A used car lot located near
where I work had a 1997 Chevrolet S-10 pickup. It had to be jump-started
to get it off the lot but I knew that all I was going to need was the
chassis.
As soon as it was home in my
garage, I removed the engine along with the clutch, radiator, muffler, tail
pipes and gas tank. I saved the 5-speed transmission to reuse in the electric
vehicle.
Research on the internet
brought me in touch with the owner of a one-man company that sells
parts for electric vehicles. He provided the electric motor, speed controller
and transmission adapter. During the next four months, I assembled these
components and positioned them in the space where the old gasoline engine had
been located. Over the electric motor, I built a deck to support the speed
controller and electronics box which houses the high voltage components.
The “fuel storage” in this
electric vehicle is 24 deep discharge batteries of the type used in golf carts
and each evening I plug them into a battery charger located in my garage. These
batteries power the vehicle for about 50 miles on a charge. I
actually have driven 53 miles on a charge. The Volt meter built
into the dash, which acts like a gas gauge, shows how much charge
is left. The truck has a top speed of 70 mph and can
easily keep up with traffic. I drive it on the freeway every
day.
A charge costs approximately
$1.50 and the batteries should have about a five year
lifetime. Gasoline to drive 50 miles would be much more than that. It
needs no oil changes or antifreeze and has few moving parts so it should not
need much maintenance. Since I began driving this vehicle, my monthly gasoline
bill has gone down $200. New paint, new interior parts and other
vehicle additions made this electric vehicle perfect.
It is very easy to drive; turn
the key on, put it in second gear and depress the throttle, at about 30 mph
shift into third gear, no clutch required. The acceleration is good. For
faster acceleration, take off in first gear and shift into second at 20
mph.
The DC
motor was adapted to the original 5 speed transmission.
The twenty
four, 6 Volt, deep discharge batteries were installed in welded
frames. A motor speed controller was installed that accepts the
throttle pedal input and adjusts the motor voltage to control the motor
speed. Safety was the first priority, all battery connections are
protected and the High Voltage wiring is run in conduit. The motor control
logic prevents the motor from starting when the key is turned on with the
throttle depressed.
Next, a DC
to DC converter was installed to convert the 144 VDC battery voltage to 12 VDC
for the vehicle accessories.
The Power
Brakes are driven from an industrial vacuum pump and controller to insure
maximum vacuum at all times.
Air
Conditioner power is provided from the front shaft of the DC motor. The AC
works much better than original because there is no engine heat to
overcome.
The Battery
Charger is completely automatic, just plug it in and forget it.
Air
shocks are installed in the rear to equalize the vehicle level.
Due to the added weight, the ride is superior to the original truck.
Instrumentation includes motor current, motor voltage, 12 VDC accessory voltage,
motor speed in rpm, total motor on time in hours, motor temperature gauge,
controller temperature gauge and vehicle speedometer.
A new radio
and new carpet were installed.
A complete
paint job was done by a professional painter who first prepared the
surface, then put on two coats of color, followed by three coats of clear, then
he wet sanded the top clear coat and hand rubbed for a deep gloss finish.
It has been
extremely reliable and has been driven back and forth to work almost
daily since it was built about 2 years ago. It is enjoyable to drive
as well as being economical and environmentally friendly.
It is so much fun
building these Electric Vehicles that I would like to sell the one that I
have now and build another one. Let me know if you know of
someone who might be interested.
Ken Watkins
M.S.E.E
