04/11/09 - installed battery cables with SAE clamps from WebPage after hearing about potential problems with bolting cables to "stud" terminals; our batteries have dual stud / SAE terminals.

04/30/09 - installed battery balancers (aka "zener regs"; see WebPage ) on battery stud posts to try to improve charging and reduce gassing.

05/16/09 - wrapped battery tie-down bars in electrical tape to prevent acid residue (from battery bubbling) from grounding out the charger.

05/18/09 - completed 1st 1000 EV miles.

05/23/09 - adjusted 3rd stage charger timer from 30 to 75 minutes; discovered two dead batteries; each read 10.80 V after full charge. Thank goodness for warranty.

05/29/09 - new struts installed all around and transmission fluid replaced with "Royal Purple" synthetic gear oil.

06/13/09 - replacement batteries installed; added PakTrakr BMS WebPage with current sensor option to monitor battery amps.

07/04/09 - created "bathubs" from heavy plastic sheeting to enclose bottom and sides of upper 4 batteries to prevent acid spillage from grounding out charger. Lower batteries already had plastic liner. Charger grounding out problem seems to be solved.

09/06/09 - hall effect tachometer and state of charge guage (both from WebPage ) installed in custom pillar pod from WebPage on driver's side windshield pillar. Tach not working yet - getting noise from amp guage. Replaced "automatic" seat belts with standard ones and removed rear seat cushion and rear seat belts (can't handle the weight anyway). Rear seat backs left in place as extra buffer between passengers and batteries. Installed new plastic liner under lower batteries.

10/07/09 - passed 2000 EV miles but RV/Marine batteries are on their last legs after about 200 cycles (range less than 8 miles). One battery in particular sagging really badly under load. Failed formal load test at battery dealer.

10/21/09 - Gave up on old batteries and bought new set of UB121100 AGM batteries (mileage at 138187 = 2074 EV miles on 1st set). Did get some warranty credit on old set. Trying to break in new set slowly; keeping amps low especially for first 10 cycles by avoiding hills in town and starting with short distance (1st cycle = 0.8 mile) and slowly increasing distance with each cycle (10th cycle = 9.7 miles).

11/04/09 - already looks like range will be noticeably improved with the AGMs. Did 13.9 miles yesterday with 40% DOD and batteries are not even broken in. Suggests our original target of 25-30 miles range may now be quite possible.

11/05/09 - increased tire pressure from 36 to 40 psi (factory recommendation = 29, but tire max rating = 44). Seems to drive a little smoother.

code by jerry