Matt's EV Project
Latest status:
The car works wonderfully!
I've put about 1500 miles on it since the conversion. I've really had no difficulties with it. It cost about 3 cents/mile to drive, (about 10X cheaper than gas).
Registering the car was no problem. Insurance would only cover liability unless I get an appraisal done (and we all know I'm too lazy to do that).
Just recently, I got the heater installed, it works great. It's 90 degrees outside, but I've got heat in case I need it ;)
The only thing that's a pain is that I have to add water to the deep cycle batteries every month. The biggest problem is that I didn't design the battery layout to accommodate this. I have to remove the grill to get to the front batteries. It only takes a few minutes, but it's a pain none the less.
My advice to anyone who wants to convert a car is to just do it. It's easier than you think! It also cost a minimum of $6,000 for the parts, so keep that in mind. The kits you may see for $2500 or so are incomplete, underpowered, or both. Don't spend thousands on an end product you won't like. I spent a little extra to get top of the line, new components. And now, I'm loving it!
Specs:
The finished product
The 'Donor Chassis' 1989 VW Jetta The remnants of a blown motor
After removal of the motor Here's what I took out.
The Motor in its shipping crate The Transmission while designing the adaptor plate
The adaptor plate before being cut The adaptor plate mounted on the motor
Motor and transmission being installed
Motor and transmission installed Layout of the control board.
Control Board Bottom side of control board showing
Curtis controller. Vacuum pump on left side.
Backing down the drive for the first test Driving away! (Notice the neighbor clapping in the background).
Batteries in front Batteries in back