Ugh. didn't mean to hit the send button...
Nice little vehicle.
1) Not aerodynamic, but fairly light weight at 1600lbs (less without
the ICE), would this be a good car to convert?
A guy I know here used to have a newer version of
that converted to electric. I think it would be a great conversion if
it's reasonably mechanically sound.
2) The ECVT transmission is failing, so the thought is to do a
transmissionless conversion - I've read that this is frowned upon,
but would it be a deal breaker here?
It will create the need for higher amp draw during startup and may lead
to sluggish acceleration (all depending on motor and batteries) but I
think it would be fine for your environment. Realize, though, that you
may be driving the motor too slow for maximum efficiency (wheels turn
roughly 800rpm at 50mph). The motor I cite below gives maximum torque
between 0 and 2800 rpm and its most efficient speed is really around
3000 rpm.
3) We only need it to go a maximum range of about 25 miles (and often
less than that) two or three times a week. The max speed we've ever
driven the car is 50mph, and typically our average speed is 35mph.
Traffic is light where we are, no hills. What kind of motor,
controller, and battery would be recommended for this? (The bed
underneath the rear passenger seats almosts looks as if it was made
to accommodate batteries, so I think battery size is not a problem if
they can lie flat, if not, I can just put them upright somewhere in
the cargo bay)
4) Roughly how much would this cost for the parts?
Of course I don't know about suppliers and such in Japan but if it was
mine here's what I would use:
Motor & controller: HPEVS AC-35 w/1238-7601 $3500
Charger: Thunderstruck motors PFC-II 2500 and Charge Controller: $750
Batteries: CALB CA100FI either 23 for 72volts $4100
or 34 for 108volts $5100
DC-DC Converter: Elcon 400W: $230
Figure another $1000 - $2000 for things like wiring, fuses, battery
connectors, instrumentation. I suspect it doesn't have power steering or
power brakes so you probably don't need to install a vacuum pump or
power steering pump.
5) The paint on our roof is peeling a bit, so this seems like the
ideal time to also throw a solar panel array on the top of the roof
if we make it into an EV. While not expected to charge the car fully,
I was thinking it could recharge the car somewhat (we have an
uncovered parking spot that gets good sunlight - apart from the rainy
season - and sometimes don't drive the car for a day or two) between
drives. There is also an EV quick charge station near our place. Any
thoughts on this?
I've never been sold on the concept except using a small one to keep the
12 volt battery charged. Adding a solar controller to charge a high
voltage pack from a relatively small panel adds a lot of cost for little
gain. I'd invest the money in the connector to allow you to use the EV
quick charge station.
--Rick
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