These EV's produce by Bob Aronson actually cost more than he sold them for. For example, the Transformer I that I purchase from him and still driving today, cost him $43,500.00 which was assembly by the Creative Industrial Company in Detroit.
The drive motor which is a GE 11 inch motor that has communtator poles which was built by GE to his specifications which has a built in adapter plate and standard engine mounts that bolted to the side of this motor. It can bolt up to any transmission that bolted up to a V-6 or V-8 engine cost him $6000.00. Bob also design circuit modifications for the Cable Form motor controllers to on a higher voltage than 144 voltage use at that time. The controller cost was about $6000.00. This does not include the accelerator control which is something else. It can be program for mild, normal and violent acceleration. The main contactor can be either set to be continuous on or cycle on or off. The 300 AH lead acid cells cost about $30.00 a cell or $2700.00 for 90 cells. These cells where in a epoxy coated 1/4 thick wall aluminum battery boxes which Bob told me to replace with the fiber glass ones they were making now. Even though they were in perfect condition, it was found there was too much capacitance reaction between the battery cells and the aluminum case which was grounded to the EV frame. The on board battery charger was custom made in Michigan which is a SCR battery charger using 6 of these diodes rated at 50 amps at any voltage of 120, 208, 240 and 277 volts. The current can be control from any voltage from 0 to 50 amps. Can be either constant current or can be switch to a regulator circuit, so it will shut down after a full charge. Has a on board 60 amp circuit breaker and uses a 60 amp circuit breaker in the house panel. Have no ideal what this charger cost, but the outboard charger that is as a large as a gasoline station pump with Size 4 AC contactors and a 900 amp 3 phase full wave scr bridge cost $5000.00. Bob Aronson pick me up at the airport which is about 30 miles from his building. Drove back at 75 mph and we charge the battery pack with the outboard charger starting at 200 amps and it quickly drop to 150 amps in about 10 seconds and about 30 minutes we had about 85% SOC. Then finally the DC-DC convertor was a Honey Well motor generator that had the main battery run the motor and the generator produce 14.5 vdc to charge a deep cycle 12 volt battery and provide the EV 12 volt system. This motor generator had double shafts coming out it, which also ran the power steering pump, vacuum pump and water pump for the hot water heating. The vehicle was modified where the differential was change to a heavy duty type with a larger diameter axles with large 3 inch bearings with inner and outer bearing surfaces. The frame was reinforce with a series of cross members. The motor and transmission are bolted to cross members that can be unbolted and the whole works can be drop straight down with no problems which allows for a second setup to be install as quick. Did not paid what Bob had in it. Only $7500.00 after they drove it for 1056 miles in 24 hours to prove that a EV can be driven about 1000 miles in 24 hours. Roland ----- Original Message ----- From: "EVDL Administrator" <[email protected]> To: "Electric Vehicle Discussion List" <[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, January 17, 2013 11:16 AM Subject: Re: [EVDL] Stanford researchers develop sulfur cathode,giving Li-Ion 5 times higher energy density On 16 Jan 2013 at 19:54, Jukka Järvinen wrote: > soon. ;) Wait, I've seen that word somewhere before. Oh yeah, now I remember. "When can you buy a Voltair? Soon. [Robert] Aronson plans to make 300 EFP Electrics by June; they'll sell for $10,000. The Voltair will come after that." -- Joseph Zmuda, Popular Science, February 1971 Bob Aronson was the man behind the Mars Electrics (Renault-based lead sleds). The EFP Electric was a converted AMC Hornet. As for the price, $10,000 was a pretty substantial chunk of change 40+ years ago. A 1971 Corvette sold for $5,496. Aronson got PS to do an article on his Voltair, based entirely on a clay model of the car. The Voltair was actually a nice-looking idea - a swoopy EV coupe. It was supposed to deliver a 20 minute recharge, 300 miles of range, and 90 mph top speed. It was to be fitted with tri-polar lead cobalt batteries and a fuel cell range extender. The quotation above notwithstanding, it never got beyond the clay model stage. Nor has the Silver Volt, which he still advertises, ever been produced in serious quantities. The Silver Volt was based on thinly disguised GM gliders. He built 14 of them in 1980. Last I heard, he still had 5 in his warehouse. I'm sure he'd be glad to sell you one, if you you really want a 30+ year old converted Chevy Malibu and you cross his palm with silver. BTW, if the Voltair's features - fast-charging "tri-polar" batteries and fuel cell range extenders - sound familiar, it's because Aronson is still talking about them over 40 years later. Aronson is one of the venerables in the EV world. But for all his dreams, from what I can tell, the Mars Electrics - sold to utility companies - are as close as he's ever gotten to a real commercial product. Pity. David Roden - Akron, Ohio, USA EVDL Administrator = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = EVDL Information: http://www.evdl.org/help/ = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Note: mail sent to "evpost" and "etpost" addresses will not reach me. 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