OwnerDaniel M.
LocationSewell, New Jersey US map
Email email image
Vehicle1997 Saturn SL
December 28th - I should have the car back from J & E Performance in the next few days. They are a pro race shop located in Blackwood, NJ. They were very interested in EVs and conversions when I asked them to build the mount and driveshaft support for my car.
MotorNetgain WarP 9 Series Wound DC
Smaller than I thought it would be, but man is it heavy. ^_^
ControllerCafe Electric Z1K-HV
It is here. ^_^

I can't wait to hook this thing up.
Batteries48 Thunder Sky TS-LFP100AHA, 3.20 Volt, Lithium-Polymer
Perhaps someday EEStore will pull their EESU out of the vaporware bin. In the meantime though LiFePO4 really looks to be the way to go.

At $1.10/ah I figured I could just about afford a small (50+ mile) pack and if the life span of these things is as claimed it will work out to be cheaper than Lead Acid in the long run.

(These links are not formatting correctly, just add an extra t in the http to get to the websites)

The batteries are from EVComponents htp://www.evcomponents.com/

The BMS is from Elithion
htp://liionbms.com/php/lipobms.php

It is currently compatible with the Zilla and the PFC-20.
System Voltage154 Volts
ChargerManzanita Micro PFC-20
I lent this out to a friend who is between chargers. I love being able to change the max voltage for different battery packs. It was also nice being able to swap the plug and charge off of a few different size outlets.
HeaterI've decided to go with a liquid heater design. It may not put out instant heat (More like three minutes) but it will be capable of much higher temperatures. Plus I can use the dash controls as they are and not have to dig out and mangle the heater core. ^_^

2000 Watt Tank Heater WebPage

Aluminum Recovery Tank WebPage

LEV200 Contactor WebPage

There have been good liquid heater designs in other threads but this link will get you started. WebPage />

Update on the KATS heater thermostat problem. It's an easy fix actually. ^_^

Instead of trying to source and rig some high voltage DC thermostats try this:

Disconnect the AC thermostat from the heater circuit.

Rewire it to the positive 12v wire controlling the heater contactor (or relay) power coil.

When the thermostat hits the high temp mark it will cut off the contactor thereby shutting down the heater like its supposed to. The low temp mark will turn everything back on keeping the heater nice and toasty.

Running it on low 12v DC will keep the AC thermostat from fusing and going into instant boil mode.
DC/DC ConverterIota DLS-55
I picked up an IQ4 smart charger adapter for it. WebPage
InstrumentationEVision: WebPage
Top Speed45mph is enough for the commute. Anything else just serves to widen the EV grin.

Other EV Saturn owners have said that they have taken them up to the 80s with plenty left. I'll have to take mine out to the racetrack someday to find out how high it can go.
AccelerationI don't think it will be a problem.
RangeI drive 20.8 miles round trip for work. With the LiFePO4 I should be able to get 50+ miles per charge at highway speeds. I should be able to double that at my normal commute speed.
EV Miles
Start:161,432 Miles (259,744 Kilometers)
Current:161,432 Miles (259,744 Kilometers)
Total:0 Miles (0 Kilometers)
Seating CapacityFive, if they are very friendly.
Curb Weight2,200 Pounds (999 Kilograms)
Estimate based on factory stated weight.

The batteries weigh in at 350lbs, so I'm hoping to keep the final weight close to 2,500lbs or so.
TiresRound and somewhat mismatched.
Conversion TimeI should be done well before the Sun goes supernova.

A year and a half in the planning and acquisition of parts. Fifty hours in actual work (so far).
Conversion CostO_o! Anyone know how I can get in on the Bailout?

Alright, I just killed my budget. $18,000 so far.
Additional FeaturesSwinging arm for a laptop mounted on the passenger seat base. Useful for when you want to check system information or make setting changes. Easy to remove for the rest of the time.

Power steering courtesy of a '00 MR2/Spyder electric P/S pump. I should be able to hook this up to the vehicle computer so it will only turn itself on when needed.

Ultra-Quiet Vacuum Assist Kit: WebPage
I'll let you know exactly how quiet it is when I get it running. ^_^

I'll add a link to my multi-plug home outlet. Forget the OEMs Let's get EVs on the N ema 14-50 standard. ^_^
If you are in the NJ/PA area come over to the E.E.V.C. meetings, we'd love to see you.

Go to: WebPage for more info.

The next meeting will be on January 13th.

code by jerry