| Me |
John Santini, Electrical Engineer |
| Location |
Columbia, NJ |
| Vehicle |
1988 Pontiac Fiero. OK, so there's not much left from the 1988 Fiero — This is a ground-up EV project which will eventually become a plug-in hybrid. The concept is essentially the same as the Chevy Volt. However, I decided I MUST use lithium Ion batteries. I'm also focusing on low weight and high efficiency to minimize the size of the required battery. Three wheeler (single rear wheel with tandem rear tires). Conventional dual A-Arm suspension in front with rack and pinion steering. Air bag springs up front, coil spring in rear. |
| Motor |
ABM 3-Phase AC |
| Drivetrain |
Custom single speed direct drive with a Gearbelt and 6:1 ratio. Solid rear axle with tandem rear wheels on a trailing arm. |
| Controller |
Curtis 1238. 3 phase AC Motor Controller. Best in the business, IMHO. |
| Batteries |
30 cell lithium ion pack. 100V, 200AH, LFP-200 made by Thundersky (20KWH) |
| System Voltage |
100 Volts |
| Charger |
MER43-N54D01. These are telecom/industrial chargers made by TDI. Lightweight and high efficiency. 110 or 220VAC input, 54V/80A (2, one on each half of the pack) |
| Heating System |
Pair of hair dryers, switchable series-parallel for hi/lo power. |
| Instrumentation |
Digital panel meters for volts and amps. Rest is TBD |
| Top Speed |
68 MPH (109 KPH). Geared and plenty of power for a top end of 68MPH. |
| Acceleration |
0-60MPH in 12 seconds |
| Range |
90 Miles and full performance as a pure electric. Final vehicle will have small gas engine and 2 modified car alternators to generate a continuous 15KW. |
| Power Consumption |
280 Wh/Mile. This is based on simulations and crude road tests. I've verified calculations on past projects. Planning to find a good place to road test and get accurate actual numbers. |
| Odometer |
4,130 as of July 2011 |
| Seating Capacity |
2 |
| Curb Weight |
2,050 Pounds |
| Tires |
General Altimax 185/65R14 |
| Conversion Time |
3 years (includes many distractions) |
| Dimensions |
186" long x 70" wide x 48.5" high |
| Additional Features |
The motor controller has regenerative braking which works extremely well. The regen braking is set moderatly aggresive so that I can drive the car to work without ever using the foot brakes. The next step is a lightweight motor/generator to enable unlimited cruising on gas. |
