# riding in the cool! with no gasoline!



## 9852 (Jan 17, 2010)

hi all, its been a few years since iv been on here, but I'm back now. iv done 2 ev conversions myself, one of them being my budget ev, the e neon, my user name was billhac, you can search for my posts. Now my question is, after all these years, who on here has actually put ac in there ev? now I don't mean evaporative cooling with ice, I mean ac with either an electric compressor or the stock ac compressor from the car?

I feel like there is still not really any good options out there yet.

in my neon I did ac with a compressor from a window unit, worked well but took a lot of power to run it so it did not last long, 
so I'm just wondering what is out there for ev air conditioning?

I'm currently working on retaining the factory ac system in my newest ev, the mazda E2300, ford ranger by any other name, ill post some pics of the progression as I go but I'm really interested in hearing what others have done about this issue.


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## WolfTronix (Feb 8, 2016)

I spin the stock AC compressor with a tread mill motor, see this thread:
http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/showthread.php/treadmill-motors-they-good-anythingi-184129.html


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## 9852 (Jan 17, 2010)

I seeanks for the info. you used a pulley and belt to drive the compressor. I'm using the same motor, but I'm coupling it right to the sompressor shaft. I'm goung to retain all the factory wiring and cycling switch but use the relay to cycle the motor. don't know if its going to work, and I'm sure it will need tweeking but its hot out there and I really want to drive gasoline free.


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## brian_ (Feb 7, 2017)

I haven't done it, but an obvious answer would be to use the high-voltage DC compressor from a production vehicle. Any Prius starting with the 2004 model year (second generation) and similarly hybrids of the last decade or more -plus of course any battery-only EV - with air conditioning should have a suitable unit. Of course you need a unit compatible with your battery pack voltage; that is becoming more likely as people increasingly use batteries salvaged from modern production EVs for their DIY EVs and move up in voltage.


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## nucleus (May 18, 2012)

Jack sells one:

http://store.evtv.me/proddetail.php?prod=Benling


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## 9852 (Jan 17, 2010)

I saw that, it's a nice unit, but it looks like it's just the compressor, I'm assuming it utilizes the factory accumulator, and condenser.


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## 9852 (Jan 17, 2010)

So what should have asked is how important is ac to everyone? It seems to me that everyone has heat, because it's important in the winter,so think of ac in the same way in Phoenix, we have a surplus of heat, so cabin heating is not required, but we have a surplus of heat, so cabin cooling is definitely required.


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## 9852 (Jan 17, 2010)

I just thought that after 10 years of being away, there might have been better advancements, and I don't consider a 300 volt ac compressor like from the Prius and advancement, after all who has 300 volt packs running there cars? This is why in my opinion what we do here is always going to be considered a hobby and not a viable commute option, at least not here in Phoenix


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## Duncan (Dec 8, 2008)

billhac2017 said:


> I just thought that after 10 years of being away, there might have been better advancements, and I don't consider a 300 volt ac compressor like from the Prius and advancement, after all who has 300 volt packs running there cars? This is why in my opinion what we do here is always going to be considered a hobby and not a viable commute option, at least not here in Phoenix


Well I'm running a basic no frills build

http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forum...dubious-device-44370p15.html?highlight=duncan

And I run from 340v to 295v

I would change that that from "who has 300 volt packs running there cars" to who is not using 300v?

Why would anybody use a low voltage system these days?


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## 9852 (Jan 17, 2010)

Ok, I browsed through your post, 90 percent of the conversions on here are 96- 144 volts, only the few of you that can afford $11,000 in batteries are up that hi in voltage, if I had a budget like that I'd just buy a used Leaf. The reason for the thread was to find out who has access in there car and did it in a Normal working man's Budget. Thanks for your input though


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## brian_ (Feb 7, 2017)

Since most DIY EVs are conversions, and the original vehicles were available with air conditioning, they should have all of the required hardware other than an electrically driven compressor, it seems to me like the compressor is the only part needed.

Although 300 volts is not so unreasonable, lots of production hybrids run lower voltage (Honda has used as low as 144 volts, and some of the mild hybrids run only 36 volts), so corresponding lower-voltage compressors should be available as well. The linked unit (thanks nucleus ) was presumably not built for the DIY market, and comes in the two voltage ranges to suit different production vehicles. The lower range is 110 to 200 volts; the bottom end of that range is well within that "90%" of DIY EV installations and would include even some lead-acid setups.


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## 9852 (Jan 17, 2010)

Ac not access, sorry I didn't proof read first


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## 9852 (Jan 17, 2010)

Yea, that's what I'm thinking, why can't we just spin the compressor buy coupling a second motor directly to it, should work the same as having the clutch using all the factory wiring


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## Duncan (Dec 8, 2008)

billhac2017 said:


> Ok, I browsed through your post, 90 percent of the conversions on here are 96- 144 volts, only the few of you that can afford $11,000 in batteries are up that hi in voltage, if I had a budget like that I'd just buy a used Leaf. The reason for the thread was to find out who has access in there car and did it in a Normal working man's Budget. Thanks for your input though


You are kidding me right??
My battery cost $1800US - one thousand eight hundred dollars NOT $11,000

My whole car cost about $8K 

At the moment the cheapest way BY FAR to get a battery is from a Nissan Leaf, Chevy Volt or Tesla


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## brian_ (Feb 7, 2017)

billhac2017 said:


> Yea, that's what I'm thinking, why can't we just spin the compressor buy coupling a second motor directly to it, should work the same as having the clutch using all the factory wiring


I agree, that should work, and if you have a source of an inexpensive motor it would be the least expensive solution. It's not ideal...

It's mechanically more complex, requiring at least a coupling and good bracket holding the compressor and motor well aligned. The stock electric clutch should be removed, as it just wastes power.
The unit shown in the link is variable in speed, and includes its own power controller; a separate motor would require a suitable controller.
The power required to power a motor (internal to the compressor, or separate) will be a kilowatt or two (depending on how much cooling you need)... much more than the clutch would be wired for, so a separate power circuit and relay would still be needed.


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## 9852 (Jan 17, 2010)

First, right from your own link, Controller	Expensive -----$2,500??
Batteries	Very Expensive---- 11,000??

Looks to me like $11000 unless you are in a country where their currency of 11000 translates to $1800 bucks, I have 30 t-875s and all of them together was less then that.
Now then, on to the business at hand. When I said retain the factory wiring, I just meant the cycling switch and the power button in the dash and fan controls, I will definitely be installing a separate relay and speed control for the motor, but I thought I would run the motor at 24 volts first, using the assumption that an ice AC system works at 800 rpm (idol speed) and go up from there if needed


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## Duncan (Dec 8, 2008)

Hi Bill
Those were the guess figures way way way back when I was planning my car!! over 10 years ago

What I ended up with (NZ Dollars so about 0.7 USD)

Motor - $100 NZD

Controller - first one (Paul & Sabrina) - $600 USD
I screwed a few things up and ended up replacing some of it - $300 USD
Sold the old controler

THEN I got another Paul & Sabrina prototype - 340v - 1400amps - that was $800 - BARGAIN!

Batteries - started out with about $3000 worth of Headway cells - blew some, some died
Then the car ended up outside under a tarp for a year - got water in and killed more cells

I got a complete Volt pack - $1800 USD - time I got it here $3300 NZD

I started out with a home made charger - cost about $150 USD
With the volt pack I went to a BRUSA - about $700 USD

The whole car cost about $6000 NZD when I first got it on the road

The cheapest batteries just now are old Volt/Leaf/Tesla packs


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## nucleus (May 18, 2012)

billhac2017 said:


> I saw that, it's a nice unit, but it looks like it's just the compressor, I'm assuming it utilizes the factory accumulator, and condenser.


You can get everything else you need from vintage air, or use the factory pieces from the car you are building/using.

http://www.vintageair.com/


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## 9852 (Jan 17, 2010)

duncan, i hear yea, but even still, you have to see that even at bargain price like that 6000 is a lot for a converted car, most people on here im assuming are doing this to save some money, be it, gas, maintenence, repair work, its all about money. thats why we stick to lower voltages, its lower cost. if i wanted to spend 6000 on an electric vehicle, in my opnion it has to be as good as it was stock, and removing crucial systems like heating and air, are not better than stock, it just uses no gas, thats the biggest reason converted evs dont sell on the market. because for example, if im looking to spend $6000 today on an electric vehicle, i can look on phoenix craigslist and pick up a used leaf, for between 6-7 thousand, and it comes with heat, ac, bluetooth and all the modern amenities, why would it make sense to spend the same money to convert the old clunker i have setting in my driveway to electric and not have all of the same amenities? thats my hole point, most of us build these on the cheap, so the majority are built and 120-144 volts, to keep costs down, you my friend are just one of the chosen few that can afford to drive a converted high voltage EV.


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## electron bom (Dec 4, 2014)

nucleus said:


> You can get everything else you need from vintage air, or use the factory pieces from the car you are building/using.
> 
> http://www.vintageair.com/


Thanks for the link!


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## Duncan (Dec 8, 2008)

Hi Bill
If you want to save money just drive an old car
no modified car will ever be as cheap as just driving an old smoker


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## electron bom (Dec 4, 2014)

Duncan said:


> If you want to save money just drive an old car
> no modified car will ever be as cheap as just driving an old smoker


I think this should be posted in the FAQ or new members section.


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## 9852 (Jan 17, 2010)

Duncan, ill argue differently with that. As a teen I had a 70s impala, it had a big block 400 in it, I'll wager that any car I drive today is way cheaper to drive than that one, at least in the fuel department


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## electron bom (Dec 4, 2014)

billhac2017 said:


> Duncan, ill argue differently with that. As a teen I had a 70s impala, it had a big block 400 in it, I'll wager that any car I drive today is way cheaper to drive than that one, at least in the fuel department


Reducto ad absurdum. You might as well be saying, _"Hey Duncan, I drove around in a 2.5 ton WWII transport truck that got horrible MPG and was really expensive to fix!"_ Old and cheap are relative terms. In the context of vehicle technology, a 1970s domestic is ancient. Poor fuel efficiency in a 400ci, no surprise there. A 1990s European/Jap sedan would fit Duncan's definition of 'old smoker' and will undoubtably be cheaper than a comparable custom EV project. It is funny how so many people refuse to acknowledge the point Duncan made, gluttons for punishment I guess.


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## 9852 (Jan 17, 2010)

Um, excuse me? Exactly what point is that? I was making a joke with Duncan as I'm sure he knows, how about you, do you know how to figure out that what your reading was meant as a joke? Jees, I started this thread about ev air conditioning, not to get harrasses by people like you, unless you have some air conditioning advise, post that in the chit chat section please


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## halestorm (Apr 28, 2009)

OK, back to EV air conditioning .. has anyone implemented it?


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## piotrsko (Dec 9, 2007)

Belt driven from the motor, yes many have


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