| Owner | Fred Brown | ||||||||
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| Location | Circleville, Ohio US map | ||||||||
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| Vehicle | 1995 Ford Probe GT This has always been my vehicle of choice because of aerodynamics and 4-wheel disc brakes. Besides, I love the body style (I have 3 others with ICE and automatic trannys). I found the perfect donor car early in the 1 year planning stage (blown motor, good glass, no rust, all power options worked) for $200. | ||||||||
| Motor | D&D Motor Systems, Inc. ES-15A Series (40 hp Peak, 12 hp Continuous) Series Wound DC This is the Wilderness Kit #2 motor for a VW. They wonder how I get 63 mph in a 3000 pound car. | ||||||||
| Drivetrain | Original 5-speed gear box with clutch removed. I shift through all 5 gears, letting up on the accelator to stop the E-motor between shifts and only use 5th on the highway for 55-65 mph. | ||||||||
| Controller | Alltrax 7245 (72 vdc/450 amp) I tinkered with the programming until I came up with what I think are the best settings for me. | ||||||||
| Batteries | 12 Energizer EGC2, 6.00 Volt, Lead-Acid, Flooded With a Sam's Club membership and dead cores I picked up locally (for free) they were just under $70 each. | ||||||||
| System Voltage | 72 Volts | ||||||||
| Charger | Delta-Q Technologies QuiQ 912-7200 After considering many options, I decided to go big-time and bought this SmartCharger. You just plug it in to a grounded 110v outlet and forget about it. | ||||||||
| Heater | Small ceramic heater/fan mounted on dash. Used basically for defrosting windshield. | ||||||||
| DC/DC Converter | None. I decided to keep the 12v system seperate and backed up the standard 12v battery with two 6v in parallel. These also serve as "reserve power" in emergencies. The 12v system has its own Smart Charger that comes on with the big charger. | ||||||||
| Instrumentation | Currently anmeter and voltmeter. All stock gauges work (except gas, of course). Temperature gages are for the motor and controller. I depend on the trip meter to know how much farther I can go. | ||||||||
| Top Speed | 65 MPH (104 KPH) The inner and outer belts of Columbus are fairly flat. Highway speeds in 5th gear fall to 50 mph on long slight grades up - and rise to 65 mph on the same grades returning home. | ||||||||
| Acceleration | 0-40 in 30 sec.(at 300+ amp draw) on a flat surface. I like the term someone else used...LEISURELY ! | ||||||||
| Range | 35 Miles (56 Kilometers) From my house to my son's house it's 34 miles through the rolling hills of Southern Ohio. I've made that trip many times with no problems. | ||||||||
| EV Miles |
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| Seating Capacity | 2 adults and lots of trunk space. | ||||||||
| Curb Weight | 3,000 Pounds (1,363 Kilograms) I striped out about 800 pounds removing the ICE and other components. The car now weighs 3123 pounds | ||||||||
| Tires | Stock 225/50R16's on aluminum rims. I know I could increase speed and distance with a lighter and more effecient set-up, but they look so-o-o good! | ||||||||
| Conversion Time | June through September 2008 (approx. 650 hours). I wanted to be on the road without gas by my 73rd birthday. Made it with a week to spare !! | ||||||||
| Additional Features | Emergency Kit: Fire Extinguisher (don't leave home without it) 4 ft. #2 gauge Jumper (to bypass dead or burning batteries) Open end wrench (to fit battery terminal bolts) Safety Glasses | ||||||||
| Power steering: This was a must for me, being 75 and having had surgery on both rotator cuffs. The MR2 unit works great. It steers my heavy car and wide tires as easily as any ICE car. "E-ASSIST" I have finished the designing stage and have started the construction of my next project. It, too, is a Probe that is being converted to a convertible "truck" with a dual drive train. An album page for this project will be posted soon. | |||||||||
1995 Ford Probe GT
“JOLT”
Last Updated 08-10-2010
Copyright © 1997-2012 by Mike Chancey