97 Ranger EV conversion

[SVO]

WOW


I may have to can my Turbo 4 project and go EV wheeler now!



FANTASTIC BUILD!!!!!





Jeff - :navajo:

 

[bdfrenchy]

From what I have read just last week, You need to have 1 12volt bat. to run your assories. the is an onboard charger that charges it from the larger system. ( lights, wipers, dash, so you still need the puter inside the truck. )

 

[Tbars4]

..I am hoping he will update us again..

 

[BrooklynBay]

I was also looking forward to more posts with pictures.

 

[BrooklynBay]

http://sparkyev.ca/
http://evalbum.com/236.html
http://evalbum.com/070.html
http://evalbum.com/424.html

 

[Jim Martin]

Hello again,

Progress has been slow with the holidays and all. Plus, since this is a project with my Grandson, I try not to do too much without him present. He needs to learn all this mechanical/electrical stuff, not just play computer games.

This is a picture showing how we are going to arrange the motor controller, DC-DC converter, and main contactor. We mounted everything on a wood board first so we could check clearances and size before buying aluminum. There will be finned aluminum heatsinks on the back side.

This a picture of James doing some wiring. In the extreme lower right corner of the picture you can see a portion of the 12V vacuum pump for the power brakes and heater controls.

Also, we were successful in getting the speedometer to work.

Jim

 

[Blacksheep Josh]

This is awesome!!! Definitely subscribing.

Any idea as to the life of it? I know you won't have an accurate guess, but I'm just wondering if you have a ballpark estimate? Like how many hours or miles will it be capable of?

Also, will it just charge off of a home outlet?

 

[Tbars4]

...Thanks for the update..:biggthump

...Can you give us some more info on how you were able to get the speedo to work???..:scratch:

 

[Jim Martin]

The truck will have a battery charger mounted in it. It will run from a normal 110 vac 20 amp outlet.

The range is still in question but our goal is for James to be able to drive to school, drive to work after school and drive home on a single charge. That would be 25-30 miles.

As for the speedometer, it quit working when we removed the engine. The wires from the speed sensor went into the engine/computer harness and disappeared. After purchasing a wiring diagram, I was able to connect the speed sensor wires to the proper wires in the connector, that used to plug into the engine harness, and the speedometer/odometer worked.

Jim

 

[Silver X]

Very cool project. Subscribing to see the final results.

Wonder how bad the range would drop with a 4x4 drivetrain.

 

[Jim Martin]

Here is where we are with the project.


We mounted the electronics on the aluminum plate.

We installed the electronics assembly into the truck.

We started some of the heavy wiring.

We received the 144 volt battery charger. It will be mounted in the truck so that we can recharge anytime 110vac is available.

The twenty four 6 volt batteries were ordered today. When they arrive, we can start installing them. Some (probably 4-6) will go in the engine compartment to replace the weight lost when we removed the gas engine. The rest will go in the bed.

 

[BrooklynBay]

Why did you get 6 volt batteries instead of 12 volt batteries? I think Mercedes or some other manufacturer has 42 volt batteries.

 

[Jim Martin]

I went with 6 volt batteries because I wanted to have well over 200 amp hours and that is easy to get with 6 volt batteries.

 

[V8BoatBuilder]

Very cool project, please keep us updated!

Are you using standard lead-acid batteries, or going more high tech?

On marine applications, 6v batteries have several edges over 12v batteries, because each lead-acid cell produces 2 volts and in a 6v battery, you have much larger individual cells because the battery has 3 cells, not 6. These larger cells are more durable and have higher capacity. They're also easier to isolate should a cell fail.

 

[BrooklynBay]

The problem with using lead acid batteries is that they are not good for deep cycling. You need something like an AGM deep cycle battery such as an Optima yellow or blue top. Lithium Ion technology is good, but it's very expensive.

 

[V8BoatBuilder]

The problem with using lead acid batteries is that they are not good for deep cycling.

Where did you hear this? Lead-Acid batteries have been the industry workhorse and used for deep cycle applications for years, and will be used for years to come. AGM batteries are indeed far superior, but dollar for dollar, nothing beats old school lead-acid in today's market.

 

[BrooklynBay]

Take a regular automotive lead acid battery, and deep cycle it everyday. Compare the life span to one which isn't deep cycled. I guarantee that it won't last as long. Even Optima doesn't recommend using the red top for deep cycling, and it's not a lead acid battery. I don't know the inner specifics between the red, yellow or blue top Optimas, but I know that the company doesn't recommend it.

 

[V8BoatBuilder]

...a regular automotive lead acid battery...

But we're not talking about "starting type" batteries here! :

That's why they make deep-cycle lead acid batteries. Deep Cycle batteries have thicker, heavier duty plates to allow for deep discharge and recharge.

A quick Google search:
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/question219.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_cycle_battery

 

[BrooklynBay]

Now that's a different story. Thanks for clearing this up!

 

[V8BoatBuilder]

No problem... glad we're on the same page.

/Hijack off