IC engine bayEngine removalMotor installationRear battery box Electric engine bay - almost completeWarp 9 bench testInteriorRear batteries installed
OwnerJustin
LocationBlackburn, Melbourne, Victoria Australia map
Web/EmailWebPage email image
Vehicle1997 Mitsubishi Lancer MR Coupe
2 door sports coupe
MotorNetgain Warp 9 Series Wound DC
Should make around 80kW peak at 144V
Rated:
1000 Amps for "brief periods"
450 Amps for 5 mins
225 Amps for 1 hour
190 Amps continuous
Drivetrain5 speed clutch-less manual, FWD
Previously 1.8L 4cyl petrol (86kW)
ControllerCafe Electric Zilla 1K-LV
Rated: 156V max, 1000A peak, over 350A continuous
Comes with Hairball interface
Custom settings via Palm Pilot
Batteries48 CALB/Skyenergy 100Ah, 3.20 Volt, Lithium Iron Phosphate
Sky Energy/CALB
Batteries are split between the engine-bay and the boot.
Peak output around 500A when fully charged and not cold, otherwise 300A.
System Voltage156 Volts
ChargerElcon 2.5kW
Cost effective and reasonably powerful 2.5kW charger. Works well but gets hot during operation.
HeaterWater heater (HV) & pump (LV) through stock heater core
DC/DC ConverterIota DLS-55
Works well. Wired to come on when the key is turned to "On" and the rear contactor closes.
InstrumentationEV Works Fuel Gauge Driver Plus (drives the stock fuel gauge as a battery charge indicator and drives the tacho as an ammeter)
Digital voltmeter and ammeter
Top SpeedWill do over 100km/h no problem
AccelerationAt 400amps it feels as good as the original 1.8l petrol. Will happily accelerate in 3rd gear from standstill up to around 80km/h.
Range38 Miles (61 Kilometers)
75km absolute max.
60km comfortable range, or 55km if using heater constantly.
Watt Hours/Mile350 Wh/Mile
220Wh/km typical
185Wh/km freeway & flat roads
260Wh/km hard driving or hilly terrain
EV Miles
Start:105,693 Miles (170,060 Kilometers)
Current:108,456 Miles (174,505 Kilometers)
Total:2,763 Miles (4,445 Kilometers)
 
    As of 4/13/2014
Seating Capacity4 adults, reduced from 5 due to weight gain (of the car, not the people!) during conversion
Curb Weight2,395 Pounds (1,088 Kilograms)
Pre-conversion 990 kg
Post-conversion estimate 1087kg
GVM 1495kg
Tires195/45/R16 Falken 329's at 40psi
Conversion Time2 years of building after an initial year of planning (very much a part-time project)
Conversion Cost$20,000 budget for conversion.
Not exactly cheap, as I wanted good performance, but a lot cheaper than any comparable commercial EV offering (and better looking too if you ask me).
Additional FeaturesBattery management system.

Electric vacuum brake system.

Water cooling system for Zilla controller comprising small radiator, fan & water pump. Wired to come on when the main contactor is closed, i.e. when the controller is powered up. Seems to work well.

Circuit breaker for high current protection & manual disabling of HV system.

2 contactors: 1 at rear enabled by ignition switch, 1 at front driven by Zilla Hairball.

LED running lights.
OBJECTIVE
To create a zero-emission, renewable energy powered sports car that's both practical and fun to drive.

KEY SUPPLIERS
Fabrication by Pizzey Engineering.
Motor and main components from EV Works and EV Source.
Controller from Cafe Electric (when they were still selling them)
Batteries, BMS and charger from EV Power.

ASSOCIATIONS
ATA Melbourne Electric Vehicle Branch www.ata.org.au
Australian Electric Vehicle Association www.aeva.asn.au

More details at: www.drive-electric.info


LATEST UPDATE (April 2014)
Added 3 more batteries in series to increase voltage to 156V. Gives slightly better acceleration and 7% more range. Still thinking that more range would be useful, so considering a smaller 156V pack in parallel to the existing one. Air-conditioning is also on the radar.

Update Oct 2012
It goes!..and goes very well. Still in the testing phase. Have had it up to 600amps, at which point the batteries are struggling. Good acceleration and pretty quiet except for a bit of gearbox whine. 3rd gear seems good for most driving, 4th gear on freeway. A few fiddly little jobs left to keep me occupied for a few months.

The charger & BMS all seem to be working fine. I have replaced the Pot-box as the original was very temperamental and annoying. The contacts inside had probably degraded. It was causing the controller to have error mode "waiting for zero throttle".


STATUS and TECHNICAL DETAILS
Motor is installed - 20mm aluminium adapter plate, steel coupler, no clutch.
The adapter connects the motor drive shaft directly to the gearbox input shaft and incorporates
the shock absorbing unit of the clutch assembly.
RH side of motor is supported by a 4mm steel bracket to the original engine mount point.

Battery boxes have been fabricated (steel sheet), painted and bolted in place.
Front battery box is installed in the engine bay (behind the crumple zone) on a 25mm sq steel
tube sub-frame that is bolted to the main chassis rails.
Rear battery box is installed as far forward as possible in the boot (almost over the rear axle) and bolted to the chassis.
Custom brackets fabricated from 3mm steel.

- Pot box mounted to firewall
- Aluminium rails (25mm sq) installed across front of engine bay to support controller & accessories.
- Brake vacuum system installed and working (electric pump, reservoir, switch and dual relay).
- Digital guages (with funky blue backlighting) installed in slot below radio.
- Emergency disconnect switch (latching type) installed in centre console.
- Conduit installed in exhaust tunnel to take HV cables from rear battery pack
- Batteries installed with ply packing to give snug fit in battery boxes
- Electric water heater & pump in engine bay to provide cabin heat for de-misting - activated when temperature dial is turned to above 50%.
- Motor speed sensor installed & connected to controller (to enable overspeed protection and stall detection functions)


KEY SUPPLIERS
Fabrication by Pizzey Engineering.
Motor and main components from EV Works and EV Source.
Controller from Cafe Electric (when they were still selling them)
Batteries, BMS and charger from EV Power.

code by jerry