Why Convert A Gas Car To Electric ?
My drive to work was 7 miles one way, my friends all live with-in 30 miles of my home, and my long trips were limited to 3-4 times per year. These long trips could easily be covered by a rental car and save me money in extra insurance costs and payments on a second car.
I opted for something fun to drive and decided on the Porsche 914. The Porsche 914 has been successfully converted by a few other people and I liked the looks of it. It is also a car that there are quite a few of, so finding upgrade parts for the car itself should not be a problem. The car I bought had a blown engine, so I got it for a reasonable price and the body was in very good shape with no dents or rust problems that could cause structural integrity concerns. This is an issue that is very important due to the added weight of the batteries.
Speed won. After all the 914 is a sports car and I wanted to be able to show off what an EV can do and prove that they are NOT golf carts. I wanted to have no trouble with keeping up with traffic on the freeway and the distances I travel around town would not be affected as 90% of my driving is less than 35 miles a day. I also wanted to use readily available, off-the-shelf components and batteries to show the public that EVs are here now and that THEY can own one.
What did this mean? It meant that I would want to use 120volts or more for speed (I decided on 144volts) and that I would have to use something other than 6 volt batteries due to weight concerns. I could squeak by with 120volts and 6volt batteries, but the car would be at or over the designed gross vehicle weight, but at 144volts I could not do this. There is also a space constraint on where you can mount alot of batteries.
After alot of consideration I decided to use a new 8 volt battery that Trojan had just come out with. This battery is a comprimise between the 6 volt and 12 volt batteries. I'm hoping it works for my purposes. The weight will be a little more than using 12 volt batteries and the range would be a little less that using 6 volt batteries. It will be a comprimise.
Actual distances traveled between the two types of packs can vary as they relate to the whole car, not just to the weight of the battery pack. A lighter car will also go further than a heavy car (i.e. a Porche 914 with 10, 12volt batteries will travel the same distance, maybe more than, a Chevy Blazer with 20, 6volt batteries). Weight IS important.
This part is under
construction, just like the car
Please check back in about a month or so when I expect to update this section.
I would like to get involved with racing and showing the car like many other EV drivers do. I also want to use it to educate the public and help promote the EV as a viable means of transportation.
I'll let you know as time goes bye what's up.
Send your comments, suggestions, concerns about this HomePage to me at - tonyc@144volts.com
