This post is to make public How thankful I am with @Inwo and @MikeKC for being so Helpful and working with me in this project.
I remember my First thoughts were
“my Gem is working perfectly, should I do it”?
What if it doesn’t work like I expect?
What if I have to bring it to the dealership because I couldn’t make it work again?
I’ve decided to look forward, forget about All these questions And go ahead with the mods.
I went with a 25S Tesla Model 3 Battery and brought it to 100v system (from 48v)
8kW induction Motor
Sevcon S4
I wanted a Can enabled charger with Tesla port so I didn’t go with deltaQ (but it would Have been easier with that)
I’m also very happy with @Old_Houseboater 10:35 modified transmission for a quieter ride.
Mike and Dave are amazing and they will follow you from Start to finish.
They will send you the controller already programmed so you don’t have to mess with the config.
The process is very straight forward. If you know how to wire a Bms you can do this mod.
Conclusions:
I don’t know the max speed yet, but it’s a lot (probably in the high 50’s) @MikeKC correct me if I’m wrong.
The acceleration is slow for a comfort ride unless you hammer it.
Regen braking feels like a Tesla (can be adjusted)
I used to have a GEM, now I have a hot rod.
I will update this thread with some range testing.
Very kind words and I am happy you are happy
They don’t always go smooth and looking back at our thread of 486 posts…wow, but you got there
We clearly don’t do this for the money… LOL. Just passing on knowledge.
I should add that almost everything I have learned came from @Inwo (the master)
My car setup is almost exactly like @djgabriel2004 when it comes to battery/gears/motor, my top end is about ~62mph - way to fast for my own (or your) good. Be careful out there.
I estimate more than 60 miles on a charge but have never put that to the test.
Here some pics I took. Not the best ones it was getting dark and the storm was coming
10:35 Transmission from Older Gems modified by the Best @Old_Houseboater. it’s so quiet even without the rubber bumpers. (I might add them in the future but it’s very quiet so far)
Tesla Model 3/Y 25s lithium battery with BMS that broadcast the Data over internet so I can check the status of the car when charging at Public stations from my phone. Processing: 5D6B00E7-EC3A-4BEF-9F6D-79B92F876D39.jpeg…
I still going to mod some things in the back to make it waterproof and remove that box with Victron shunt since the BMS is now taking care of everything related to the battery and I can see all the data on the Android screen
Here are some pics. Battery is in the middle of the seats, it doesn’t bother passengers or driver but is long!
I will definitely cover it with something, I was thinking a marine carpet but I’m open to ideas…
Could you please elaborate a bit here? I’m not that familiar with Tesla charging setups. Does this mean you are using a Tesla charger at home or, more importantly (to me anyway), that you can plug your GEM in at a Tesla Supercharger station?
The GEM can charge the with any level 1 (120v) or level 2 (240v) public station. It could be Tesla destination Charger network or Any J1772 like Chargepoint (with the Tesla Adapter)
I met Gabriel looking at a classic Gem he has for sale that I didn’t buy. Since then, he’s given me a lot of intel on his build. I know Mike aka Lithium Gods from another forum - we have the same boat, the same appetite for reinventing the wheel, and sometimes we do a halfway-decent job of it.
I’ve always wanted something to drive around the neighborhood so when a 2002 e825 came up cheap, I jumped on it. I’ve had the '02 for a little over a month, love it, drive it everywhere but perhaps most importantly, the wife loves driving it too. We have two car seats installed for the kiddos, but I want a more refined ride, faster, etc and with a growing family + in-laws, I prefer a 6 passenger. We’ll be taking delivery Monday of a 2016 e6. Mike and I will be refitting this Gem jointly.
So far, we are planning an upgraded motor and controller, lithium upgrade, and an upgraded transmission - I’m sure there will be more. The goal is to have a car that gets up and goes, 40mph+ (plan on only using 35 of that), and perhaps most importantly…a quiet ride.
My background is in marine electronics, but my passion is tinkering and building stuff. Looking forward to sharing our progress just as many of you have done.
I have the parts that LG ordered ready to ship. Listed above. Just need the payment from LG and they can go FedEx monday.
Should be everything but batteries and dci charger, which LG will have.
Transmission is optional and can be done last. If E6 is 17:1 it will run 35mph at 9,000 rpm.
I’m testing my 2018 el hd on 48v lead. Smooth and relatively quiet at 35mph. Transmission is stock with added rubber mounts.
