# Fiat 126 Conversion



## jackkerridge (Jan 12, 2017)

Hello all!!

I am currently very busy getting my lovely fiat 126 body shell up to tip top condition. and am constantly trying to work out where or what would be the best motor/controller for me. The car (without ICE) weighs about 500 kg, im looking for about a 60 mile range. I Intend to go lithium ion perhaps a 72v system?. max speed about 70mph. (budget £8000)

I have been in the classic car restoration game for a while and work for an engineering company part time but electronics is not my field. Am i best off buying a conversion kit? is that more financially viable as i intend to make a business out of it and will need to parts to be readily available. I am based in the U.K, I can get a AC motor kit (7.5kw-14kw) for around 5k locally. Seems like a lot of doe! 


I am struggling to find out what companies are best for parts, ones that can ship to the u.k also!

Thanks!!!


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## TerraRoot (Apr 9, 2009)

nice car!, mines about the same size and i figured i'd need 10kw to make it to 60mph, a BLDC motor could do that, much cheaper then an AC, more money for batterys! which is important because i think 72v would be too low.


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## Moltenmetal (Mar 20, 2014)

Should be no problem for your budget, AC or DC, if you use batteries from a crashed Leaf or Volt.

Figure on something like 200 Wh/mile f such a small light car, multiply by desired range in miles then divide by 0.7 to 0.8 to ensure your batteries get decent cycle life. That's the minimum pack capacity you need in Wh.

Guys in the UK can advise about suppliers, and the rules. 
Best of luck! Browse a few threads here for inspiration and the Wiki for learning. Then come back with more specific questions.


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## m.kozlowski (Jan 13, 2016)

Hi,
I am lurking from some time now on this forum. My former plan was to build electric Fiat 126, but i gave up, since i am not so good at electrics 
However, your project looks fine to me, so i will be watching with big interest.
If You would have troubles locating or shipping parts for that 126, let me know. I am in Poland, so i can sometimes help You in that.

www.garazmarcina.pl


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## onegreenev (May 18, 2012)

I would say use a minimum of 96 volts for any system you decide to use and at least 600 amps. The best to use would be the AC-35 or AC-50 and the 96volt 650 amp controller. The motor is made by HPEVS and they are available. Pricy, sort of. Your vehicle is small and light and the AC-35 is a bit lighter than the AC-50 and in that application may be just what you need. I'm putting one in my VW Bus. The controller is good to a max fully charged battery of 130 volts so you could run like 110 volts and still be good. They are readily available and the customer will be paying for the components anyway. There are good sources for used Leaf and other electric car batteries as well as the tried and true CALB LiFePO4 cells available to you as well. Don't skimp too much. You want to make your vehicle look and feel like a factory built vehicle and one that looks professionally put together. That will draw customers faster than a hacked together piece of ......... If you are intending to do this for a business you need to invest heavily into building quality. Not budget.


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## Grumpy_b (Jan 21, 2017)

Im based in the UK and I hold stocks of new AC50 and Curtis 1238 7501 controllers. I normally have a set on Ebay. I also have most other parts for conversions in stock. I also make adaptor plates and couplings to order to suit peoples conversions. I do have some used AC31/35 and Curtis 6501.
For your conversion I would consider the AC31/35 would be better suited and would drive the Fiat well at a 25 cell (Lifepo4 ) pack. You really dont need a 96v pack, but in my view 72v isnt enough. 
I have been considering doing a Fiat 500 for some time and have just got a bell housing to start designing the adaptor plate and coupling. With the weight of these, I see absolutely no point in having a clutch, in 3rd you will do around 65mph, and frankly I would be happy at that on small rims and tyres.


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## onegreenev (May 18, 2012)

96 volts minimum for ANY street driven electric car. A motorcycle could get away with less like 72 volts. The AC 35 would be good because its weight. You need the voltage for speed. It will have plenty of power. Stick with the AC-35. The AC-31 is not suitable. The AC-31 is more for industrial carts and had been discontinued. Talk to the guys at HPEVS directly first. They will be happy to help you. 

Pete


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## Grumpy_b (Jan 21, 2017)

AC motors dont rely on voltage for speed, unlike DC motors. Yes the highest voltage you can get is better, but in a car as small as the 126, you really dont need 96v. I work on a range of conversions built in 2010 that used the Citroen C1, fixed in 3rd gear with a 25 cell pack, and they will top out at about 65mph with 6500rpm. They have a version of the AC 31 that looks and externally is identical to the AC35, I have some of these and the performance is very similar. These motors are and were designed for street use on smaller vehicles. 
I personally run a smart 451 conversion that was built as a prototype and it used the original ac31 motor with the flat end plates. It will take the smart to 70mph and works fine on 25 cell. The weight is an issue as is space , and getting an extra 7 cells in the car would be a real challenge without imposing on the internals of the car. 
No it wont burn rubber, no it wont sustain 70mph on a motorway, but it doesnt get used in that way, doing daily travel of probably no more than 35miles.
Weight is a real issue on small cars when converting to an EV. Putting heavier springs may help the ride height, but will make the ride bad, they often have small suspension travel, and that makes hard springs difficult to live with. On the 126/500 they have a leaf spring for the front (Like the originalsmart) and options for upgrades are not easy. Bushes are also quire small and so dont take well to heavy usage. 
Building an EV isnt all about speed, but about building a drivable car, that will handle well and gives a level of performance and range that suits your needs. Thats the first thing to consider, what you want from the car.
If cost is an option and new is not demanded the AC31 does offer a good and adequate performance for a vehicle of this size. Yes HPEVS dont make these any more, but the bearings are a std item and the encoder is the same item as the ac35 and 50, so its entirely servicable. Shaft size is the same. But they are lighter and shorter than the AC50.
If you want to have seriously fast performance on a car like the 126, then by all means go for higher voltage, but they are very small , very narrow track and short wheelbase. The suspension isnt designed for high loads, and the tyres (even with bigger rims) arnt going to be big. 
If you want a simple drivable relable vehicle be realistic, dont expect a lot from a car of this size. 
The 500 is even more of a challenge having a more constrictive / smaller body shape making cell placement tighter. 

For me thats the challenge of a car like this.


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## Yabert (Feb 7, 2010)

Grumpy_b said:


> in a car as small as the 126, you really dont need 96v.


I'm with Grumpy on this.
Small and lightweight car can move quite reasonably with only 10-20 Kw of power. So a cheap, easy and secur 72v system can do the job if you don't drive at 80 mph on an USA interstate.
Anyway, generally isn't interesting to drive fast in such a small and old car.

I've done 72v tests with my Smart and it's fully drivable despite his weight of 900 kg.
http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/showthread.php/72v-systems-small-car-68596.html

A 96v system can also be adequate if Jack want to do a professional ($$$$$) conversion.


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