Fulgora Local ElectricMichigan EAA AwardUnder The HoodRear Battery BoxZivan NG3Mockup of Battery Box and Component SheLink 103kw Reserve.
OwnerRobert Bradshaw
Owner's Other EV2013 Chevrolet Volt
LocationClinton Township, Michigan United States map
Email email image
Vehicle2002 Chrysler PT Cruise
Standard 4 door
MotorAdvanced DC Series Wound DC
9"
Drivetrain5 speed manual. At first I only used 2nd gear all the way up to 55 mph. But with more experience I learned that the Curtis 1231 controller works best in the mid motor speed range. I now shift from 2nd up trough the gears to 4th. My best shift points seem to be 20,and 40 mph.
ControllerCurtis 1231
Performing well, especially in the mid motor speed range.
Batteries10 US Battery 155 ah, 12.00 Volt, Lead-Acid, Flooded
7 back 3 front. The 6th battery in my 10 battery series had a loose terminal connection that caused an arc and melted the post in a Geyser of molten led. That was a $240 error.
System Voltage120 Volts
ChargerZivan NG3
After having the charger reprogrammed from 144 volts to 120 volts I had some reliability problems that were resolved after shipping it back to the service facility. Requires 20 amp line,
HeaterElectric in dash
DC/DC ConverterIota DLS-55.
120 DC to 13.5 DC. At first I used it without a 12 volt battery back up but had problems with interruption of wipers and radio when the vacuum pump for the brakes kicked in. I installed a 16 volt Maxwell ultra capacitor in parallel and have not had any problems since.

InstrumentationLink-10 state of charge. I get very acurat information as needed.
Top Speed81 MPH (130 KPH)
I am quite comfortable running in traffic in a 45 to 50 mile per hour zone.On a recent 17 mile run I decided to make a high speed run and reached 81 mph.
AccelerationAdequate. 0 to 60 mph in 36 sec. My Gas HHR will do it in 11 sec. Acceleration is best when shifting up through the gears at a moderate motor speed. 1st gear isn't worth the effort.
Range42 Miles (67 Kilometers)
I was able to make 41.5 miles on flat roads, at a sustained 35 mph, in light suburban traffic. But 10 or 12 miles around to the local shops and recycle depot is more realistic.
EV Miles
Start:81,050 Miles (130,409 Kilometers)
Current:86,618 Miles (139,368 Kilometers)
Total:5,568 Miles (8,958 Kilometers)
Seating Capacity4 adults
Curb Weight3,860 Pounds (1,754 Kilograms)
The Michigan Electric Auto Association completed its second annual Autocross and I was pleased to complete the course in 4th place. The car did not seem to plough or break loose during high-speed lane changes and hard corners.
TiresI am running maximum pressure and the ride is a bit jarring
Conversion TimeThree times as long as planned
Conversion Costtwo times times what I expected
Still a work in progress.

I had some problems with my custom motor mounts handling all the torque. I had to rebuild the mounts twice. I now have a five-point setup. In retrospect, I should have used all of the original mounting arms and anchor points in their original positions.

I added manually inflated rear air springs to lift the rear end a bit, but found that they were poorly engineered. The valves are obstructed by the upper surface of the spring tower and the air bags can not be inflated or deflated without jacking the car up.

code by jerry