Lithium Conversions Battery Types tested/ preferred

GEM Forum
1

Hey all,

From reading through the threads I see that Nissan Leaf, Chevy Volt, And recently Chevy Bolt cells were used with what it seems the Volt cells being the most popular.

Has anyone used any other brands and what was the plus/minus for each that makes th Volt the preferred?

I ask is I came across locally some recent model year Ford C-Max Energi cells but haven’t seen anyone mention these before so curious what everyone liked about what they have tested and use.

Thanks,

M@

2

For me it comes down to price and availability.
Any ev battery should be fine.
Small cells like the C-max should be easy to fit and configure. On the other hand connecting 66 to 88 cells takes a lot of connecting straps. Not a huge issue.
Volt has been the most bang for the buck, but prices are going up with demand.

It may be possible to use as few as 22. About 2kwh and 8 mile range in theory.
To compare a single 22s Volt/Spark is 4.4kwh 18 mile range.

3

I suppose it mostly comes down to what you can lay your hands on and how hard they will be to install.
I went with Volts since i knew I could get em in there pretty easily and not have to mess with connecting straps. I also saw a few people on this forum blaze the initial trails so it was much less scary.
If I had plenty of money and time I’m sure I would have gone a different route. Something that fits perfectly into the existing trays for example.

4

Thanks!

I am looking at a 21 cell module for now and add another in a couple months for additional range, so starting out at 77.7v nominal and 24ah which for range isn’t much but not concerned with range yet, just power for more speed.

When it comes to BMS, I see Inwo uses the smart one from chargery usually, if you are integrating a BMS for individual cell monitoring, can you use the Zivan NG1 interfacing with the BMS without having it rechipped/reprogrammed for Lithium since the BMS handles the charging limits per cell? If so what charge setting do you use on the dial version of NG1?

I recently had my NG1 fail, after taking it out and cleaning it out, replacing the AC input fuse for $20 fixed it so would like to continue to use it with a BMS if possible.

Thanks again!

M@