# Opel Speedster



## Bottomfeeder (Jun 13, 2008)

Light sports cars tend to make decent conversions, as they usually come with decent brakes and are aerodynamic. I don't know much about the Opel, but it sure looks great. I assume it's a manual tranny. Is there anything special about it? If not, it could be just a matter of making a shaft coupler and putting in an adaptor plate. There are many build threads on this site that detail the process rather well. I suggest you start there for some examples. Also, check out the wiki, under the "nuWiki" tab.

Tell us more about your plans!


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## david85 (Nov 12, 2007)

Opel is basically GM's division in europe (france). I wonder if there is a way to cross reference the bell housing pattern of the european GM engines to north american engines.

Try contacting these guys, 
http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forum...icle-solutions-inc-adapter-coupler-25297.html

they have several adaptor plates for the GM light engines and might be able to help out. If that proves too pricy, then making an adaptor plate yourself is possible, but it has to be done accurately. If you have a good friend at a machine shop, that would be ideal.

Speedster..........is this what your car looks like?


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## Mesuge (Mar 6, 2008)

It is based on the chassis of Lotus Elise aka modified Tesla Roadster.
There is one Elise conversion on evalbum. However, Speedsters are no 
longer made in contrast to Elise, which has also enjoyed larger production volume..

If anybody wants to hack their Speedster, start here though>>











aeromodded "Ecospeedster":
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/02/the-opel-eco-speedster.php


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## Jordysport (Mar 22, 2009)

http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/showthread.php/clutch-setup-30132.html

have a flick through there. that should very easy to plan that project as Cd etc are easy to find. and specs on the car. oh and btw its not a Opel speedster its a Vauxhall VX220 Turbo.  










<< thats me!


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## speedster (Apr 4, 2009)

Thanks all. I will get my reading cap out! 

This is my car here. It is the NA version of the Speedster (VX220)









I've been driving this for the last 7 years. I was planning to upgrade the oil burner (engine) this year to a 300HP supercharger set-up I've been working on. After going over it in my mind time and time again I've decided any major change to the car has to take the electric route instead. I reckon the results will be more positive. 

I'm still trying to figure out what motor and battery pack to use. To get the power I'm looking for, from what I can figure, a AC motor setup looks like the route to take but they appear to be expensive. I want to avoid lead-acid too, to keep the weight down. Any suggestions very much appreciated.

Steve


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## ClintK (Apr 27, 2008)

speedster said:


> Thanks all. I will get my reading cap out!
> 
> This is my car here. It is the NA version of the Speedster (VX220)
> 
> ...


That's a good looking car! What are your goals for the car? A 10 second drag race or a 200 mile cruiser? Have a budget in mind? With Lithium prices these days I'd definitely try for LiFePO4s.


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## david85 (Nov 12, 2007)

That is one sweet car. I agree about LiFePO4. There are a few builds in progress or completed right now that can eventually give you a good idea on what to expect.


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## speedster (Apr 4, 2009)

ClintK said:


> That's a good looking car! What are your goals for the car? A 10 second drag race or a 200 mile cruiser? Have a budget in mind? With Lithium prices these days I'd definitely try for LiFePO4s.


Bit of both I guess.  
Would like power with a decent range. Something like the AC Propulsion AC-150. Has anybody experience with this system or the company behind it?

Brian's Honda S2K conversion is sweet and looks like a project I can learn a lot from.


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## dfer (Apr 14, 2009)

I have a Speedster too, but I'm not sure if it's a suitable vehicle to convert. My first concern would be the lack of space for fitting batteries. You'll want to keep the weight as low as possible, and the only place to fit the batteries is in the engine compartment, after having removed the petrol tank and engine. I'll have a look at that Elise conversion though, maybe I'm missing something.

The Speedster engine is a GM Ecotec - used in all sorts of Pontiacs, Saturns, and Chevvys. So I'm sure someone must have converted one of those already. Here's some info: http://www.gmperformanceparts.com/E...2L&engine=Ecotec 2.2L&sku=19156263&engCat=rpo


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## CFreeman54 (Jan 14, 2009)

Hi Speedster et. al. Your goals look similar to what I'm trying to do with a GM Fiero rebuild. Different car, but both similar size I think....yours is about 600 lbs. lighter due to the Al chassis. Both mid engine, rear wheel drive sports cars. The Toyota MR2 is also similar. 

With the Fiero, and the MR2 also, there is room for batteries in the front bay, the engine bay above the motor & tranny, and also in the underbody channel where the gas tank used to be. Check those spaces in the Speedster, but I suspect there is sufficient room for 12 V AGM's or Lithium Ion batteries. If you wanted to do 6 V floodies it would be tight (but I know guys who have done it with Fieros, but they weren't looking for high performance and used 92-120V systems-so less batteries). 

I believe AC propulsion will not sell the AC-150 to "one-off" car builders, and if you could convince them it would cost you $25,000 for motor and controller. Azure Dynamics has about the only other available AC motor I could find for a reasonable price (about $10,000 motor and controller). 

http://www.azuredynamics.com/products/force-drive/TractionMotorswithDigitalMotorControllers.htm

Their AC 24 is rated only 47 KW peak output (about 63 hp), which is not going to give Tesla like performance. Their AC 55 (peak 59 KW - 79 hp) might be too big and heavy for your car. Also, I think you have to order AzureDynamics from Electro Automotive, as their only retailer, and unless you are not in a hurry I don't recommend it. I ordered their transmission adapter 6 months ago and am still waiting to get a usable adapter and they haven't answered my email or phone calls since last Friday.

The best motor option for the money at the moment is a WarP or Advanced DC series DC motor. You have 9" or 11" option with WarP. I wrote to John Wayland (of "White zombie" electric dragster fame) when considering the motor for my car and his opinion was that the controller amperage and system voltage was more important than the bigger, 11" motor. (unfortunately, I had already purchased the 11"). The bigger motor will give more torque, but the hp and rpm are more influence by the volts/amps. With my Raptor 1200 amp controller @ 156V I should get around 155 KW peak power - about 200 hp. That should give me 0-60 in 5-6 seconds. With your Speedster 600 lbs. lighter you might be closer to 4.0 seconds. 

With Lithium Ion batteries and a light car 100-200 mile range is very doable - the Tesla is proof, with 230 mile range. Also, Lithium polymer batteries can be squeezed into all kinds of oddly shaped spaces....just have a good battery management system.....and deep pockets.


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## Vitkur (Oct 10, 2008)

That's the Elise on EV Album - 1998 Lotus Elise S1. It uses 94 pcs. of Hi-Power LiFePo4, 3.60 Volt cells @ 50Ah each. Aparently it drives 40 miles real and 60 miles "projected" range.

I think there is still a bit of space left for bigger batteries (for better range):
















so definately looks doable to me (on "paper" at least).

Home-grown Tesla! 

This is definately a good donor, but also a very expensive one to buy - a second hand Speedster will set you back ~15K EUR.


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## CroDriver (Jan 8, 2009)

CFreeman54 said:


> http://www.azuredynamics.com/products/force-drive/TractionMotorswithDigitalMotorControllers.htm
> 
> 
> The best motor option for the money at the moment is a WarP or Advanced DC series DC motor. You have 9" or 11" option with WarP. I wrote to John Wayland (of "White zombie" electric dragster fame) when considering the motor for my car and his opinion was that the controller amperage and system voltage was more important than the bigger, 11" motor. (unfortunately, I had already purchased the 11"). The bigger motor will give more torque, but the hp and rpm are more influence by the volts/amps. With my Raptor 1200 amp controller @ 156V I should get around 155 KW peak power - about 200 hp. That should give me 0-60 in 5-6 seconds. With your Speedster 600 lbs. lighter you might be closer to 4.0 seconds.
> ...


1) The efficiency of DC motor is below 60% at 156V/1200A so the peak power can't be 155kW. The battery voltage also drops when accelerating. I think that the real power on the shaft is somewhere around 100kW.

2) Tesla has a very sophisticated battery, I don't think that the Thunder Sky or similar cells can provide the same range.

3) Logisystem 156V/1000A is the most powerful controller on the market now. AFAIK.

4) Opel is an german manufacturer 

Good luck with your project!


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## dfer (Apr 14, 2009)

The Elise conversion certainly looks well done and is very tidy, but the owner has chosen to mount the batteries in the boot. That means there's a large weight hanging behind the wheels which will change the car's balance dramatically. Maybe if there had been some way to ditch the gearbox, there would have been more room.

The Tesla has it's motor mounted directly over the drive wheel centreline, retaining the boot. The batteries and control box are between the motor and the firewall.


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## CFreeman54 (Jan 14, 2009)

I'm not sure how CroDriver came up with 100 KW, or where he got his data on WarP motor efficiency, but let me address (#4) first. According to _wikipedia_: 

The *Opel Speedster/Vauxhall VX220* was a British-built mid engined, targa-topped, 2-seater sports car introduced in the summer of 2000.
It was built for GM Europe in both right-hand drive and left-hand drive versions at the Lotus Cars plant in Hethel, Norfolk, England. The left-hand drive version was badged the Opel Speedster for mainland Europe distribution, the right-hand drive version the Vauxhall VX220 for UK distribution.


On to DC series motors. According to the manufacturer, at 3600 rpm a WarP 9 is about 87% efficient. (see manufacturer's graph here: http://www.go-ev.com/images/003_07_ImPulse_9_Graph.jpg) 156V x 1200 amps =187,200 W. x 87% = 162,864 W. Doubling volts will double rpms if the load is constant. Increasing amps will increase torque but not linearly. If rpm are maintained in the "sweet spot" around 3600 rpm by the transmission, motor efficiency should be similar regardless of volts and amps, assuming cooling can be maintained (blower fan?), because the motor is not at magnetic core saturation @ 156V, 1200A (drag race guys run much higher with these motors), increased resistance from increasing heat is the primary limiting factor for efficiency. Acceleration at high volts amps normally only lasts a few seconds anyway, so there is not much time for heating. If we assume an additional 10% energy loss in the drivetrain/transmission, we are still at 146,578 Watts = 146.6 KW = 196.5 hp, which is close to 200 hp. 



If someone has better data and calculations I would be interested in seeing them.



Battery voltage sag is not as much of a problem with lithium ion batteries, and there are ways of compensating for it with Pb acid. Good AGM's sag much less than floodeds, and a higher pack voltage can be run and limited to 156 V at the controller and motor electronically. The Zillas had this function built right into the controller.


Regarding (2), the Tesla's battery pack is sophisticated because it has BMS (battery management system) circuits to monitor 6,831 (if my memory is correct) individual Li 18650 cells. This sophistication does nothing for range. It has good range because the cobalt cathode based 18650 Li ion cells have a slightly higher energy density than LiFePO4 cells. 190 vs. 140 watt hours per kg. OK, so you'll only be able to drive 170 miles instead of 230, given the same mass of batteries in the pack. The Tesla pack is about 900 pounds, and a significant percent of that weight is from the sophisticated BMS, lets say about 30%. (Tesla pack is about 53 KWH. energy density is 190 wh/kg...do the agebra). Since you need 6,788 fewer BMS protection circuits with a Thundersky pack,your 900 pound pack has about 280 lbs. more actual battery cell in it. 280 lbs = 127.27 kg x 140 wh/kg = 17780 wh which is about 17.8 kwh, which more than makes up for the slightly lower energy density of the LiFePO4 cells. 200 miles is no problem if you've got the money to pay for 378.6 kg (833 lbs.) of LiPO4 cells. 



Regarding (3): That is not entirely true. I bought a brand new Raptor 1200 amp (156 V) controller, built by Peter Senkowsky (its designer I believe), from KTA Services and received it about 3 months ago. 



Perhaps the logisystems is the most powerful _mass produced_ controller on the market now, but it is not more powerful than than the Raptor 1200, which is still available "on the market", at least in limited quantities. 


In terms of weight and drag coefficient, the Tesla and the Opel Speedster should be very similar, so given 53 kwh of battery, you should get similar range. If you go with series DC motor rather than AC, deduct about 3-4% for range for the same same battery. For the extra cost of the AC system though (if you can find one), you can afford to buy a lot of Li Ion batteries.


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## speedster (Apr 4, 2009)

Interesting reading...

The Ecotec engine in my Speedster (VX220) weighs in at about 125kg (dry engine without gearbox). Add to this the exhaust system, all the plumbing, fluids and auxilaries and there is probably near 200kg to play with.

The Lotus conversion certainly is eye catching. I do agree with dfer, mounting batteries in the boot area changes the car handling too much. Like in the Tesla this is something I am hoping to avoid. I will use the space at the front of the car where the radiator currently resides for 'additional' battery and control space. I will attempt to keep everything above and infront of the rear wheels and balance the weight around. The Speedster has a different body clam than the Lotus and I have a little more room to play with. I am thinking of building a battery pack based on items like the Thunder Sky *TS-LFP160AHA* as 'tall' thin batteries will probably be best suited. Does it make sense to go for 160AH batteries over say 60AH, to keep the numbers down? 

Anybody any thoughts on the Siemens (Ford) motor in the Lotus? I gather it is AC.

Thanks,
Steve


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## CFreeman54 (Jan 14, 2009)

Yes, balance is important, so keeping the front to rear weight ratio as close to stock as possible is what you want. If you want to be picky about it level your car and take the weight at each wheel (a beam across two bathroom scales will work in a pinch, probably only about 500-550 lbs. on each wheel - add the reading on each scale to get the wheel weight). Add the two front and two rear readings and figure the back/front weight ratio. Do the same thing again after you have the front and back batteries in, and move some batteries around if the ratio is much different.

The more batteries you have the more BMS circuits you need, and the more connections and wiring....which means more points for possible failure and more expense. Simplicity is good. If they will fit I would go with the 160 AH batteries and forget parallel strings.

From what I hear the Siemens (Ford) motors are good...the problem is finding a motor controller to drive it. Without the motor controller the motor is worthless.


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## DC Braveheart (Oct 12, 2008)

CFreeman54 said:


> If you want to be picky about it level your car and take the weight at each wheel (a beam across two bathroom scales will work in a pinch, probably only about 500-550 lbs. on each wheel - add the reading on each scale to get the wheel weight). Add the two front and two rear readings and figure the back/front weight ratio. Do the same thing again after you have the front and back batteries in, and move some batteries around if the ratio is much different.


That's what I did - see heer http://e-miata.blogspot.com/2009/03/gotta-love-craigslist.html.


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## speedster (Apr 4, 2009)

dfer said:


> Maybe if there had been some way to ditch the gearbox, there would have been more room.
> 
> The Tesla has it's motor mounted directly over the drive wheel centreline, retaining the boot. The batteries and control box are between the motor and the firewall.


Thinking.... Junking the gearbox would be great. Are there EV's out there with no gearbox/transmissions, or with just single speed direct-drive gearboxes? Does the Tesla have a gearbox? 

Are dual motor setups viable? If I could junk the gearbox I'd consider a dual motor configuration, as long as I can get good power plus push the car up to near it current top speed (140mph).

How sophisticated are modern controllers? I'm looking for something that can not only deliver power but also monitor how the delivery is performing, that is how the car is driving. Are there circuits out there for DIY controllers?

Sorry if I sound like a Noob. I do come from a electrical engineering background, just I've been over a decade and a half out of it (in software). I am trying to reactivate the relevant brain cells! 

Thanks,
Steve


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## DC Braveheart (Oct 12, 2008)

speedster said:


> Does the Tesla have a gearbox?


The Tesla has no transmission. I believe the AC Propulsion Motor connects directly to the differential so it's not a true 'direct drive'.


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## david85 (Nov 12, 2007)

DC Braveheart said:


> The Tesla has no transmission. I believe the AC Propulsion Motor connects directly to the differential so it's not a true 'direct drive'.


The tesla has a fixed speed gearbox. Upgrades are planned to offer a 2 speed transmission.


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## speedster (Apr 4, 2009)

Anybody come across the Nuvinci CVP?

http://www.fallbrooktech.com/Nuvinci.asp


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## order99 (Sep 8, 2008)

I want one of those for my Bicycle soooo bad...

I noticed that they list 'light EVs' as a possible application-I wonder if they can upgrade to heavier vehicles using this technology? I'd love to see this sort of thing even on ICE vehicles if they can achieve greater efficiency with it.


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## speedster (Apr 4, 2009)

david85 said:


> The tesla has a fixed speed gearbox. Upgrades are planned to offer a 2 speed transmission.


Hi david,

I am reading Tesla moved from a 2 speed transmission to a single gear. The single speed appears to be more efficient and robust. The 2 speed semmly was a temporary solution, until they figured how to piece together the single speed unit.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tesla_Roadster#Transmission


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## speedster (Apr 4, 2009)

order99 said:


> I want one of those for my Bicycle soooo bad...
> 
> I noticed that they list 'light EVs' as a possible application-I wonder if they can upgrade to heavier vehicles using this technology? I'd love to see this sort of thing even on ICE vehicles if they can achieve greater efficiency with it.


Hi order99,
I done some more reading on this topic. CVTs, and multi-speed gearboxes in general, tend to make EV's less efficient. A 'properly matched' motor, power pack, controller and single gear ratio seems the way to go.


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## rik1083 (Jan 16, 2010)

Hi speedster, fancy finding you here!
Did you get any further with this?


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## speedster (Apr 4, 2009)

rik1083 said:


> Hi speedster, fancy finding you here!
> Did you get any further with this?


Hi Rik! Yup fancy meeting you here too! Hope all is well. 

A change in relationship status (marriage) and the arrival of a couple kids had slowed me down or put me in a different gear but I still have the car ready for conversion. And now I have help!


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