Oooh! I have put some choice comments on this article - and the predominantly anti-EV comments that follow! MW
On 11 May 2013, at 15:08, brucedp5 wrote: > > http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/green-motoring/9997563/Convert-your-classic-car-to-battery-power.html > [images] Convert your classic car to battery power > by Rod Ker 16 Apr 2013 > > [images > http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02537/Electric-Herald-bo_2537577a.jpg > No more polluting old petrol engine, this Herald convertible now sports > clean electric propulsion > > http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02537/Electric-Herald-fr_2537579a.jpg > > http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02537/Electric-Herald-mo_2537582a.jpg > > http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02537/Electric-Herald-ba_2537574a.jpg > > http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02537/Electric-Herald-ac_2537575a.jpg > ] > > Classic cars are great to look at but not exactly clean. Now you can have > classic motoring and retain your green credentials. > > No more polluting old petrol engine, this Herald convertible now sports > clean electric propulsion > > Embarrassed about your old car's bad breath and environmental > unfriendliness? Worry no more, because the electric classic has arrived. > Welsh wizards, Dragon EV, have been converting vehicles of all shapes and > sizes to battery power for many years, the latest project being an > unsuspecting 1963 Triumph Herald convertible. After half a century of > propulsion by an internal combustion engine, a squeaky clean 25kW electric > motor now provides the motive force. > > From the outside the only indications that something radical is afoot are > the absence of an exhaust pipe and a slightly lower ride height. Although > removing the original all-iron four-cylinder engine and its attendant > cooling system obviously saves a good deal of weight, the loss is more than > offset by the addition of the necessary batteries. In this case they're of > the lead-acid type, similar in essence to the one that used to start the > Triumph's old 1,147cc engine. Six go into a rack under the bonnet, six more > in the boot, so the rear end has an additional burden equating to a couple > of diet-fearing passengers. > > Further compromising luggage space, the boot still contains a petrol tank. > No, it's not a hybrid. Fossil fuel is only used to heat and demist the > interior. One of the ironies of EVs is that air-conditioning, power steering > and other creature comforts can use an alarming amount of power, perhaps 20 > per cent of that used to provide movement. Not so much a problem in sunny > California, but keeping the interior of a car warm in typical British > weather using electricity would devote precious Watts to a task formerly > carried out for free by heat produced as a waste product of internal > combustion. > > Every Dragon conversion has to be tailored to its intended use. In this > instance the 25kW motor is housed in the space normally occupied by the > gearbox, driving the rear wheels directly, with reverse and regenerative > braking taken car of by the electronic control system living under the > bonnet. Comparisons with petrol engines are odorous or odious, but in this > trim performance is better than standard, probably about the same as the > later 1.3-litre Herald, which was credited with 60bhp. Mild tweaking and a > set of lithium batteries would give 200bhp-plus and a turn of speed to > embarrass any hot hatch. > > Inevitably, the pay-off would be a drastic reduction in range. Driven in > 1963 Herald mode, the current set-up gives up to 50 miles between charges, > which will cost about £1 at off-peak rates. A very cheap way to travel – and > an uncannily silent one, a point brought home by stepping straight from my > own standard Herald into the electric upstart. No wheezing and rattling; > just a whirr and a feeling of being launched forward by a giant rubber band. > > Although you have to understand that clunking and clattering noises are part > of the reason why people such as myself like old cars, it's all good news so > far. However, as always with EVs, the big picture is clouded. First, the > "zero emissions" tag only applies once the batteries have been charged. > Arriving at that stage will probably involve burning fossil fuel in a power > station, so effectively you're driving a car with a very long exhaust pipe. > > Calculating the true "greenness" of different types of vehicles is always > tricky. Electric motors are far more efficient than petrol engines, true, > but devotees often underestimate the "whole life cost" of energy use and > pollution caused during manufacture. The most unmentionable subject of all > is the need for regular battery replacement at great expense (£2,500 for > lead-acid, £12,500 for lithium-ion), multiplying the basic running cost of a > couple of pence per mile. And what happens to dead batteries? Old-tech > lead-acid ones are eminently recyclable, but lithium-ion ones aren't, or at > least won't be until the world starts to run out of all the basic raw > materials they contain. > > Electric vehicles, classic or otherwise, are an admirable idea, but it's > hard not to think we're still waiting for the "wonder battery" promised by > Edison more than a century ago, when internal combustion engines first > became a practical alternative. > > THE FACTS > Dragon Electric Herald > > Netgain 25kW continuously rated motor, capable of 300kW peak power (about > 400bhp) > > Top speed: 75mph > Maximum range: 50 miles (up to 150 miles with lithium-ion batteries) > Clutch: none – direct drive to propshaft > Gearbox: none – sufficient torque from electric motor. Reverse provided by > changing polarity > > Ignition: none – just an on/off switch, press the pedal and go > Power output: 60bhp (capable of upgrade to over 200bhp) > Torque: 150lb ft approx > Battery voltage: 72v > Battery capacity: 15kWh > Controller output: 600A maximum > [© 2013 Telegraph Media Group] > > > > > For all EVLN posts use: > http://electric-vehicle-discussion-list.413529.n4.nabble.com/template/NamlServlet.jtp?macro=search_page&node=413529&query=evln&sort=date > > Here are today's archive-only EV posts: > > EVLN: ZeitEco Electric Is A Swiss Army Knife On Wheels > EVLN: CO Gov Hickenlooper signs SB13-126 permiting l1&l2 EVSE installs > EVLN: LEAF EV Norway’s second best selling car (video) > EVLN: Pikes Peak Return For Upgraded TMG EV P002 racer > + > EVLN: Mccc Students Build Electric Racer (video) > > > {brucedp.150m.com} > > > > -- > View this message in context: > http://electric-vehicle-discussion-list.413529.n4.nabble.com/EVLN-Convert-your-classic-car-to-battery-power-tp4662963.html > Sent from the Electric Vehicle Discussion List mailing list archive at > Nabble.com. > _______________________________________________ > UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.evdl.org/help/index.html#usub > http://lists.evdl.org/listinfo.cgi/ev-evdl.org > For EV drag racing discussion, please use NEDRA > (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NEDRA) > _______________________________________________ UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.evdl.org/help/index.html#usub http://lists.evdl.org/listinfo.cgi/ev-evdl.org For EV drag racing discussion, please use NEDRA (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NEDRA)
