Under the Hood
OwnerMr. Sharkey
Owner's Other EVsElecTrak E-14
Pusher Trailer
LocationMinerva, Oregon US map
Web/EmailWebPage email image
Vehicle1981 Volkswagen Rabbit
MotorSiemens 1GV1 Shunt Wound DC
24 HP
DrivetrainOriginal 4 speed transmission with clutch
ControllerEHV Systems EHV-1
field weakening PWM
Batteries18 Trojan T-105, 6.00 Volt, Lead-Acid, Flooded
System Voltage108 Volts
ChargerK and W BC-20
(Onboard charger)
While charging at home, the K&W is supplied reduced voltage through a 60 amp variable transformer to allow the switching supply to be run more fully wide open for better power factor and fewer inductive losses.

Lester "Lesteronic"
For off-board fast charging, a completely rebuilt 240 volt input Lester charger is used. This charger has custom electronic controls which allow completely variable current output.
HeaterESPAR gas heater converted to propane.
Air conditioning is supplied by bags of ice cubes distributed in the ventilation system (no joke!).
DC/DC Converter SCT
20 Amp switching converter charges a C&D Technologies UPS12-100FR 12 volt, 26 ampere-hour gel cell auxiliary battery. A second DC-DC converter powering the Link 10 isolates the auxiliary battery from the traction pack.
Instrumentation+200 / 0 / -300 Amp ammeter
Voltmeter, dual-range, 7-13 and 70-130 volts
Motor Temperature Gauge
State of Charge Gauge
Expanded scale tachometer
Cruising Equipment Link 10 w/serial interface
Top Speed60 MPH (96 KPH)
AccelerationUnremarkable
Range40 Miles (64 Kilometers)
Watt Hours/Mile500 Wh/Mile
As with 'normal' ICE vehicles, this car gets better mileage on the freeway than in traffic. Stop-and-go driving cuts into mileage, as does hard acceleration.
EV Miles
Current:20,205 Miles (32,509 Kilometers)
Seating Capacity2 adults
Curb Weight3,100 Pounds (1,409 Kilograms)
TiresGoodyear Invicta GLR P175/70R13" Ultra-low rolling resistance
Additional FeaturesRegenerative Braking
Rear disc brake conversion
GTI vented front disc brake rotors
Upper and lower front strut stress bars
Control arm pivot brace (subframe)
Front and rear anti-sway bars
Stainless steel/teflon brake lines
All polyurethane suspension bushings
Koni 'Red' shocks and struts
Independent rear suspension
GTI air dam and wheel flares
Rear air deflector
This is a commercial conversion done by South Coast Technologies in 1981. It was originally in fleet service for the city of Portland, Oregon as part of a federally-subsidized pilot program to test the use of EV's in fleet transportation service. The original cost of this vehicle, converted as a zero-miles, brand new car, was $16,650.00.

Additional resources:

SCT, Lester, and ESPAR manuals in PDF format: WebPage
Page describing additional features of this car, with photos: WebPage
Will Electric Vehicles Really Reduce Pollution? WebPage

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