# Planning a Nissan Altima conversion ? good idea?



## Manntis (May 22, 2008)

*Re: Planning a Nissan Altima conversion – good idea?*

drive your power steering and brake vacuum pumps with a separate electric motor so they can pump as long as the ignition is on, independent of vehicle speed

Beef up both front and rear suspensions, and try to design your battery layout so there's little difference in the temperature and humidity experienced with each pack component, and that the batteries are kept as low and close to the axis of polar inertia as possible.


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## Rook (Jun 5, 2008)

*Re: Planning a Nissan Altima conversion – good idea?*

Is there such a thing as an electric power steering pump or does everyone have to engineer their own? 

I am concerned about range. Looking around EV Album, not many conversion claim 60 miles on a charge. In fact, range is the most unnerving thing about doing a conversion. I’ve studied enough to know that I can replace an ICE engine and make an EV work, but predicting the range seems to be black magic.

*Larry *
Titusville, FL


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## TheSGC (Nov 15, 2007)

*Re: Planning a Nissan Altima conversion – good idea?*



Rook said:


> Is there such a thing as an electric power steering pump or does everyone have to engineer their own?
> 
> I am concerned about range. Looking around EV Album, not many conversion claim 60 miles on a charge. In fact, range is the most unnerving thing about doing a conversion. I’ve studied enough to know that I can replace an ICE engine and make an EV work, but predicting the range seems to be black magic.
> 
> ...


The Toyota Prius and the Toyota MR2 use electic power steering pumps and there are kits for EVs that use 12 volt pumps for the power steering and power brakes.

As for range estimation, the EV Calculator is a good baseline assuming you know the specs of you vehicle. http://www.evconvert.com/tools/evcalc/


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## ga2500ev (Apr 20, 2008)

*Re: Planning a Nissan Altima conversion – good idea?*

The biggest problem seems to be weight. A quick google shows that the car has a curb weight of nearly 3000 lbs. That's a whole lot of load to be carrying. Coupled with 24 6V batteries (between 1500 and 1600 lbs) you're going to have a real lead sled there.

It may be workable for a shorter haul. But 60 miles with that much starting weight and that many batteries is going to be tough.

ga2500ev


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## Qer (May 7, 2008)

*Re: Planning a Nissan Altima conversion – good idea?*



Rook said:


> Is there such a thing as an electric power steering pump or does everyone have to engineer their own?


There's fabricated third part pumps, for example:

http://www.canev.com/KitsComp/Components/PowerSteeringKit.html


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## Rook (Jun 5, 2008)

*Re: Planning a Nissan Altima conversion – good idea?*

My real concern is range more than power steering. I don't want to spend that much time and money to end up with a car that can only be driven for fun on the weekends. I have to remind myself that the temptation of a free donor car isn't worth the price of having an EV that won't perform.

*Larry*


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## joseph3354 (Apr 2, 2008)

*Re: Planning a Nissan Altima conversion – good idea?*

any chance that you could charge up at work?that would help extend your range.passing up a free donor is a hard thing to do.


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## Rook (Jun 5, 2008)

*Re: Planning a Nissan Altima conversion – good idea?*

I work in a government facility and they are funny about things like people using their electric for non-government purposes. Besides, if my EV took 8 hours to charge that would mean I'd have to work a full day every day. Not like a coworker in a former job who claimed that he had to leave early every day because his headlights didn't work, and that was in his first week on the job! Needless to say, he didn't last long.
* 
Larry
*


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## michaeljayclark (Apr 3, 2008)

*Re: Planning a Nissan Altima conversion – good idea?*

there is a saturn conversion in fort pierce that steve of grassrootsev.com did. That car was a bit heavy and probably maxed out at 50 miles. They also did a F-150 and got 40 miles BUT it took 39 batteries!!


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## Rook (Jun 5, 2008)

*Re: Planning a Nissan Altima conversion – good idea?*

Thanks Michael. I'm going on vacation for a week. When I get back I think I'll start scanning Craig's List for a Honda Civic or CRX. I looked at a Honda Civic before my friend made this offer, but that car was kind of beat. I was afraid I'd spend more time fixing the non-EV parts than doing the fun stuff. It just makes sense to me that if I start with junk I'll end up with electric junk.


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## michaeljayclark (Apr 3, 2008)

*Re: Planning a Nissan Altima conversion – good idea?*

unless you restore the car it will look like junk. restoration adds to time and cost.

here's a nissan altima off of evalbum.com

http://evalbum.com/1441


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## Rook (Jun 5, 2008)

*Re: Planning a Nissan Altima conversion – good idea?*

I sent my friend that link from EV album to prove to him that an Altima could be converted. That conversion is interesting because he used 12 12V batteries and claimes a range of 30 miles. He also kept the back seat. It still makes me wonder if I were to use 24 batteries (and dump the back seat, etc.) how much would the range increase?


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## michaeljayclark (Apr 3, 2008)

*Re: Planning a Nissan Altima conversion – good idea?*

you can add more batteries for longer range but it will get to the point that the extra weight will start to detract from the range.

www.grassrootsev.com built a mazda pickup that was loaded with batteries and went 100 miles at 45 mph. that truck was rear ended by a semi on the highway recently , not a huge hit but enough to bend the frame. sadly, he didnt have the competition this year.

it didnt catch fire so thats a plus to EVs. anyone who thinks an EV will catch fire with all the batteries was proven wrong.

*In 2005 On a nice sunny day in May, Steve Clunn, Drove 110 miles from Ft Pierce (elevation 5 ft.) to Okeechobee(elevation 29 ft) and back, then back to Ft Pierce and then back to Okeechobee, he drove up hill twice. In a 1987 Mazda B2000 Pickup with a NetGain 9 inch motor and a Z1K-LV Zilla Controller , 25 deep cycle 6 volt golf cart batteries with an extra pack of 25 in the bed. He averaged about 45 mph with a top speed of about 50. The trip used 180 amp hours, about $2 worth of electricity. 
Steve is the President of Grassroots Electric Vehicles the founder of the 100 mile on a charge club.

*If you took out the back seat and just had a two seater then I could see it done, but not with 50 batteries. You could put about 30 and get 70 miles I bet. It would also be better to have all the weight near the center of the body, you would just need to strengthen the unibody and suspension for all the extra weight. they do that to convertibles because the roof supported the unibody and when its gone the car would fold in half.


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