| Owner | Malcolm Reeson | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Location | Perth, Western Australia Australia map | ||||||||
| Web/Email | WebPage | ||||||||
| Vehicle | 1986 BMW 318i Bauer Cabrolet | ||||||||
| Motor | Advanced DC FB-4001 Series Wound DC Wish I had got the dual shaft version so I could run altinator and AC compressor off the front shaft. | ||||||||
| Drivetrain | EV system consists of an Advanced DC FB-4001 motor direct drive, 45 x 160 Ah LiFePO4 Thundersky battery pack, Rod Dilkes Battery Management System (BMS), ZEVA 1000A controller and Zivan charger. | ||||||||
| Controller | Zeva 1000A Zilla died. Replaced with ZEVA 1000A - great controller, ZEVA make excellent stuff | ||||||||
| Batteries | 45 Thunder Sky 160 Ahr, 3.20 Volt, Lithium Iron Phosphate Rod Dilked BMS - elegently simple, very effective. www.evpower.com.au/-Thundersky-Battery- Balancing-System-.html www.evworks.com.au/index.php?category=6 | ||||||||
| System Voltage | 144 Volts | ||||||||
| Charger | Zivan NG3-144VDC | ||||||||
| Heater | I live in perth where it is always warm | ||||||||
| DC/DC Converter | Meanwell SP500-13.5 Think this thing leaks and has a constant battery drain. Have been experimienting with putting diodes on it. | ||||||||
| Instrumentation | Upgraded to ZEVA EVMA with monitor etc. Excellent setup, provides lots of good info Also have 7 LEDs and buzzers for various warnings/status. | ||||||||
| Top Speed | 80 MPH (128 KPH) Have had it up to 120 km/hr, and was still pulling. | ||||||||
| Acceleration | Better than when it was petrol. I estimate 9 seconds to 100 km/hr | ||||||||
| Range | 80 Miles (128 Kilometers) Have done 120km, and think the actual range is around 130 km | ||||||||
| Watt Hours/Mile | Have been measuring this at the powerpoint and been getting high readings - 350 w/km - suspect this is a charger efficiency issue and a low level leak/drain somewhere in the system | ||||||||
| EV Miles |
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| Seating Capacity | 5 adults | ||||||||
| Curb Weight | 2,650 Pounds (1,204 Kilograms) Weight is now around 1200 kg. Car is about 70 kg heavier than when it was petrol. Weight distribution is around 630 kg front / 560 kg rear | ||||||||
| Tires | Yes. Round and black | ||||||||
| Conversion Time | Roughly 8 months from motor coming out to on the road registered as EV | ||||||||
| Conversion Cost | Around $30k Australian, done when the exchange rate was 65c to the US $. Reckon it could be done for A$20-A$25k now. | ||||||||
| Additional Features | Sound generator on the dash that makes vroom vroom noises for the people who keep asking if it is on when you stop at traffic lights. | ||||||||
| About 4 years ago I began thinking about making an EV. The reasons for this were many and varied � environmental reasons, energy security, had a friend working on one, my car had just been hit and needed replacing and, well, I love a good project and challenge! The first step for me was lots of research � what was involved technically, what sort of car to convert, what it would cost. My objective was a �100/100/10� car � that is it could go a minimum of 100 km on a charge, minimum of 100 km/h and a 0-100 km/h time of 10 seconds or better. During this time I decided that the critical part of choosing which car to convert was that it had to be a car that I would still want to be driving in 10 years � there was not point putting all this effort and expense into something and then not enjoy driving it. I considered a number of donor cars, and decided to target a BMW E30 Bauer cabriolet. The reasons for this were many � I had had an E30 before and they are a great little car and fun to drive, parts are readily available, they are a decent size (I�m quite tall), they are well built, and the Bauer convertibles have the advantage of a 2-part removable roof so you can still have shade in summer with the back part down, and they have a built in roll bar. They also avoid a lot of the leak paths that many convertibles suffer. I was luck enough to find a car in Victoria on the internet that was being sold unlicensed as the owner didn�t want to fix what would be required for a roadworthy. I had it inspected and no major issues were found, so I picked it up site unseen for $2000. Luckily when it arrived I found out it was in excellent condition inside and out, but with a tired motor. It took all of $300 to get the car register in WA, and I proceeded to try and wear the tyres out before the conversion started. The next big decision was EV drive train configuration to use. I laboured long and hard about whether to keep the gearbox or not, but at this point I met Rob Mason who had just converted another BMW E30. One drive told me that a direct drive system worked fine, so that made all the pieces fall together. This also gave me the ability to copy Rob�s design and layout, and gave me confidence that everything would fit. The final EV system consists of an Advanced DC FB-4001 motor direct drive, 45 x 160 Ah LiFePO4 Thundersky battery pack, Rod Dilkes Battery Management System (BMS), Zilla 1K LV controller and Zivan charger. Next came the grunt work of the conversion. I drove the car to the EV Works workshop, and pulled out 280 kg of junk � motor, gearbox, muffler, fuel tank, radiator etc, then left the car with them to mount the motor and build the battery racks. I then took the car home on a trailer, where it spent months sitting there as I slowly added all the smaller components (vacuum pump etc) and cabling etc. Just as the car was ready to be completed, work asked me to go to Houston for 6 months (which became 9 months�). Damn frustrating to be so close and not be able to finish it off, but within 2 weeks of my return to Perth the car was running. Overall it has been a great project, and I�m really happy with how the car has worked out. The car easily makes the �100/100/10� objectives, and is a hoot to drive. Many thanks to my patient wife, and all the great and help and advice along the way particularly from Rob and Ian at EV Works. | |||||||||
1986 BMW 318i
Last Updated 05-25-2021
Copyright © 1997-2024 by Mike Chancey