Side view
OwnerLuis Pons & Vicente Santos
Owner's Other EV1994 Kawasaki Mojave
LocationValencia, Comunidad Valenciana Spain map
Web/EmailWebPage email image
Vehicle1970 Rotovator
This machine is an old gasoline rotovator. As far as we know, it was built by a local small manufacturer.
Motor 3-Phase AC
48 AC, three phase, 1500W, four poles. Maker is FIMEC, Italian.
DrivetrainBelt driven, 3 speeds available.
ControllerKelly KIM7220
72v, 3 phase controller, 80A continuous, 100 max.

Batteries10, 12.00 Volt, Lead-Acid, AGM
Some junkyard small batteries we found...
System Voltage60 Volts
Charger
Custom made charger, charges in 2 hours.
InstrumentationState of charge indicator
Top Speed2 MPH ( 3 KPH)
You have to walk behind this thing! :D
AccelerationWell, it gets to speed very fast I guess.
Range1 Miles ( 1 Kilometers)
In fact, I don't think it could make a mile. We can use it for 15-20 minutes. This machine really needs Lithium!
Curb Weight140 Pounds (63 Kilograms)
Not sure, should be something close to that. It's an sturdy machine with a lead battery and a big motor!
Conversion Time3 months, on free weekends
Conversion Cost~300 euros. The controller is more expensive, but it will be used in other project so I am not adding the cost.
Vicente Santos and me worked in this machine just to learn the conversion process, using cheap hardware. It has been quite fun, but now we understand why so many EVers reject lead-acid batteries. I guess this kind of
battery really shines under low loads. With a discharge rate of 1-2C, it offers a very small (real) capacity.

code by jerry