I have a few old mini vans and have been researching converting one to an EV to run back and forth to FedEx ( 30 miles each way ) .
Highway is 65mph .
Due to terrain I am looking at AC motor plus I like their benefits .
I am curious as to what HP of AC motors , probably 3 phase , I should be targeting ?
( will be researching different battery combos later . Want to leave options open for lead , LiPo, UcapPak or even Hcell )
[QUOTE=IdahoPuma;3509]I have a few old mini vans and have been researching converting one to an EV to run back and forth to FedEx ( 30 miles each way ) .
Highway is 65mph .
Due to terrain I am looking at AC motor plus I like their benefits .
I am curious as to what HP of AC motors , probably 3 phase , I should be targeting ?
( will be researching different battery combos later . Want to leave options open for lead , LiPo, UcapPak or even Hcell )[/QUOTE]
Check with metric mind they have a variety of ac motors, a minivan should be a good choice you have plenty of room for batteries. My wife wants me to convert hers, but she will have to wait in line after the boat.
I also have a caravan I am converting, but not with your same goals. Mine is getting a 1.6L veggie oil burner in the front for long distance, and DC EV for the rear drive for short distances. I am half way though the front conversion…
Suggestions: Mine is a stick shift from the factory. Chrysler is known for their weak automatics in these early minivans. Find a manual… Also, until 1990, they offered a manual rack & pinion… it has a 4:1 ratio rather than the 2.8:1 the power steering unit has. I switched mine to manual steering so I don’t have a hydraulic pump wasting energy… If you can live the way we all did in the 1970’s for cheap cars, go back to manual 
Most rebuilders of rack & pinions only show the manual rack being until 1988. I got my from AutoZone online. You need to be handy with machine work because the rack’s input shaft is slightly different from the 1988 (S platform) - the early 1990’s like my (AS platform) so some sound machine work is required, although minor. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dodge_Caravan
Ah, one more suggestion… use the 15" rims and the Michelin low rolling resistance tires. I ordered mine from Costco because I wanted the light truck low rolling resistance tires they don’t carry.
arb, Could you expand on your conversion, I am very interested in a bio diesel/electric hybrid too!
[QUOTE=mtngazer;3713]arb, Could you expand on your conversion, I am very interested in a bio diesel/electric hybrid too![/QUOTE]
Or save a whole bunch of money and keep the gas engine and run you an electric outback. Unless you had a diesel sitting in your backyard the thing would rot out from under you before you even came close to getting your money out of a diesel and ac electric conversion.
Actually, I was thinking of a bio-diesel, using “home-brewed” diesel from veggie oil. Should cost out at about .70 per gal. ( plus appropriate taxes, of course.)
The problem with keeping the gas engine is, with the exception of this caravan, I have never seen one with anything but the automatics - therefore low 20 mpg is about it and the trans will die around 150K miles. (I worked at Chrysler HQ for years and never saw on there either)
Yes, a diesel engine / trans from a VW is getting more expensive as they have not been sold here since 2006, but they are out there. They stated here as the 1977 Diesel Rabbit, and continued as the diesel Jetta until 2006. They had a Diesel Golf mixed in there for some years… I got my engine / trans for $200. By swapping out the engine/trans I get a clean slate for clean power (bio diesel) and will not have the various accessories dragging on the engine. Other than the alternator, I will have an A/C compressor, but it is on a V belt out board of the serpentine belt for the water pump and alternator so it will be easy to remove in the fall if I don’t want the dryer air of defrost with it… Don’t forget you need to significantly change the car and re-title it due to emission control modification laws… So, my car will be either a VW with some Caravan parts or an electric car with some optional bio-diesel parts. I’m putting fiberglass aerodynamic parts on this car to clean up the shape.
The rear drive from the AWD caravans bolts on to the rear in place of the rear straight axle. I intend to mount the DC motor on that differential for the electric drive. I am not going to get complicated with a hybrid drive, but simply drive the electric or the diesel… with a manual trans up front, and the switch to manual steering, there does not need to be anything complex…
Here is a guy in Ontario who did the diesel upgrade and gets 57 mpg [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1s2jqhqMEc[/ame] Remember, Chrysler sells their minivans to the rest of the world with diesel engines and are the current world record holder for longest distance passenger car on 1 tank of fuel - 1077 miles. http://chrysler.co.uk/voyager/models.html the CRD they call it.
I have an almost new diesel vaccum pump from a 1985 Escort, so the manual vaccum pump on the engine will be removed and this automatic self contained pump will run the vac systems when it diesel or electric mode.
Thanks for the explanation, ARB. I am not that skilled or ambitious however. My intent is more along the lines of converting a small pickup to electric for my own needs ( 95% around town driving, 200 mile a month usually) and either attaching or towing a bio-diesel fed generator that could recharge my batteries while traveling for any longer trips necessary. We just bought the wife a Prius for her driving needs and most of our travel needs as well. I know, that is not going to be “green” enough for the purists, but I’m really only interested in my own selfish needs, I gave up trying to save the world from itself many years ago. Keep me posted on your efforts, as it seems that you definitely know what you’re doing!
[QUOTE=mtngazer;3740]Actually, I was thinking of a bio-diesel, using “home-brewed” diesel from veggie oil. Should cost out at about .70 per gal. ( plus appropriate taxes, of course.)[/QUOTE]
I was talking about the conversion itself. The diesel craze has really jacked up prices especially on the tdi drivetrains. Personally I wouldn’t fool with an older idi. They were a dog pushing a little rabbit around, I would hate to think how bad they would be pushing a van around loaded with batteries. You would also need to factor in the price of a processor to make your bio diesel. Your 70 cents a gallon is a little dated. Methanol is a petrolium product. I would imagine it is up to a dollar a gallon to make now assuming you get your oil for free. That is also starting to dry up now that people are figuring out that there is money to be made in it. I personally would consider scraping the biodiesel idea and think about either a svo configuration or if you are in the south just cut your diesel 50/50 with wvo.
There are systems available that don’t use methanol, hence the .70 gal is still reasonable. Also, if you are following my posts, you might note that I actually am thinking about a generator, using bio-diesel, to quick charge batteries while on long trips. Haven’t worked out details yet, just “chatting up the ideas”. Got to dispose of 2 SUV’s first! I’m also exploring other sources for “veggie” oil, such as algae, etc,. Define “old” TDI? As a one-time VW salesman, I was very impressed with the TDI VW models.
[QUOTE=mtngazer;3748]Thanks for the explanation, ARB. I am not that skilled or ambitious however. My intent is more along the lines of converting a small pickup to electric for my own needs ( 95% around town driving, 200 mile a month usually) and either attaching or towing a bio-diesel fed generator that could recharge my batteries while traveling for any longer trips necessary. We just bought the wife a Prius for her driving needs and most of our travel needs as well. I know, that is not going to be “green” enough for the purists, but I’m really only interested in my own selfish needs, I gave up trying to save the world from itself many years ago. Keep me posted on your efforts, as it seems that you definitely know what you’re doing![/QUOTE]
Thank you !! I have huge steps to follow in - my cousin is “new dawn” on this forum who did his Saturn EV last year !!
If you’re doing a small pickup, the genny would fit in the bed 