EV Digest 6835
Topics covered in this issue include:
1) RE: Car Trailer Rental
by [EMAIL PROTECTED]
2) Re: What is it?
by "David Roden (Akron OH USA)" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
3) RE: Car Trailer Rental
by "Tim Medeck" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
4) Re: ISE and Altair Nano - Li-Ion Packs for Heavy-Duty Vehicles
by Jeff Shanab <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
5) Re: ISE and Altair Nano - Li-Ion Packs for Heavy-Duty Vehicles
by Victor Tikhonov <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
6) Re: Car Trailer Rental
by "Mark K. Mellis" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
7) Re: Car Trailer Rental
by "Ted C." <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
8) Re: Car Trailer Rental
by "Dave Wilker" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
9) Re: Car Trailer Rental
by "Mark K. Mellis" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
10) Re: Car Trailer Rental
by "Ted C." <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
11) Re: Car Trailer Rental
by <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
12) Re: Car Trailer Rental
by [EMAIL PROTECTED]
13) adding a convex solar roof to hybrid cars like the Toyota Prius,
Highlander Hybrid and the Ford Escape Hybrid
by GWMobile <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
14) Re: What is it?
by "Marty Hewes" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
15) Re: Car Trailer Rental
by "Marty Hewes" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
16) RE: Car Trailer Rental
by "David S" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
17) RE: Car Trailer Rental
by Mike Willmon <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
18) Article on local EV conversion
by [EMAIL PROTECTED]
19) Re: Article on local EV conversion
by Ralph Merwin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
20) Re: Article on local EV conversion
by "Zeke Yewdall" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
--- Begin Message ---
>Anybody rented a car trailer to move an EV lately?
It's been a while, but the last time I tried to rent one from U-Haul they took
my reservation but never found a trailer. I think they keep them for people
renting trucks.
Bill
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
On 2 Jun 2007 at 10:57, Don Bowen wrote:
> I am thinking that this may be a fun vehicle to restore.
I hope I won't upset anyone by saying that I don't think it's worth the
trouble.
C-cars and C-vans were some of the crudest vehicles made in the last
quarter of the 20th century. The ride, handling, and braking are
excruciatingly bad (OK, the C-van was a later development and somewhat
larger, so maybe it's merely awful in those matters). They are painfully noisy
and uncomfortable.
Granted, some of the driveability problems can be ameliorated by reworking
the brakes and suspension. However, the handling and ride are never going
to be up to modern standards - you still have a vehicle with solid axles front
and rear. Think about that. How many years has it been since you've seen
any kind of roadgoing passenger vehicle that didn't have independent front
suspension?
There >are< some other vehicles that don't have independent front
suspension, but they're not road vehicles. They're golf cars. And that's what
C-cars and C-vans really are at heart. I can say this with some authority
because I owned a Comuta-Car.
They're not awful as first EVs, if you can get one that doesn't need a lot of
work. But frankly I don't think they're worth putting hundreds of hours into.
However, if this one really strikes your fancy, go for it! With EVs as with
anything else, There's nothing quite like a labor of love. You should be able
to find several people on the EVDL who've lived with them and can offer
suggestions and help.
BTW, Don, pelease configure your email for plain text ONLY, not for
multipart/alternative or html. The list server clips off the markup to keep
bandwidth reasonable. List members with brain damaged email readers
(which list includes some very common ones) won't be able to read your
messages easily.
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
Anybody rented a car trailer to move an EV lately? The prices I'm getting
at the big boys like U-haul, Budget and Penske for one-way rentals are all
close to $1000, and I was hoping for something cheaper.
Thanks.
Bill Dennis
I used a car dolly today to bring my sister's electric Corvair back to my
shop for a Zilla upgrade. 125 miles one way, 65 miles per hour, no problem.
45 dollars rent on the dolly. Uhaul offers one way rental if you're not
doing a round trip.
Tim Medeck
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
I know I have mentioned this before but I thought it was appropriate here.
I drove my EV for the first 8 months of last year, Then I got called to
jury duty and it was cold and the EV couldn't go downtown and back. So
I drove the old gasser.
On the day after the the trial was over (yeah I got picked) about 4 days
later; I was headed to work in the morning and the car started acting
strange. I suddenly realized that you have to put gas in those things!
Luckily I pulled into a gas station and basically coasted to the pump
where it died.
The attendant probably was wondering what I thought was so funny.
So Monday I get my EV working again, I drive it to work this week and
when I got home Friday my gasser was ticketed and my truck was missing.
Even the city wants me to drive the gassers.
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
That what BMS is for - it knows how "bad" cell *will* behave next
time you charge, so takes action far before you reach CC portion
of the profile. So all cells approach this point with about equal
SOC no matter what capacity they are (within reasonable limits of course).
Victor
Marcin Ciosek wrote:
Hym, I have opposite experience with high capacity cells. It's very hard to
produce them equal - after 100cycles or so they can differ even 5-8% in
capacity. It means one or more will reach charging cut-off voltage sooner
than rest, while rest will reach low lever faster (due to less amount of
energy accumulated) during discharging. And every cycle situation will repeat
getting higher difference.
With this situation, when you have all cells connected in series and single
charger you won't reach high enough voltage to switch from CC to Constant
Voltage mode.
Marcin
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
On Jun 2, 2007, at 3:30 PM, Tim Medeck wrote:
Anybody rented a car trailer to move an EV lately? The prices I'm
getting at the big boys like U-haul, Budget and Penske for one-way
rentals are all close to $1000, and I was hoping for something
cheaper.
I used a car dolly today to bring my sister's electric Corvair back
to my shop for a Zilla upgrade. 125 miles one way, 65 miles per
hour, no problem. 45 dollars rent on the dolly. Uhaul offers one
way rental if you're not doing a round trip.
I also used a car dolly to move the Electravan I picked up in
Berkeley recently. My trip was 400 miles one way, and I rented the
dolly from U-Haul. As I recall, it was less than $100 for a two day
rental. They are a little bit picky about the weights of the tow
vehicle and the vehicle being towed. You might want to use the
calculator on the U-Haul web site to see if your towing vehicle is
heavy enough compared to the towed vehicle to qualify for the rental
before you go down to pick up the dolly.
...Mark
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
Funny you asked. Today I went to U-haul to see if I could rent a Tow Dolly
and a truck to pull it. All I need was to take the EV 60 miles north to
Seattle and back again. They told me I could NOT rent a truck & dolly
together if I was going to bring it back to the same location. I could rent
the truck and dolly to go to Seattle only if I'm going to drop it off in
Seattle OR I can find my own truck to use and rent the dolly by it's self. I
was so dismayed by their incomprehensible logic that I never even got to the
prices of it all.
Ted
Olympia, WA
N47 03.442 W122 49.108
"THE Stone Age did not end for lack of stone, and the Oil Age will end long
before the world runs out of oil."
Quotation is from Sheikh Zaki Yamani, a Saudi Arabian who served as his
country's oil minister three decades ago.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bill Dennis" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <ev@listproc.sjsu.edu>
Sent: Saturday, June 02, 2007 12:38 PM
Subject: Car Trailer Rental
Anybody rented a car trailer to move an EV lately? The prices I'm getting
at the big boys like U-haul, Budget and Penske for one-way rentals are all
close to $1000, and I was hoping for something cheaper.
Thanks.
Bill Dennis
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
What they told me when I tried to do that was that towing the dolly empty
tears it up, with all the bouncing.
David C. Wilker Jr.
USAF (RET)
----- Original Message -----
From: "Ted C." <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <ev@listproc.sjsu.edu>
Sent: Saturday, June 02, 2007 7:47 PM
Subject: Re: Car Trailer Rental
Funny you asked. Today I went to U-haul to see if I could rent a Tow Dolly
and a truck to pull it. All I need was to take the EV 60 miles north to
Seattle and back again. They told me I could NOT rent a truck & dolly
together if I was going to bring it back to the same location. I could
rent the truck and dolly to go to Seattle only if I'm going to drop it off
in Seattle OR I can find my own truck to use and rent the dolly by it's
self. I was so dismayed by their incomprehensible logic that I never even
got to the prices of it all.
Ted
Olympia, WA
N47 03.442 W122 49.108
"THE Stone Age did not end for lack of stone, and the Oil Age will end
long before the world runs out of oil."
Quotation is from Sheikh Zaki Yamani, a Saudi Arabian who served as his
country's oil minister three decades ago.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bill Dennis" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <ev@listproc.sjsu.edu>
Sent: Saturday, June 02, 2007 12:38 PM
Subject: Car Trailer Rental
Anybody rented a car trailer to move an EV lately? The prices I'm
getting at the big boys like U-haul, Budget and Penske for one-way
rentals are all close to $1000, and I was hoping for something cheaper.
Thanks.
Bill Dennis
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
On Jun 2, 2007, at 9:12 PM, Dave Wilker wrote:
What they told me when I tried to do that was that towing the dolly
empty tears it up, with all the bouncing.
I pulled the dolly "empty" to Berkeley from LA and loaded on the trip
back. The U-Haul guy knew what I was doing. But I used my own
truck... (It did bounce around a lot on the trip up.)
...Mark
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
I'm trying to take the car both ways for a show up there. So driving it
with no car on it isn't the problem and I did tell the counter clerk that
detail thinking that it maybe something like that. Maybe it just one of
those blanket polices so there is no debating the issue. Besides they would
let me rent the dolly if I had my own truck?!?! So running the dolly empty
can't be the reason. I think I will just check with one of the car rental
places tomorrow. I sure hope they don't have the same policy. If they do
have the same policies I will find out why and report back.
Confused and taken back in Oly.
TED
----- Original Message -----
From: "Dave Wilker" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <ev@listproc.sjsu.edu>
Sent: Saturday, June 02, 2007 9:12 PM
Subject: Re: Car Trailer Rental
What they told me when I tried to do that was that towing the dolly empty
tears it up, with all the bouncing.
David C. Wilker Jr.
USAF (RET)
----- Original Message -----
From: "Ted C." <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <ev@listproc.sjsu.edu>
Sent: Saturday, June 02, 2007 7:47 PM
Subject: Re: Car Trailer Rental
Funny you asked. Today I went to U-haul to see if I could rent a Tow
Dolly and a truck to pull it. All I need was to take the EV 60 miles
north to Seattle and back again. They told me I could NOT rent a truck &
dolly together if I was going to bring it back to the same location. I
could rent the truck and dolly to go to Seattle only if I'm going to drop
it off in Seattle OR I can find my own truck to use and rent the dolly by
it's self. I was so dismayed by their incomprehensible logic that I never
even got to the prices of it all.
Ted
Olympia, WA
N47 03.442 W122 49.108
"THE Stone Age did not end for lack of stone, and the Oil Age will end
long before the world runs out of oil."
Quotation is from Sheikh Zaki Yamani, a Saudi Arabian who served as his
country's oil minister three decades ago.
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
Try a smaller local rental yard and make it a round trip rental. They
usually go by the day not the miles and a smaller yard may be easier to work
with.
John Neiswanger
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bill Dennis" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <ev@listproc.sjsu.edu>
Sent: Saturday, June 02, 2007 11:38 AM
Subject: Car Trailer Rental
Anybody rented a car trailer to move an EV lately? The prices I'm getting
at the big boys like U-haul, Budget and Penske for one-way rentals are all
close to $1000, and I was hoping for something cheaper.
Thanks.
Bill Dennis
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
>(It did bounce around a lot on the trip up.)
Yeah, I've seen empty two wheeled ones out on the interstate. I think they're
airborne half the time!
Bill
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
This is interesting
http://peakenergy.blogspot.com/2007/06/big-daddy-of-hot-rocks.html
And some final posts from TreeHugger, these ones on Using Solar Roofs
To Power Hybrids and New Battery Pushes Prius to 125 MPG (plus the
related Detroit Dead Pool - though Ford and the auto unions are trying
to stay dry).
A company called Solar Electrical Vehicles is specializing in adding a
convex solar roof to hybrid cars like the Toyota Prius, Highlander
Hybrid and the Ford Escape Hybrid. The solar modules are rated at
200-300 watts, and this power is utilized to charge a supplemental
battery. With the solar roof, the Toyota Prius can operate up to 20
miles per day in electric mode thus improving fuel economy by up to 29%
(depending on driving habits and conditions). The system costs
$2000-$4000 and the payback time is said to be 2-3 years.
The higher-capacity batteries will add another 10 miles of gas-free
driving, says Greg Johanson, president of Solar Electrical Systems,
adding that the company is also looking at ways to add the technology to
Toyota Highlanders and electric Teslas.The company is also currently
experimenting with increasing its 212-watt module to a 320-watt module.
“All the technology is there,” Johanson said. “It’s just the
larger manufacturer taking the next step.” For the first 40 miles of a
commute, the cars use batteries rather than gas. Forty miles a day is
equal to 50 cents a gallon off the utility grid.
With gas prices expecting to break $4 a gallon in the near future,
Johanson said they will be gaining in popularity. To date, the company
has manufactured nearly 100 of the kits to individual buyers. “Four
dollars is the break-even point for these kits,” Johanson said.
“Then it pays for itself in two years. That’s where the economics
makes sense for the kits. Do you want to own it or do you want to rent
energy for the next three years?
www.GlobalBoiling.com for daily images about hurricanes, globalwarming
and the melting poles.
www.ElectricQuakes.com daily solar and earthquake images.
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
You see all those Jeep Cherokees running around that people just will not
let go of? They all have solid front and rear axles. I've had two, and I
think discontinuing it was the stupidest thing Daimler Chrysler ever did.
So do many current owners of these Cherokees. The ride may not be state of
the art, but it's not bad enough that we Cherokee fans believe it offsets
the ruggedness and utility value of a solid axle. These solid axle
Cherokees are designed to carry 1000 lb payloads, which is twice what my
independant suspension Bronco II could carry, and they last forever.
By the way, my Range Rover also has a solid front axle. It's by far the
best riding car I've ever owned, and handles amazingly well for it's size.
I don't think I'd call it a golf cart, I believe it is a highly regarded
road going vehicle. Granted the unsprung weight is high, which takes some
designing, and some weight to mask, but the advantage is that camber is very
well controlled on a solid axle, even under heavy load, and it's easy to
make a solid axle carry a lot of weight. The biggest problem with solid
axles is the ratio of sprung to unsprung weight, causing bumps to be
transmitted to the body, and keeping the tires from following the pavement.
Most electrics are carrying enough lead to help keep the ratio in line, so
that shouldn't be a show stopper.
The rest of the Commuta-Car may be nothing more than a tweaked golf cart, I
wouldn't know.
Marty
----- Original Message -----
From: "David Roden (Akron OH USA)" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <ev@listproc.sjsu.edu>
Sent: Saturday, June 02, 2007 3:59 PM
Subject: Re: What is it?
Paragraphs deleted
Granted, some of the driveability problems can be ameliorated by reworking
the brakes and suspension. However, the handling and ride are never
going
to be up to modern standards - you still have a vehicle with solid axles
front
and rear. Think about that. How many years has it been since you've seen
any kind of roadgoing passenger vehicle that didn't have independent front
suspension?
There >are< some other vehicles that don't have independent front
suspension, but they're not road vehicles. They're golf cars. And that's
what
C-cars and C-vans really are at heart. I can say this with some authority
because I owned a Comuta-Car.
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
I tried renting a dolly from Uhaul twice. They have a blanket policy that
they will not rent one if you are towing with an Explorer, period. The
counter people have no idea why. One employee rented it anyway, the next
time they wouldn't.
I found a smaller local rental yard. They were much more accomodating.
Marty
----- Original Message -----
From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <ev@listproc.sjsu.edu>
Sent: Sunday, June 03, 2007 1:22 AM
Subject: Re: Car Trailer Rental
Try a smaller local rental yard and make it a round trip rental. They
usually go by the day not the miles and a smaller yard may be easier to
work with.
John Neiswanger
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bill Dennis" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <ev@listproc.sjsu.edu>
Sent: Saturday, June 02, 2007 11:38 AM
Subject: Car Trailer Rental
Anybody rented a car trailer to move an EV lately? The prices I'm
getting at the big boys like U-haul, Budget and Penske for one-way
rentals are all close to $1000, and I was hoping for something cheaper.
Thanks.
Bill Dennis
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
I checked my local Craig's list and found several trailers and even a tow
dolly for sale. Most of them were under 1,000.
-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On
Behalf Of Marty Hewes
Sent: Sunday, June 03, 2007 9:53 AM
To: ev@listproc.sjsu.edu
Subject: Re: Car Trailer Rental
I tried renting a dolly from Uhaul twice. They have a blanket policy that
they will not rent one if you are towing with an Explorer, period. The
counter people have no idea why. One employee rented it anyway, the next
time they wouldn't.
I found a smaller local rental yard. They were much more accomodating.
Marty
----- Original Message -----
From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <ev@listproc.sjsu.edu>
Sent: Sunday, June 03, 2007 1:22 AM
Subject: Re: Car Trailer Rental
> Try a smaller local rental yard and make it a round trip rental. They
> usually go by the day not the miles and a smaller yard may be easier to
> work with.
>
> John Neiswanger
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Bill Dennis" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> To: <ev@listproc.sjsu.edu>
> Sent: Saturday, June 02, 2007 11:38 AM
> Subject: Car Trailer Rental
>
>
>> Anybody rented a car trailer to move an EV lately? The prices I'm
>> getting at the big boys like U-haul, Budget and Penske for one-way
>> rentals are all close to $1000, and I was hoping for something cheaper.
>> Thanks.
>>
>> Bill Dennis
>>
>
>
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
Here's a good post by Chip Gribben on this subject, but was posted on another
thread
Chip Gribben wrote:
<snip>
I'm renting an equipment trailer from a rental company to haul my
car. It's used to haul Bobcats and backhoes.
They usually rent those trailers out during the week to contractors
so they sit at the rental place over the weekend. Last year they
charged me $68.00 to rent an equipment trailer which is a good
price. But before I could use it I had to repair the ramps so I
could get my car up and I replaced one of the floor boards which was
in bad shape and one floor board was missing. For the ramps I just
bolted a 2 by 10 on top of each ramp so it would be smoother ride
going up. The trailer is a bit big for hauling a Ford Escort and it
had a pintel hitch but it worked out in the end. I'm using my Dad's
diesel Ram truck so it can haul 18,000 pounds easily so the truck can
easily tow the equipment trailer.
The good news is I called them again this year and they remembered me
and said they got in brand new trailers that would hook up great with
the truck. So I'm picking that up tomorrow afternoon.
But an equipment trailer is something to consider. One for a single
Bobcat would work for your car.
U-haul has been a big problem to find trailers. They usually reserve
them for people moving with the U-Haul vans. They seem to avoid
renting them out to people who just want to move a car. That's what I
found when I was renting them a few years ago.
Chip
<snip>
>
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
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* This post contains a forbidden message format *
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--- Begin Message ---
[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
>
>
> -------------------------------1180889612
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"
> Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
> Content-Language: en
>
> =20
> The below was in the local Colorado Springs Sunday paper. It doesn't get=20
> into specifics but at $12K, I'd assume it's an AC system..... =20
> Matt Parkhouse
> Colorado Springs, CO
> BMW m/c-Golf Cart trike - 48 volts, 30mph on the flat, 35 mile range
> 1972 VW Van - to be converted this year!
>
>
> <<<Man converts pickup to electric power
> =20
> Project takes $12,000, 7 months of weekends
>
> _By BILL McKEOWN_ (mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED])=20
> THE GAZETTE
> June 3, 2007 - 6:50AM
>
> The dreamer in Mike Phillips took more than a decade to mull it over.=20
>
> The engineer in Mike Phillips took just seven months to do it. =20
>
> The result: =E2=80=9CSparky,=E2=80=9D an electric-powered pickup, constructe=
> d on the bones=20
> of a dinosaur-sucking 1997 S-10 Chevrolet.=20
>
> The transformation of the ordinary brown truck was spurred, in part, by the=
> =20
> challenge of building his own battery-powered vehicle.=20
>
> =E2=80=9CThere were some nonbelievers who asked me why I was doing this,=
> =E2=80=9D said=20
> Phillips, an electrical engineer with Welkin Sciences. =E2=80=9CBecause I c=
> an. Why climb=20
> Mount Everest? Why do anything?=E2=80=9D=20
>
> His journey into the future began in 1995, when he became intrigued with th=
> e=20
> idea of building his own electric car. He bought a book detailing how to do=
> =20
> it using a small Chevy pickup. But he decided such a vehicle wouldn=E2=80=
> =99t give=20
> him the driving range he needed to get from his then-home in Black Forest t=
> o=20
> his job downtown. =20
>
> Life changes saw him settled in town in 2005 with his second wife, Tina. On=
> e=20
> day the two were moving boxes and they came across his old manual on how
> to=20=
> =20
> convert a truck into an electric vehicle. His wife said she=E2=80=99d always=
> wanted an=20
> electric vehicle, too, and encouraged her husband to give it a try.=20
>
> =E2=80=9CIt had always been in the back of my mind,=E2=80=9D he said. =E2=
> =80=9CWith oil=20
> skyrocketing, I said, =E2=80=98It=E2=80=99s about time.=E2=80=99=E2=80=9D=20
>
> In January 2006, he bought the S-10 for $4,000. In April, Phillips and his=20
> mechanically inclined buddy Dean Gacita pulled the engine and
> transmission=20=
> out=20
> of the truck. Phillips immediately sold the engine, so there was no turning=
> =20
> back.=20
>
> =E2=80=9CCan I really do this?=E2=80=9D Phillips asked himself. =E2=80=9CAn=
> d there was some doubt.=E2=80=9D
> =20
>
> Over the next six months, working most every weekend, Phillips, his wife,=20
> his 16-yearold son Chris and a cast of neighbors, friends and suppliers bui=
> lt a=20
> vehicle Detroit tried briefly to do and then crushed.=20
>
> Jeff Goodwin and his crew at Bud=E2=80=99s Muffler installed extra leaf spr=
> ings in=20
> the rear to handle 1,300 pounds of batteries. Goodwin and his team also=20
> donated their time to pull the pickup bed off and construct bar-steel boxes=
> to hold=20
> 16 of the 20 deep-cycle, six-volt batteries that give the truck its juice.=20
>
> They also installed a simple lift system for the bed so Phillips could get=20
> to his bank of batteries. =20
>
> Then, into an engine bay stripped of most of its components went the =20
> 150-pound, 75-horsepower electric motor, of the type that powers
> forklifts.=20=
> The =20
> motor was mated to the original five-speed transmission by a special
> plate,=20=
> and =20
> the clutch and pedal were removed since they are not needed in an electric =20
> vehicle. The original wiring harness was yanked out, since none of the senso=
> rs =20
> for the internal combustion engine were needed.=20
>
> Then came the electrical stuff: tying the batteries together with=20
> finger-thick cables and building a bright-yellow control board under the ho=
> od.=20
>
> On the board is a controller that takes the 120 volts produced by the=20
> batteries and controls the motor. Phillips also had to install a vacuum pum=
> p to run=20
> the brake booster system and figure out a heater system since no coolant=20
> flows in the truck anymore. =20
>
> There were glitches and technical hurdles to overcome. But by November 2006=
> ,=20
> Phillips was ready to take his baby for a test ride. And it was good. Not =20
> quick, but good.=20
>
> The final touch was a coat of electric-blue paint, done by Maaco at a=20
> discount because the painters were intrigued.=20
>
> Phillips knew the truck would have a limited range. He=E2=80=99s only drive=
> n it 38=20
> miles before a recharge, but it=E2=80=99s designed to have a 60-mile range.=
> =20
>
> What he wasn=E2=80=99t quite prepared for was hills. He said because of the=
> gearing=20
> in the transmission, the truck struggles to do much more than 30 mph up the=
> =20
> hilly streets leading to his home.=20
>
> But that=E2=80=99s OK, he said. He=E2=80=99s in no hurry; he stays in the s=
> low lane and=20
> folks seem to give him the space he needs once they read the signs on Spark=
> y=20
> saying =E2=80=9C100% Electric Vehicle.=E2=80=9D=20
>
> =E2=80=9CI see people in the rearview mirror getting in the other lane, but=
> no one=E2=80=99
> s flipped me off yet,=E2=80=9D he said.=20
>
> But on a flat road, Sparky can move. Phillips has hit 60 mph on Powers=20
> Boulevard.=20
>
> =E2=80=9CThere=E2=80=99s nothing more satisfying than driving something you=
> =E2=80=99ve built,=E2=80=9D he=20
> said. =E2=80=9CI understand car guys now.=E2=80=9D=20
> All told, the conversion =E2=80=94 not counting his time =E2=80=94 cost $12=
> ,000.=20
>
> Figuring in the $1,800 he spent for the batteries and the kilowatts used=20
> during the six hours needed to recharge the truck, Phillips reckons his cos=
> t per=20
> mile is 12 cents. His other car is a Chevy Blazer, and the cost to drive=20
> that beast is 20 cents a mile.=20
>
> There=E2=80=99s also an attractive side benefit: He will, over several year=
> s, be=20
> able to deduct 85 percent of the $12,000 he spent from his state income tax=
> .=20
> Still, he said, Sparky isn=E2=80=99t for everyone.=20
>
> =E2=80=9CIt=E2=80=99s definitely a second car,=E2=80=9D he said. =E2=80=9CI=
> have to think about where I=E2=80=99m=20
> going. I can=E2=80=99t just jump in and run a bunch of errands.=20
>
> =E2=80=9CBut this is a good, dependable vehicle for someone commuting in th=
> e 10- to=20
> 15-mile range. It was an intellectual exercise. I=E2=80=99ve reduced my dep=
> endency on=20
> foreign oil, and I=E2=80=99ve helped the environment a bit.=E2=80=9D=20
>
> He also gained something in the project that can=E2=80=99t be put into doll=
> ars and=20
> cents, kilowatts or miles per gallon =E2=80=94 the admiration of his wife:=20
>
> =E2=80=9CHe is not a guy to blow his own horn,=E2=80=9D Tina Phillips
> said=20=
> of her husband. =E2=80=9C
> But I think what he has done is remarkable. . . . I=E2=80=99m so proud of h=
> im.=E2=80=9D=20
> Is that electricity in the air?=20
>
> FROM GAS TO ELECTRIC: THE DETAILS=20
>
> Mike Phillips has constructed a Web site that details how he converted his=20
> Chevy S-10 pickup into an electric vehicle. The site also lists resources a=
> nd=20
> suppliers of equipment. www.sparky-ev.com=20
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com=
> .
>
> -------------------------------1180889612
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
> Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
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>
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
If you visit his website
www.sparky-ev.com
it has all the details. Advanced DC 9", Curtiss 1231C, 120 volt
system. Looks like the standard electric pickup truck conversion.
Z
On 6/3/07, Ralph Merwin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
>
>
> -------------------------------1180889612
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"
> Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
> Content-Language: en
>
> =20
> The below was in the local Colorado Springs Sunday paper. It doesn't get=20
> into specifics but at $12K, I'd assume it's an AC system..... =20
> Matt Parkhouse
> Colorado Springs, CO
> BMW m/c-Golf Cart trike - 48 volts, 30mph on the flat, 35 mile range
> 1972 VW Van - to be converted this year!
>
>
> <<<Man converts pickup to electric power
> =20
> Project takes $12,000, 7 months of weekends
>
> _By BILL McKEOWN_ (mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED])=20
> THE GAZETTE
> June 3, 2007 - 6:50AM
>
> The dreamer in Mike Phillips took more than a decade to mull it over.=20
>
> The engineer in Mike Phillips took just seven months to do it. =20
>
> The result: =E2=80=9CSparky,=E2=80=9D an electric-powered pickup, constructe=
> d on the bones=20
> of a dinosaur-sucking 1997 S-10 Chevrolet.=20
>
> The transformation of the ordinary brown truck was spurred, in part, by the=
> =20
> challenge of building his own battery-powered vehicle.=20
>
> =E2=80=9CThere were some nonbelievers who asked me why I was doing this,=
> =E2=80=9D said=20
> Phillips, an electrical engineer with Welkin Sciences. =E2=80=9CBecause I c=
> an. Why climb=20
> Mount Everest? Why do anything?=E2=80=9D=20
>
> His journey into the future began in 1995, when he became intrigued with th=
> e=20
> idea of building his own electric car. He bought a book detailing how to do=
> =20
> it using a small Chevy pickup. But he decided such a vehicle wouldn=E2=80=
> =99t give=20
> him the driving range he needed to get from his then-home in Black Forest t=
> o=20
> his job downtown. =20
>
> Life changes saw him settled in town in 2005 with his second wife, Tina. On=
> e=20
> day the two were moving boxes and they came across his old manual on how
to=20=
> =20
> convert a truck into an electric vehicle. His wife said she=E2=80=99d always=
> wanted an=20
> electric vehicle, too, and encouraged her husband to give it a try.=20
>
> =E2=80=9CIt had always been in the back of my mind,=E2=80=9D he said. =E2=
> =80=9CWith oil=20
> skyrocketing, I said, =E2=80=98It=E2=80=99s about time.=E2=80=99=E2=80=9D=20
>
> In January 2006, he bought the S-10 for $4,000. In April, Phillips and his=20
> mechanically inclined buddy Dean Gacita pulled the engine and
transmission=20=
> out=20
> of the truck. Phillips immediately sold the engine, so there was no turning=
> =20
> back.=20
>
> =E2=80=9CCan I really do this?=E2=80=9D Phillips asked himself. =E2=80=9CAn=
> d there was some doubt.=E2=80=9D
> =20
>
> Over the next six months, working most every weekend, Phillips, his wife,=20
> his 16-yearold son Chris and a cast of neighbors, friends and suppliers bui=
> lt a=20
> vehicle Detroit tried briefly to do and then crushed.=20
>
> Jeff Goodwin and his crew at Bud=E2=80=99s Muffler installed extra leaf spr=
> ings in=20
> the rear to handle 1,300 pounds of batteries. Goodwin and his team also=20
> donated their time to pull the pickup bed off and construct bar-steel boxes=
> to hold=20
> 16 of the 20 deep-cycle, six-volt batteries that give the truck its juice.=20
>
> They also installed a simple lift system for the bed so Phillips could get=20
> to his bank of batteries. =20
>
> Then, into an engine bay stripped of most of its components went the =20
> 150-pound, 75-horsepower electric motor, of the type that powers
forklifts.=20=
> The =20
> motor was mated to the original five-speed transmission by a special
plate,=20=
> and =20
> the clutch and pedal were removed since they are not needed in an electric =20
> vehicle. The original wiring harness was yanked out, since none of the senso=
> rs =20
> for the internal combustion engine were needed.=20
>
> Then came the electrical stuff: tying the batteries together with=20
> finger-thick cables and building a bright-yellow control board under the ho=
> od.=20
>
> On the board is a controller that takes the 120 volts produced by the=20
> batteries and controls the motor. Phillips also had to install a vacuum pum=
> p to run=20
> the brake booster system and figure out a heater system since no coolant=20
> flows in the truck anymore. =20
>
> There were glitches and technical hurdles to overcome. But by November 2006=
> ,=20
> Phillips was ready to take his baby for a test ride. And it was good. Not =20
> quick, but good.=20
>
> The final touch was a coat of electric-blue paint, done by Maaco at a=20
> discount because the painters were intrigued.=20
>
> Phillips knew the truck would have a limited range. He=E2=80=99s only drive=
> n it 38=20
> miles before a recharge, but it=E2=80=99s designed to have a 60-mile range.=
> =20
>
> What he wasn=E2=80=99t quite prepared for was hills. He said because of the=
> gearing=20
> in the transmission, the truck struggles to do much more than 30 mph up the=
> =20
> hilly streets leading to his home.=20
>
> But that=E2=80=99s OK, he said. He=E2=80=99s in no hurry; he stays in the s=
> low lane and=20
> folks seem to give him the space he needs once they read the signs on Spark=
> y=20
> saying =E2=80=9C100% Electric Vehicle.=E2=80=9D=20
>
> =E2=80=9CI see people in the rearview mirror getting in the other lane, but=
> no one=E2=80=99
> s flipped me off yet,=E2=80=9D he said.=20
>
> But on a flat road, Sparky can move. Phillips has hit 60 mph on Powers=20
> Boulevard.=20
>
> =E2=80=9CThere=E2=80=99s nothing more satisfying than driving something you=
> =E2=80=99ve built,=E2=80=9D he=20
> said. =E2=80=9CI understand car guys now.=E2=80=9D=20
> All told, the conversion =E2=80=94 not counting his time =E2=80=94 cost $12=
> ,000.=20
>
> Figuring in the $1,800 he spent for the batteries and the kilowatts used=20
> during the six hours needed to recharge the truck, Phillips reckons his cos=
> t per=20
> mile is 12 cents. His other car is a Chevy Blazer, and the cost to drive=20
> that beast is 20 cents a mile.=20
>
> There=E2=80=99s also an attractive side benefit: He will, over several year=
> s, be=20
> able to deduct 85 percent of the $12,000 he spent from his state income tax=
> .=20
> Still, he said, Sparky isn=E2=80=99t for everyone.=20
>
> =E2=80=9CIt=E2=80=99s definitely a second car,=E2=80=9D he said. =E2=80=9CI=
> have to think about where I=E2=80=99m=20
> going. I can=E2=80=99t just jump in and run a bunch of errands.=20
>
> =E2=80=9CBut this is a good, dependable vehicle for someone commuting in th=
> e 10- to=20
> 15-mile range. It was an intellectual exercise. I=E2=80=99ve reduced my dep=
> endency on=20
> foreign oil, and I=E2=80=99ve helped the environment a bit.=E2=80=9D=20
>
> He also gained something in the project that can=E2=80=99t be put into doll=
> ars and=20
> cents, kilowatts or miles per gallon =E2=80=94 the admiration of his wife:=20
>
> =E2=80=9CHe is not a guy to blow his own horn,=E2=80=9D Tina Phillips
said=20=
> of her husband. =E2=80=9C
> But I think what he has done is remarkable. . . . I=E2=80=99m so proud of h=
> im.=E2=80=9D=20
> Is that electricity in the air?=20
>
> FROM GAS TO ELECTRIC: THE DETAILS=20
>
> Mike Phillips has constructed a Web site that details how he converted his=20
> Chevy S-10 pickup into an electric vehicle. The site also lists resources a=
> nd=20
> suppliers of equipment. www.sparky-ev.com=20
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com=
> .
>
> -------------------------------1180889612
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
> Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
>
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> * Lists at sjsu.edu only accept PLAIN TEXT *
> * If your postings display this message your mail program *
> * is not set to send PLAIN TEXT ONLY and needs adjusting *
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> -------------------------------1180889612--
>
--- End Message ---
