# Planning 1996 Chevy Cavalier conversion



## Wesley J (Aug 26, 2010)

Hi guys,


I'm following the recommended method to get this started. Here we go. 

Your skill level with auto mechanics and fabrication
Very high.

The range you are hoping to get (how many miles/charge)
Commute to work and back, 30-40 kms (20-25 miles)

What level of performance you are hoping to get
No real expectations other than there is one section of road I need to go 80 km/hr (50 mph)

How much money you are willing to put into your project
I guess <$5000 would be optimal

What parts you've already considered, if any.
Nothing really, I'm just starting out reading. Oh, the car, I have that.

A bit of background on me. I'm a 30 something year old Engineer working in the Oil and Gas industry in Western Canada. I live in Calgary, Alberta so cold weather performance is definately an issue for me. I do have multiple vehicles so in the dead of winter I can use an alternative, what do you guys call it, dino drinker.

I have a well equipped shop including the following plus a bunch more:
TIG, MIG, Plasma
English wheel, brake, bead roller, shrinker stretcher etc
Metal lathe, mill
etc

I've spent most of the last few decades building cars and motorcycles. I built the chassis and suspension of my '70 F-100 from scratch as well as the suspension/underpinnings of my '67 Mustang which is my current daily driver. Have built/modified many ICEs and trannies.

The '96 Cavalier has been my daily driver for years so I was looking to re-purpose it as an EV test. It currently gets about 7.5 L/100 kms (31 mpg) in town. But, I love the idea of EV commuters etc etc.

So, other than devouring the vast amount of knowledge here, what equipment etc would you recommend.

Cheers,

Wes


----------



## Wesley J (Aug 26, 2010)

I guess a thought that I had to simplify things would be the following (please tell me if I'm on crack):


Use multiple small (cheap) motors in series. Not too sure here, maybe sprague (sp?) clutches connecting the motors to sprockets driving a chain or belt drive sytem
have this drive a CV clutch such as what's found in a snow mobile (not sure about efficiency). This would eliminate the need to retain the ICE transmission and allow the motor to operate at it's peak efficiency at all times


----------



## Woodsmith (Jun 5, 2008)

Hi and welcome to the forum.

You have a fair amount of ability in your list there so I guess you should be able to cope with a conversion.

The simplest way to start is to use a single motor mated to the transmission, with or without clutch, and then wire in a controller, batteries and charger.

For your range and speed you may be able to get away with lead acid but lithium will be lighter and improve on the range a fair bit.

You could start with a DC series wound motor from an old fork lift (read the thread at the top of the Motors forum) or you could invest in a Warp or Kostov 9".
For controllers you could buy a nice ready made one of make your own using the Open Revolt open source controller kit.

Have a look in the 'Garage' for similar cars and see how others ahve done it and if what they have achieved would suit your needs.

Certainly there are those here who just want to build something that works and does what they need and that is it and others that are pushing the boundries of what is possible both for themselves and for EVs.
You may find where in that range you would like to settle.


----------



## Woodsmith (Jun 5, 2008)

Wesley J said:


> I guess a thought that I had to simplify things would be the following (please tell me if I'm on crack):
> 
> 
> Use multiple small (cheap) motors in series. Not too sure here, maybe sprague (sp?) clutches connecting the motors to sprockets driving a chain or belt drive sytem
> have this drive a CV clutch such as what's found in a snow mobile (not sure about efficiency). This would eliminate the need to retain the ICE transmission and allow the motor to operate at it's peak efficiency at all times


You could.
Just depends on how complicated you want to make things.
Using any stepless transmission may require you to change the parameters that control the ratio of the drive. They are usually designed for the parameters of an ICE and that may not be the best for an electric motor.


----------



## rillip3 (Jun 19, 2009)

Welcome to the site Wesley. I think your goals are very realistic and probably within budget if you stick with PbA. At 30 miles (just to give you some room for a detour, lunch, etc) guesing about 300 wh/mi (typical for a daily commuter of average size) you'd need 9000 wh. Taking into account Depth of Discharge (say 20% if using AGM) and Puekert (again, 20% loss of efficiency due to the quick discharge) you end up with 9000 x 1.2 x 1.2 = 12,960 wh. At a pack voltage of 120v, that means you need 108 Ah batteries. This is very doable with PbA.

As for the cold weather, the motor will actually be more efficient cold, but you will need to keep the batteries warm. If you can park inside, like a parking garage, this will essentially negate any concern over cold weather. If you can't, and your batteries are going to end up getting cold, your pack will have to be larger. The more insulation you provide and the more you can keep it in warm (even semi-warm) the less you'll have to compensate.

If you're parking in a heated space, at home and at work, I'd say shoot for 110 Ah batteries. If you're parking indoors, but it's not heated, per say, I'd say go for 125. If it's going to be exposed to the weather at work (at home you can get an external heater, like a waterbed heater, so it's not an issue), I'd say go for 200 Ah. You'll have tons of juice to get there, but once the batteries get cold, you'll lose about 50% of the charge.

If your car will regularly get below -15 C, which is a distinct possibility, you'll have to heavily insulate the batteries, this is the lowest in the regular operating level for a PbA battery.


----------



## Wesley J (Aug 26, 2010)

Wow, thanks for the info guys, now I have a good starting point. I can start to define the scope of what I'm undertaking (and hopefully limit the scope creep...).

My current parking situation is indoors but not heated, although there are electrical outlets so I'll be able to run a battery heater(s).

Off to do some more reading.

Thanks again.

Wes


----------

