Just watched the series and it was excellent, you tube is a fantastic learning tool , we should all be grateful that guys like yourselves take the time to allow the rest of us to learn and experience new things. Thank you
@@BenjaminNelsonX All we needed are electric wheels and battery pack, car we have. Way nobody even holy man Elon Musk don't put that on the market. It will be most ecological and economical move for the PEOPLE! Put battery pack where is the engin, change wheels and that's it.
By not using a clutch in your conversion you will wear the gearbox synchronisms much faster. A barebones clutch and clutchplate with a reduced mass would have done the trick. However, you can not reduce to least because there is some heat dissipation taking place and you need some of the thermal inertia in the iron plate to prevent a cook off.
I am new to the whole electric car thing but of the videos I've recently watched I noticed your controller has features that other builds do not. I'd like to thank you for breaking things down comprehensively and speaking clearly!
Hay thanks Ben that was really informative an very interesting. Really appreciate your effort on the videos an for your time. All the very best from the Republic of Ireland. M
Wonderful! just watched the whole series, really informative. Wish I could meet you in person to appreciate and admire the effort you have put in this project.
I loved your simple down to earth explanations for everything. I even read your story about the registration hassles you went through. I watched the whole series. Very informative, even my very creative wife could do this following your series.
Awesome! You would want to replace every single filament (incandescent) light bulb with the LEDs too. Also, have you ever done or thought about a Ultra capacitor bank that could step in when the high Amp demand comes and tops it self up when cruising, when breaking (have re-gen coils coupled in the drive line and also from a semi flexible solar panel put on the rough to trickle charge)... Just some ideas. Nothing you havn't thought about no doubt. Thanks for the awesome content Ben. Cheers.
The original setup in the car was only 72V - six 12V batteries connected in series. I've run the same motor setup at up to 144VDC - twelves 12V batteries in series.
Mate. Get rid of those crimp blue connectors. A Bit of corrosion gets in there and you have a bad connection. Always solder wires or strip the wire and use a proper crimp. I am looking forward to building my own electric car. Great videos. Thanks.
Modifications are perfectly legal. Before making modifications, check with your insurance professional and Department of Motor Vehicles. In my case, I had to have the vehicle inspected in person. Read the whole story at: 300mpg.org/2014/08/03/red-tape-and-electric-cars/
It gives me many thoughts about dc to DC converters power gain during declaration or breaking / some other way to asorb power More efficient ways .. even adding a few hundred watt solar panel to the roof possibly adding some miles to battery life. Possibly even acceleration during sunny hours. So many thoughts I guess ill find out while building my own what matters and what truly doesn't ;). Thanks for sharing
at 7:35 minutes, when the gearshift from gear 2 to neutral then you move to gear 3 without a clutch plate, is it not going to damage the gear, given the dynamo still spinning and turning the presneling. how is the explanation?
Do you have more info on the voltage/amperage under say full accel to freeway speed and cruising at freeway speed? I'm interested in how it does at say 70mph.
So Ben, why don't you create an alternator mount with a system that lifts the drive belt away from the motor while you are accelerating (like a bicycle chain lifter/gear swapper sort of thing) so when you are FOOT OFF the accelerator pedal (maybe a micro-switched solenoid circuit) so can then recharge the batteries while you are coasting? I'm sure you will get a lot more distance doing this ;8^)
Great question David. I was wondering about that too...Even the possibility of having a belt-driven alternator/generator driven off a drive axle...Ben?
1) because that’s really mechanically complicated, 2) There’s very little room under the hood, especially around the driveway be axels. 3) I built this car over ten years ago and don’t even have it anymore.
With any battery, as you draw a lot of current, the voltage of that battery will drop. It can be VERY noticeable in lead-acid batteries. Lithium batteries have a much more “flat” voltage response to heavy loads. Keep in mind that we are measuring at the battery. If we measured at the motor, it would be zero volts with foot OFF the accelerator, and whatever the maximum battery pack voltage is with the accelerator all the way down.
Hi everybody. Super!!! Till this point can't wait to see how the accelerator its hooked up the to the motor. Or if some knows probably I missed the part lol thanks in advance
The throttle simply sends a signal to the motor controller, which then powers the motor and controls its speed. Please see: ruclips.net/video/Epg4qFfIiYY/видео.html
In electric conversions people currently work on, there are electric heating units that will run directly off main battery pack voltage. That's how commercially-built electric cars work as well. Many electric cars also have heated seats and steering wheels. On this project, from well over 10 years ago, I went with a simpler heating system. Details on that are at: 300mpg.org/projects/electro-metro/heat/
Buy as the motor specification says it's 48v motor so how can it be runned on 144v does it has that capacity to run on high voltage without getting burned
@@pratikredekar2625 Forklift motors can easily be "over-volted". On a DC motor voltage is proportional to speed, so increasing the voltage increases the speed. Higher voltage also allows for more total power. The only thing a person really has to be careful of is not to overheat the motor. If needed, an electric blower fan could be added. Ideally, at high voltages, the brush timing should be adjusted as well. Here is some more good information on forklift motors: www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/showthread.php/using-forklift-motor-and-choosing-good-7598.html
I built this car 13 years ago. Unfortunately, car uni-bodies don't last forever in my area with all the salt we use on the roads in the winter. This car has been retired. (I kept the motor and other EV components.) If I still had this car, YES. I would upgrade to lithium. Other than used lead-acid batteries, I was always very happy with how the project turned out!
This is an old-school DC Series-Wound motor. They do NOT naturally work for regenerative braking. The ammeter has nothing to do with how much power the motor CAN draw. I only had a 300A ammeter, but I was using a 500A motor controller. The ammeter just pegs all the way to the top if I hit the accelerator hard.
What's the maximum speed? Should it be possible to make a van with this electric system, and build this to a camper to live in. Should have an electric forklift motor enough power to run that vehicle? I hope you'll answer this, i look forward to realise this project🙏
I've gone at least 73 MPH in the Electro-Metro. You certainly could convert a van to electric. A large forklift motor (like a 13 inch diameter) could certainly power a van. Nowadays, there are a lot more affordable AC motors available then back when I built this car in 2008. Used Nissan Leaf motors for example work great for many projects. Vans tend to be heavy and not very aerodynamic, so they also need a very large battery. For an electric camper, one thing that would be nice is just charging at RV camp-grounds which have 240V/50A power connections.
Very interesting and informative video, great work! If you ever do another video on driving the car I think many people, including me, would like to see the MPH gauge included in your battery and ampere gauge, picture in picture view, just a suggestion. In closing, great work on this video!
Easy. This car doesn't have power steering. One of the reasons that I chose this car to convert to electric is because it's such a simple vehicle. There are lots of electric power steering units out there nowadays. A person could get one from a junk yard and adapt it to their car. It DOES have power brakes. I mounted a 12VDC vacuum pump to replace the vacuum which would have otherwise been created by the engine.
This car never had air conditioning in the first place. For heat, I mounted an oil-filled electric radiator in the back seat. I would set that up to run from a timer to turn on in the morning in the winter. It ran from wall power. When I would hop in the car, it would already be warmed up, and it would stay warm on my commute to work. I also had a small 12V defroster for the windshield.
Yes. That would be a "Plug-In Hybrid". I experimented for a while with an LP generator in the car. ruclips.net/video/xXVi-g4jWqI/видео.html Here's a whole write up on it: www.instructables.com/id/DIY-Plug-In-Hybrid-Car/
To help the maximum number of people that I can, I post everything I know as videos here on youtube and as articles at 300MPG.org. For people with specific questions, I often try to address the issue all at once and write an article about it to be able to get out the most information that I can. For people who really want detailed and specific help, EV Design and Consulting is available at: 300mpg.org/product/ev-consultation/
I've watched the series and it's great 👍🏽👍🏽. Thank you very much for sharing them through RUclips. I am just curious; since you removed the clutch from the transmission, can you change gear while you are driving like regular car?
Thank you for the videos! What are the issues I would run into if i were to go with a direct drive instead of using a transmission? slow acceleration and trouble with steep hills? less efficiency with stopping and going?
All of the above... Generally, we think of "Direct Drive" as placing a motor right on the driveshaft. Hub motors directly drive an individual wheel and are popular on electric bicycles, but tend to be heavy and inefficient and have "unsprung weight". Trucks sometimes have a motor (or two "Siamese" motors) connected directly to the driveshaft. Most electric motors are designed to spin faster and then be geared down for their actual power output. Using a motor at low speeds, high torque, and high current, tends to mean poor acceleration, issues with heat, and needing a large and powerful battery pack. It CAN work well with a large motor for something like a drag-racer, but for typical real-work driving, we usually have a motor running through a gear reduction somewhere around 8:1. In a small front-wheel drive car like this Geo Metro, I don't know how you would do anything one might consider "direct drive". Attaching a motor to the existing transmission is the most logical and straight-forward thing to do. 300mpg.org/projects/electro-metro/transmission-for-an-electric-car/
@@BenjaminNelsonX Thank you for the reply. You gave me all the information I was looking for. The setup I was thinking was pretty much exactly how the students did it in the van you salvaged a while back.. Maybe a Siemens/dmoc 645 combo, in a van, mounted where the transmission would be and attached to the driveshaft with a u-joint.. No need for crazy acceleration and all that. ruclips.net/video/sgYURJryI_4/видео.html
Yes, I took the car to a drive-on scale at a landscaping supply company just up the road from me. It was right around 1800 lbs when I started, and about 2,000 lbs when I was done. That's the difference in weight of one passenger.
This is awesome we do not have electric car in my country Sierra Leone but after this COVID19 Problem I will send you an email to make arrangements how I can buy on to be the first to own an EV here . I am soji a renewable energy engineer
This is a regular car. It needed nothing special beyond standard requirements. Rules on motor vehicles vary greatly from one state and country to another. Make sure to check your local requirements before beginning a project. ruclips.net/video/NY1LUdk0BhM/видео.html
the problem with brushed dc motors is that you can't have regen braking, because in order to do so, the magnetic fields created by the battery ( electro magnet) would have to rotate inside of the coils of the stator to produce energy ( just like in an alternator), but since the magnetic fields are set in one place and can't rotate, you can't produce any energy
Would you use fewer amps by shifting normally? What's your top speed in 5th? I would think that forklift motor would have a shaft RPM of >2K.... wouldn't that limit your speed even in 5th?
In general, you draw less current by spinning the motor faster and using greater gear reduction. On a car with a manual transmission which has been converted to gas, that means using a gear LOWER than you otherwise might use. On this car, for general use, I would just put it in 3rd and drive it as though it was an automatic. Top speed was around 75 MPH.
No. This car doesn't have regenerative brakes. Coasting is actually MORE efficient than regenerative braking anyways. This car used a series-wound DC motor. That style motor has a few challenges to overcome to use for regen. My second electric motorcycle - the Vectrix - uses an AC motor and has regenerative brakes. On that one, I twist the motorcycle throttle backwards to brake. It's pretty neat bike. ruclips.net/p/PLmHss3DBZUinx-DxMLnax485Alj5i5Lcn
@@Alrukitaf Front-wheel drive vehicles tend to be more efficient. The only real advantage I can think of with a rear-wheel drive vehicle is that potentially, you can fit a larger motor. Front-wheel drive vehicles usually have a transverse mounted engine. This limits the diameter of the electric motor, because is is right next to one of the half-shafts going to the wheel. On a rear-wheel drive setup, like a common pickup truck, the motor runs longitudinal - the direction of the length of the truck. It might be easier to get a larger motor in there. There are plenty of examples of both front-wheel and rear-wheel drive conversions which all work great. Don't let whether a vehicle is front or rear drive limit you. Convert the vehicle you would like to drive.
@@BenjaminNelsonX Nice. I'm currently 16, and I'm thinking of doing something similar to a small car like a Gen 1 Honda Insight, or a civic coupe. I am subscribed and keep up with all your videos, but I was surprised to see you reply to a video that is so old. Thanks.
The whole idea when I built this car (now 10 years ago!) WAS that it was cheap, so that as many people as possible could learn about and build Electric Vehicles. I built that electric Geo Metro for about $1,300 total. In 2018, if you want an inexpensive electric car, the best way to go is to just buy a used, commercially built vehicle. At this time, it would be difficult to build a new electric car for less than mainstream auto manufacturers can build them. The exception of course would be to convert to electric something you can't buy anyways, such as a pickup truck, convertible, or classic car.
I followed most of your videos. You look like my cousin almost in the same age as him too! we always been interested in DIYs and projects. so much respect man. The videos are so easy to understand and steady and full of simple information! the fact that the video quality feels like 2000ish makes it even more enjoyable. I have a math test tomorrow but just found your channel and forgot about the test. . I have a question by the way, *does the EV conversion work with Automatic transmission?* if so, do you have to remove the torque converter? and on the other hand does it shift with EV low rpm?
You CAN convert a car with an automatic transmission to electric, BUT it will be more complicated and less efficient. Just start with a manual transmission car. Here's another option - with so many commercially-built electric cars now out there (and in just yards) you might be able to get an electric motor and the matching gear reduction unit, and put the whole thing in a car. You would then just have to hook up the drive-shafts to the wheels.
BenjaminNelson I’m definitely looking forward to follow this project on my own. I’m just low on budget as of right now. How did you do the paperworks? Any smog needed? Did you have to report the engine swap to dmv for title?
Ok I just watched your series. You went with a standard transmition without a clutch. Can you shift gears while driving and would it allow you to go faster and use less amps? I understand when you said about a automatic trans, figuring out how to attach/connect. But would be better since a automatic shifts for you as you go faster?
Here's two articles I wrote that I think answer your questions. 300mpg.org/projects/electro-metro/going-clutchless/ and 300mpg.org/projects/electro-metro/transmission-for-an-electric-car/
On this very simply project, I just mounted a 12V charger to the 12V battery. It would charge when I plugged the car in. Most electric cars use a combination of a 12V battery combined with a DC/DC converter. That device tops off the 12V battery by taking power from the main battery pack and converting it to a lower voltage to charge the 12V battery. Think of it taking the place of an alternator from a gas car. 300mpg.org/projects/evcycle/balance-of-system/
I wonder if the open source controller could be modified to give regenerative braking? You've had that ammeter almost pegged for quite a few seconds during the drive. Have you ever blown that 175A Slow Blow fuse? Great videos! I think that for many the range of this type of car would be too small. I could't use it to commute to work unless I lived less than 10 miles from work, I usually have been closer to 20-25. Maybe with a LiIon battery option that might be possible.
Generally, I've had a 500A fuse in the car, but I had a few salvaged lower voltage fuses in there to start. I DID blow one once when I was intentionally showing off to a friend. I was accelerating hard and had the car in a higher gear than usual (which puts more of a load on the motor, drawing more current.) Fortunately, we were very close to my house, but still embarrassing to have to walk home and get another fuse. After that, I carried a spare in the glove box, along with a single wrench required to change the fuse. Never had an issue after that... This open source controller was never specifically designed for regenerative braking, and the motor used in this car isn't a style appropriate for regen. The ring-leader behind the project, Paul, has gone on to work on a few other projects, including building an all-purpose control board for salvaged Nissan Leaf parts. See those at: pandspowerelectronics.ecwid.com/#!/P&S-Circuit-Boards/c/16287307 The battery pack in this car (10 years ago now!) was USED lead acid. It was never high performance, but it was cheap! The entire project, including buying the car, was about $1,300. In 2018, salvaged batteries from crashed electric cars like Nissan Leafs and Chevy Volts are a bargain and can provide great range!
It's fairly common to put a pulley and belt on the tail shaft of the electric drive motor and connect that to the air conditioning compressor. Alternatively, a small separate electric motor can be used to power an air conditioner compressor.
Hi Ben, Thanks for showing all the various stages of building an electric car. It was certainly an eye opener, the detail to work was most comprehensive. What modifications were necessary in order to change gears without having to use a clutch mechanism, or did I miss that part?
All I do to change gears is let off the accelerator, pull the stick out of gear, wait about 1 second, put it in the next gear. That's it. Without the weight of a flywheel or the content spin of a gas engine, it goes right into gear. Frankly, I generally didn't shift. Much of the time I would just put the car in third gear and leave it there.
Keeping in mind that I built this car over ten year ago, with used lead-acid batteries, for a total budget of about $1300 USD.... The car had a range of about of about 32 km. I only worked about 4 km from home, the grocery store, bank, and library were all within a relatively small area, so most of the time, I'd go about 15-20 km on a trip. I had more than enough range. Of course, nowadays, batteries are much better, bigger, and cheaper than they were then!
he said only 20 miles due to his 6 crap lead acid batteries. you can go way further with lithium cells but they cost a buttload. or just pack way more lead acid batts in if you can fit em
Great question. Charging an electric car is CHEAP! It's as though you were paying for gas at only $1.00 per gallon. 300mpg.org/2018/11/18/cost-to-power-an-electric-car/
73 mph is great. How long could it hold that charge? The more I watch of these videos, the more I want an EV car. I'm tired ot paying for gas and oil in cars. I live about an hour from work. An EV would be a good way to get back and forth. If it had solar panels, so that it could recharge while I was at work, it would be even better. By the way, good job on your videos.
I had a 88 Supra. I could not keep a head gasket. I thought about doing this back around 2000 but no knowledge on how to do it back than. Would this work on an automatic transmission ?
You CAN convert a car with an automatic transmission to electric, but it will be more complicated and less efficient than a manual transmission. Automatics are really there to match up with the low torque characteristics of a gas engine, and aren't a great match for an electric motor. 300mpg.org/projects/electro-metro/transmission-for-an-electric-car/
Shifting without a clutch at 7:40 ! This is what I hoped to see in the video
Just watched the series and it was excellent, you tube is a fantastic learning tool , we should all be grateful that guys like yourselves take the time to allow the rest of us to learn and experience new things. Thank you
Thank you!
@@BenjaminNelsonX All we needed are electric wheels and battery pack, car we have. Way nobody even holy man Elon Musk don't put that on the market. It will be most ecological and economical move for the PEOPLE! Put battery pack where is the engin, change wheels and that's it.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
By not using a clutch in your conversion you will wear the gearbox synchronisms much faster. A barebones clutch and clutchplate with a reduced mass would have done the trick. However, you can not reduce to least because there is some heat dissipation taking place and you need some of the thermal inertia in the iron plate to prevent a cook off.
I am new to the whole electric car thing but of the videos I've recently watched I noticed your controller has features that other builds do not. I'd like to thank you for breaking things down comprehensively and speaking clearly!
Really a inspiration for millions of people. Fantastic work Ben.
Truly you have inspired me towards conversions of gas to electric cars. EVs are the future. Thank you so much
Hay thanks Ben that was really informative an very interesting. Really appreciate your effort on the videos an for your time. All the very best from the Republic of Ireland. M
I'm halfway thinking of doing same with my 3rd gen camaro but want to keep clutch and rwd.
T5 and 350 current setup
What's the top speed you can reach in 5th gear?
it only depends on your build.
just watched the whole series this was a nice introduction, thank you !
Outstanding in many ways. A work of art and science.
What a great introduction to DIY electric cars. Hope you keep these posted forever since I'm not quite ready to start my project. Thanks! Subscribed.
I stayed up very late and watched all 15 part.
Is the controller handling regen? And what about regen and shifting gear in the same time ? Nice job by the way ...!
Sorry for naive question. How do you switch gears while in motion? How do you disconnect shaft to select higher lower gear?
Very good information! Thank you for making these videos!
You worked so hard....like your sprit
Wonderful! just watched the whole series, really informative. Wish I could meet you in person to appreciate and admire the effort you have put in this project.
Thank you!
I loved your simple down to earth explanations for everything. I even read your story about the registration hassles you went through. I watched the whole series. Very informative, even my very creative wife could do this following your series.
You're a nice guy and a very good teacher thanks for sharing !
Thank you!
I am saving these videos with my other automotive dreams!
I have all sorts of videos. Take a look on my channel. More videos on electric motorcycles, solar, and more!
I saved them to my *DIY* play list
Awesome! You would want to replace every single filament (incandescent) light bulb with the LEDs too.
Also, have you ever done or thought about a Ultra capacitor bank that could step in when the high Amp demand comes and tops it self up when cruising, when breaking (have re-gen coils coupled in the drive line and also from a semi flexible solar panel put on the rough to trickle charge)... Just some ideas. Nothing you havn't thought about no doubt.
Thanks for the awesome content Ben. Cheers.
Great Video!!! Amazing to see analog electric gauges (lovely old school)! Keep the great work!
thats all great but how many batteries and how did u hook them up??????
The original setup in the car was only 72V - six 12V batteries connected in series.
I've run the same motor setup at up to 144VDC - twelves 12V batteries in series.
Throughout the test drive you were not changing gears. How does the clutch work with the electric motor connected to the transmission
Mate. Get rid of those crimp blue connectors. A Bit of corrosion gets in there and you have a bad connection. Always solder wires or strip the wire and use a proper crimp. I am looking forward to building my own electric car. Great videos. Thanks.
Love this series!
7:41 how is that posible? ok the engine is in repause but the wheels and gearbox components are not
The transmission has synchronizers. Without all the spinning mass of a gas engine and flywheel, it goes into gear just fine.
@@BenjaminNelsonX could it be possible to install en electric engine and use the flywheel also ?
@@ciumoiucucaca Yes, you could also install a flywheel and clutch on the electric motor.
Can you Shift while moving. ?
great work,,how do you get away with inspections..? or how legal is to do the modifications..?
Modifications are perfectly legal. Before making modifications, check with your insurance professional and Department of Motor Vehicles. In my case, I had to have the vehicle inspected in person. Read the whole story at: 300mpg.org/2014/08/03/red-tape-and-electric-cars/
It gives me many thoughts about dc to DC converters power gain during declaration or breaking / some other way to asorb power
More efficient ways .. even adding a few hundred watt solar panel to the roof possibly adding some miles to battery life. Possibly even acceleration during sunny hours. So many thoughts I guess ill find out while building my own what matters and what truly doesn't ;). Thanks for sharing
at 7:35 minutes, when the gearshift from gear 2 to neutral then you move to gear 3 without a clutch plate, is it not going to damage the gear, given the dynamo still spinning and turning the presneling. how is the explanation?
Well finding the sweetspot is the key i assume
Do you have more info on the voltage/amperage under say full accel to freeway speed and cruising at freeway speed? I'm interested in how it does at say 70mph.
Your content is incredible i lovec it
you covered everything but one thing Ben ! what about the A/C & Heating ? and defrost system ?
300mpg.org/projects/electro-metro/heat/
So Ben, why don't you create an alternator mount with a system that lifts the drive belt away from the motor while you are accelerating (like a bicycle chain lifter/gear swapper sort of thing) so when you are FOOT OFF the accelerator pedal (maybe a micro-switched solenoid circuit) so can then recharge the batteries while you are coasting? I'm sure you will get a lot more distance doing this ;8^)
Great question David. I was wondering about that too...Even the possibility of having a belt-driven alternator/generator driven off a drive axle...Ben?
1) because that’s really mechanically complicated,
2) There’s very little room under the hood, especially around the driveway be axels.
3) I built this car over ten years ago and don’t even have it anymore.
Expected the voltage go high on acceleration,bit confused about that why? but pretty cool thanks
With any battery, as you draw a lot of current, the voltage of that battery will drop. It can be VERY noticeable in lead-acid batteries.
Lithium batteries have a much more “flat” voltage response to heavy loads.
Keep in mind that we are measuring at the battery. If we measured at the motor, it would be zero volts with foot OFF the accelerator, and whatever the maximum battery pack voltage is with the accelerator all the way down.
@@BenjaminNelsonX thanks and now I do understand the point.
Hi everybody. Super!!! Till this point can't wait to see how the accelerator its hooked up the to the motor. Or if some knows probably I missed the part lol thanks in advance
The throttle simply sends a signal to the motor controller, which then powers the motor and controls its speed.
Please see: ruclips.net/video/Epg4qFfIiYY/видео.html
@@BenjaminNelsonX thanks awesome job!!!
What do you do for heater and defroster in an electic car?
In electric conversions people currently work on, there are electric heating units that will run directly off main battery pack voltage.
That's how commercially-built electric cars work as well.
Many electric cars also have heated seats and steering wheels.
On this project, from well over 10 years ago, I went with a simpler heating system. Details on that are at: 300mpg.org/projects/electro-metro/heat/
Wow, congrats on the finished project!
Sir the conversion was awesome but what tip speed have you got on that forklift motor in your car
The fastest I've gone in that car was 75 MPH. There's no place near me I can legally go that fast anyways.
Can you tell how much kw is motor and can it be driven on more than 48v
@@pratikredekar2625 I've driven this motor at a peak of 500A at 144V.
Buy as the motor specification says it's 48v motor so how can it be runned on 144v does it has that capacity to run on high voltage without getting burned
@@pratikredekar2625 Forklift motors can easily be "over-volted".
On a DC motor voltage is proportional to speed, so increasing the voltage increases the speed. Higher voltage also allows for more total power.
The only thing a person really has to be careful of is not to overheat the motor. If needed, an electric blower fan could be added. Ideally, at high voltages, the brush timing should be adjusted as well.
Here is some more good information on forklift motors: www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/showthread.php/using-forklift-motor-and-choosing-good-7598.html
Benjamin nelson are you going to do an upgrade to lithium ion batteries to your geo?
I built this car 13 years ago. Unfortunately, car uni-bodies don't last forever in my area with all the salt we use on the roads in the winter. This car has been retired. (I kept the motor and other EV components.)
If I still had this car, YES. I would upgrade to lithium. Other than used lead-acid batteries, I was always very happy with how the project turned out!
Do you have regenerative on deceleration?
Does your car draw more amps because your meter only goes to 300 amps?
This is an old-school DC Series-Wound motor. They do NOT naturally work for regenerative braking.
The ammeter has nothing to do with how much power the motor CAN draw.
I only had a 300A ammeter, but I was using a 500A motor controller.
The ammeter just pegs all the way to the top if I hit the accelerator hard.
Im planning on making a hybrid Scion FRS, and most of this seems like it will help
What's the maximum speed? Should it be possible to make a van with this electric system, and build this to a camper to live in. Should have an electric forklift motor enough power to run that vehicle? I hope you'll answer this, i look forward to realise this project🙏
I've gone at least 73 MPH in the Electro-Metro.
You certainly could convert a van to electric. A large forklift motor (like a 13 inch diameter) could certainly power a van. Nowadays, there are a lot more affordable AC motors available then back when I built this car in 2008. Used Nissan Leaf motors for example work great for many projects.
Vans tend to be heavy and not very aerodynamic, so they also need a very large battery.
For an electric camper, one thing that would be nice is just charging at RV camp-grounds which have 240V/50A power connections.
@@BenjaminNelsonX Thanks for your answer. 73 MPH is quite fast! I appreciate your video's!
@@BenjaminNelsonX Thanks for your answer. 73 MPH is quite fast!
How much power does the motor have you are using here? I'm just wondering how much power it must have for decent constant power and not overheating.
Very interesting and informative video, great work! If you ever do another video on driving the car I think many people, including me, would like to see the MPH gauge included in your battery and ampere gauge, picture in picture view, just a suggestion. In closing, great work on this video!
Hi, great clear videos, thankyou.... But may I ask, how did you power your power assisted steering ??
Easy. This car doesn't have power steering.
One of the reasons that I chose this car to convert to electric is because it's such a simple vehicle.
There are lots of electric power steering units out there nowadays. A person could get one from a junk yard and adapt it to their car.
It DOES have power brakes. I mounted a 12VDC vacuum pump to replace the vacuum which would have otherwise been created by the engine.
What do you do for heat and air conditioning, if anything?????
This car never had air conditioning in the first place.
For heat, I mounted an oil-filled electric radiator in the back seat. I would set that up to run from a timer to turn on in the morning in the winter. It ran from wall power. When I would hop in the car, it would already be warmed up, and it would stay warm on my commute to work.
I also had a small 12V defroster for the windshield.
Could you hook up a generator to kick on when the batteries start getting low or just have a generator running at all times?
Yes. That would be a "Plug-In Hybrid".
I experimented for a while with an LP generator in the car.
ruclips.net/video/xXVi-g4jWqI/видео.html
Here's a whole write up on it: www.instructables.com/id/DIY-Plug-In-Hybrid-Car/
This is impressive, what did you do re the heater? Did you install an electric one?
I used a combination of a 12V defroster and a 120V preheat system. See more at: 300mpg.org/projects/electro-metro/heat/
What about heat, have you thought of a alternator mounted to a drive wheel? Thanx cool series .
I live in an area with relatively cold winters, so YES, I have thought about heat. Read about it at: 300mpg.org/projects/electro-metro/heat/
Thanks brother, That was a very awesome tutorial. In fact am very much interested to make one for myself. Am in Nairobi(Kenya)
excellent work,
but what is a range of your electric car???
300mpg.org/projects/electro-metro/battery-range/
@@BenjaminNelsonX Thanks for your kindly regards
pls give me your mail id for technical helps !!!
To help the maximum number of people that I can, I post everything I know as videos here on youtube and as articles at 300MPG.org.
For people with specific questions, I often try to address the issue all at once and write an article about it to be able to get out the most information that I can.
For people who really want detailed and specific help, EV Design and Consulting is available at: 300mpg.org/product/ev-consultation/
What was u feel any draw back with power waste with battery
Great job! Love your videos
I've watched the series and it's great 👍🏽👍🏽. Thank you very much for sharing them through RUclips. I am just curious; since you removed the clutch from the transmission, can you change gear while you are driving like regular car?
Please just watch the video. I cover this.
ruclips.net/video/B41BlafQOYU/видео.html
Don’t you make energy if you don’t let go of the clutch ? How’s the brushes ?
"Make energy?"
Are you asking about regenerative braking?
This car is using a series-wound DC motor. Those do NOT act as a generator.
Good work. Nice series.
Thank you for the videos! What are the issues I would run into if i were to go with a direct drive instead of using a transmission? slow acceleration and trouble with steep hills? less efficiency with stopping and going?
All of the above...
Generally, we think of "Direct Drive" as placing a motor right on the driveshaft.
Hub motors directly drive an individual wheel and are popular on electric bicycles, but tend to be heavy and inefficient and have "unsprung weight".
Trucks sometimes have a motor (or two "Siamese" motors) connected directly to the driveshaft.
Most electric motors are designed to spin faster and then be geared down for their actual power output. Using a motor at low speeds, high torque, and high current, tends to mean poor acceleration, issues with heat, and needing a large and powerful battery pack.
It CAN work well with a large motor for something like a drag-racer, but for typical real-work driving, we usually have a motor running through a gear reduction somewhere around 8:1.
In a small front-wheel drive car like this Geo Metro, I don't know how you would do anything one might consider "direct drive". Attaching a motor to the existing transmission is the most logical and straight-forward thing to do.
300mpg.org/projects/electro-metro/transmission-for-an-electric-car/
@@BenjaminNelsonX Thank you for the reply. You gave me all the information I was looking for. The setup I was thinking was pretty much exactly how the students did it in the van you salvaged a while back.. Maybe a Siemens/dmoc 645 combo, in a van, mounted where the transmission would be and attached to the driveshaft with a u-joint.. No need for crazy acceleration and all that. ruclips.net/video/sgYURJryI_4/видео.html
Very cool. Did you keep track of the weight difference? You added a lot but removed a lot too.
Yes, I took the car to a drive-on scale at a landscaping supply company just up the road from me. It was right around 1800 lbs when I started, and about 2,000 lbs when I was done. That's the difference in weight of one passenger.
Around 60lbs in 10gal of fuel. I originally thought it would be much heavier. Nice!
Awesome vid Ben, you've got a great channel here!
Thank you!
Is it because the throttle pedal is not stepped on so that the dynamo is not overloaded so there is no power going to the transmission?
This is awesome we do not have electric car in my country Sierra Leone but after this COVID19 Problem I will send you an email to make arrangements how I can buy on to be the first to own an EV here . I am soji a renewable energy engineer
Thank you sir.. For this perfect knowledge.... For this vehicle, does it require license?? And any permissions required to build it???
This is a regular car. It needed nothing special beyond standard requirements.
Rules on motor vehicles vary greatly from one state and country to another. Make sure to check your local requirements before beginning a project.
ruclips.net/video/NY1LUdk0BhM/видео.html
Nice series no doubt, just wondering did you consider doing regenerative braking to?
the problem with brushed dc motors is that you can't have regen braking, because in order to do so, the magnetic fields created by the battery ( electro magnet) would have to rotate inside of the coils of the stator to produce energy ( just like in an alternator), but since the magnetic fields are set in one place and can't rotate, you can't produce any energy
Isai De La Vega I was thinking about AC motor as replacement for current DC he is using...
Warlock I too prefer ac motors rather than DC, and with an Ac motor You can use regen braking
Basically with bits and pieces you did a Conversion the possible cheapest way,.....works!
Would you use fewer amps by shifting normally? What's your top speed in 5th? I would think that forklift motor would have a shaft RPM of >2K.... wouldn't that limit your speed even in 5th?
In general, you draw less current by spinning the motor faster and using greater gear reduction. On a car with a manual transmission which has been converted to gas, that means using a gear LOWER than you otherwise might use. On this car, for general use, I would just put it in 3rd and drive it as though it was an automatic.
Top speed was around 75 MPH.
Hi Ben - When you take your foot off the accelerator, shouldn’t the regenerative braking kick in?
No. This car doesn't have regenerative brakes. Coasting is actually MORE efficient than regenerative braking anyways. This car used a series-wound DC motor. That style motor has a few challenges to overcome to use for regen. My second electric motorcycle - the Vectrix - uses an AC motor and has regenerative brakes. On that one, I twist the motorcycle throttle backwards to brake. It's pretty neat bike.
ruclips.net/p/PLmHss3DBZUinx-DxMLnax485Alj5i5Lcn
Thanks. I guess the main benefit of regen is possibly saving on brake pads. Also, I suppose avoiding the particulates from the pads.
@@Alrukitaf It really does save on brakes! I replaced the front brake pads on our 2004 Prius at 160,000 miles. They were the original pads.
BenjaminNelson good to know. Another question I had: is it better/easier to convert rear wheel drive rather than front?
@@Alrukitaf Front-wheel drive vehicles tend to be more efficient. The only real advantage I can think of with a rear-wheel drive vehicle is that potentially, you can fit a larger motor. Front-wheel drive vehicles usually have a transverse mounted engine. This limits the diameter of the electric motor, because is is right next to one of the half-shafts going to the wheel.
On a rear-wheel drive setup, like a common pickup truck, the motor runs longitudinal - the direction of the length of the truck. It might be easier to get a larger motor in there.
There are plenty of examples of both front-wheel and rear-wheel drive conversions which all work great.
Don't let whether a vehicle is front or rear drive limit you. Convert the vehicle you would like to drive.
Benjamin what is the top speed you can go in that car
73 mph.
Cool. How long did it take to charge?
It was just a very basic charger. It would run overnight and be complete before morning.
@@BenjaminNelsonX Nice. I'm currently 16, and I'm thinking of doing something similar to a small car like a Gen 1 Honda Insight, or a civic coupe. I am subscribed and keep up with all your videos, but I was surprised to see you reply to a video that is so old. Thanks.
can we reverse the car by using the gear as we do in a gasoline engine?
Yes, I just shift into reverse.
cool video's and thanks good info for what I'm looking to do.
@8:22 That is the cheapskate version. Do you have plans for a decent version, e. g. with 35 kwh battery and a topspeed of 80 mph+?
The whole idea when I built this car (now 10 years ago!) WAS that it was cheap, so that as many people as possible could learn about and build Electric Vehicles. I built that electric Geo Metro for about $1,300 total. In 2018, if you want an inexpensive electric car, the best way to go is to just buy a used, commercially built vehicle. At this time, it would be difficult to build a new electric car for less than mainstream auto manufacturers can build them. The exception of course would be to convert to electric something you can't buy anyways, such as a pickup truck, convertible, or classic car.
I followed most of your videos. You look like my cousin almost in the same age as him too! we always been interested in DIYs and projects. so much respect man.
The videos are so easy to understand and steady and full of simple information!
the fact that the video quality feels like 2000ish makes it even more enjoyable.
I have a math test tomorrow but just found your channel and forgot about the test.
.
I have a question by the way, *does the EV conversion work with Automatic transmission?*
if so, do you have to remove the torque converter? and on the other hand does it shift with EV low rpm?
You CAN convert a car with an automatic transmission to electric, BUT it will be more complicated and less efficient.
Just start with a manual transmission car.
Here's another option - with so many commercially-built electric cars now out there (and in just yards) you might be able to get an electric motor and the matching gear reduction unit, and put the whole thing in a car. You would then just have to hook up the drive-shafts to the wheels.
BenjaminNelson I’m definitely looking forward to follow this project on my own. I’m just low on budget as of right now. How did you do the paperworks? Any smog needed? Did you have to report the engine swap to dmv for title?
Ok I just watched your series. You went with a standard transmition without a clutch. Can you shift gears while driving and would it allow you to go faster and use less amps? I understand when you said about a automatic trans, figuring out how to attach/connect. But would be better since a automatic shifts for you as you go faster?
Here's two articles I wrote that I think answer your questions.
300mpg.org/projects/electro-metro/going-clutchless/ and 300mpg.org/projects/electro-metro/transmission-for-an-electric-car/
What about heat? How do you run the heater?
estimado , soy de chile , quisiera saber que cargador utiliza para su vehículo eléctrico
felipe valenzuela Saludos desde Mexico, el menciona el tipo de cargador en in video previo ruclips.net/video/wzmGUXhobsM/видео.html
Are there any qualitative advantages having a shift as opposed to a single gear? Can you speak about this? OK..a bit deeper in you have thx!
i've seen guys just leave it in 3rd gear for all driving purposes
What do you do about a heater?
Check out the blog entry about heat: 300mpg.org/projects/electro-metro/heat/
Great job . well put to gether .
Whats I should keep in car Do I have to keep vacuum pump in 2013 Hyundai velostor. It has electric steering.
Please how do you recommend on charging the single 12v battery?
On this very simply project, I just mounted a 12V charger to the 12V battery. It would charge when I plugged the car in. Most electric cars use a combination of a 12V battery combined with a DC/DC converter. That device tops off the 12V battery by taking power from the main battery pack and converting it to a lower voltage to charge the 12V battery. Think of it taking the place of an alternator from a gas car.
300mpg.org/projects/evcycle/balance-of-system/
BenjaminNelson Great and thanks for the response
I wonder if the open source controller could be modified to give regenerative braking?
You've had that ammeter almost pegged for quite a few seconds during the drive. Have you ever blown that 175A Slow Blow fuse?
Great videos! I think that for many the range of this type of car would be too small. I could't use it to commute to work unless I lived less than 10 miles from work, I usually have been closer to 20-25. Maybe with a LiIon battery option that might be possible.
Generally, I've had a 500A fuse in the car, but I had a few salvaged lower voltage fuses in there to start. I DID blow one once when I was intentionally showing off to a friend. I was accelerating hard and had the car in a higher gear than usual (which puts more of a load on the motor, drawing more current.) Fortunately, we were very close to my house, but still embarrassing to have to walk home and get another fuse. After that, I carried a spare in the glove box, along with a single wrench required to change the fuse. Never had an issue after that...
This open source controller was never specifically designed for regenerative braking, and the motor used in this car isn't a style appropriate for regen. The ring-leader behind the project, Paul, has gone on to work on a few other projects, including building an all-purpose control board for salvaged Nissan Leaf parts. See those at: pandspowerelectronics.ecwid.com/#!/P&S-Circuit-Boards/c/16287307
The battery pack in this car (10 years ago now!) was USED lead acid. It was never high performance, but it was cheap! The entire project, including buying the car, was about $1,300. In 2018, salvaged batteries from crashed electric cars like Nissan Leafs and Chevy Volts are a bargain and can provide great range!
Great informative series, thanks Ben
How fast is it from 0 to 100 km/h ???
if you use 2 of the forklift motors on the rear wheels you have a drag racer that can even beat a tesla on a drag strip
0 to 100 in about a week and a half. ;)
how about the air conditioner? is it still work?
This car never had air-conditioning to start with.
and how about for cars with air confitioner? whats the solution?
It's fairly common to put a pulley and belt on the tail shaft of the electric drive motor and connect that to the air conditioning compressor. Alternatively, a small separate electric motor can be used to power an air conditioner compressor.
oh i see, so we can modify the electric motor drive to have pulley then, thanx for the tips
Great videos one Important question how much does all that cost $$$$
The entire project was about $1300, including buying the car.
verry nice video Benjamin, eric from the Nethetlands
Hi Ben, Thanks for showing all the various stages of building an electric car. It was certainly an eye opener, the detail to work was most comprehensive.
What modifications were necessary in order to change gears without having to use a clutch mechanism, or did I miss that part?
All I do to change gears is let off the accelerator, pull the stick out of gear, wait about 1 second, put it in the next gear. That's it.
Without the weight of a flywheel or the content spin of a gas engine, it goes right into gear.
Frankly, I generally didn't shift. Much of the time I would just put the car in third gear and leave it there.
Nice makes me think about going electric and using a home solar recharge power station for the batteries.
How many kilometres you can drive after charging it to full??
Keeping in mind that I built this car over ten year ago, with used lead-acid batteries, for a total budget of about $1300 USD.... The car had a range of about of about 32 km. I only worked about 4 km from home, the grocery store, bank, and library were all within a relatively small area, so most of the time, I'd go about 15-20 km on a trip. I had more than enough range.
Of course, nowadays, batteries are much better, bigger, and cheaper than they were then!
Can we know the difference with an automatic transmission car
Bro that's awesome!
Great video mate
WHAT RAGE OF DISTANCE YOU CAN GO WITH OUT CHARGE.!
he said only 20 miles due to his 6 crap lead acid batteries. you can go way further with lithium cells but they cost a buttload. or just pack way more lead acid batts in if you can fit em
300mpg.org/projects/electro-metro/battery-range/
How does it cost to recharge the battery’s?
Range is about 30 miles?
Great question. Charging an electric car is CHEAP! It's as though you were paying for gas at only $1.00 per gallon.
300mpg.org/2018/11/18/cost-to-power-an-electric-car/
But what is range?
@@inlineadam 300mpg.org/projects/electro-metro/battery-range/
How fast could the car go? Could it go, let's say 70mph and hold steady?
Top speed in that car was at least 73 miles per hour. That was in a 55 zone and I knew where the cops park.
73 mph is great. How long could it hold that charge? The more I watch of these videos, the more I want an EV car. I'm tired ot paying for gas and oil in cars. I live about an hour from work. An EV would be a good way to get back and forth. If it had solar panels, so that it could recharge while I was at work, it would be even better.
By the way, good job on your videos.
Hi Ben, can you share the list of components used in your car. Excellent diy video.
I had a 88 Supra. I could not keep a head gasket. I thought about doing this back around 2000 but no knowledge on how to do it back than.
Would this work on an automatic transmission ?
You CAN convert a car with an automatic transmission to electric, but it will be more complicated and less efficient than a manual transmission. Automatics are really there to match up with the low torque characteristics of a gas engine, and aren't a great match for an electric motor.
300mpg.org/projects/electro-metro/transmission-for-an-electric-car/