Time to upgrade

GEM Forum
1

Ok GEM friends. My last project was somewhat profitable. It’s time to either upgrade the GEM or buy something else.

I need at least 30 miles of range in my eLXD, loaded down with tools and lumber, in winter, uphill both ways.

Also, the only back road to my favorite lumber yard—the one that avoids the “35mph” six-lane highway where nobody goes less than 50–was just turned into a one-way street. So now I have to brave a few blocks on the main road loaded with lumber. 22mph isn’t safe anymore. I’ve got little kids to feed.

So I need some new batteries and some way to circumvent the speed governor. Alternately, I could try to buy a Mullen One, a weird Chinese-American mashup van that has supposedly been shipped to at least one dealership maybe last week, or next week or never, or I could try to buy a Canoo LDV, which may be a work van or a pump and dump stock scheme or a method of bilking money from the government of Oklahoma. The E-Transit is too expensive and too big to fit in my tiny driveway.

Anyway, I know I’ve posted about this before but it was purely theoretical at that point because I was broke as a joke. Now I have a dash of cash and I really have to improve my vehicle situation before I go and blow all my money on (other) power tools.

2

Man, I realize that some people that actually have a life don’t have time to read every post here, but…
Do you not realize what this group is about? Have you not been paying attention?

How well does your car handle once loaded with your tools and lumber? Do you think it will handle a speed increase? (asked by someone that has been known to put 1.5t in a 3/4t truck)

3

Is 35 mph enough? Else you will need major modifications.

Our best selling battery is 7.5kwh giving 30miles + @ 25mph level ground. Priced at $2750
I have 72v 20s 24kwh battery that will give 3 times the range. $4500
If your car is 2005-2015 a 24s 20kwh high voltage battery might be a good choice. Byron has them available as well. My price wired is $3950. Pm Byron for a good deal depending on location.

DO NOT buy a generic battery that has not been tested and approved by one of the Gem gurus on here. We don’t have time to fix more issues after money is wasted. We will help no matter where you buy battery, but not much we can do once you make a bad decision.

You may notice that nobody else lists price and kwh in public forums. ASK before you pay.

4

Hyattsville, Maryland, United States ?
Nearest associate is NJ.

I can ship the SDI 7.5kwh battery Tue… $2950 total. Easy drop in install.

5

Elxd is gone?

There was a chinese made electric kai truck a bout a decade back. Iirc did legit 35mph on a pile of lead batteries. I think it may have actualy had a 2 speed transmission. Its bigger than a gem, smaller than a ford ranger.

On lithium with an upgraded motor, even more speed may be possible.

I think dave used to have one.
@Inwo

6

Oh, yeh. I had a Miles 35mph. Same truck is under different names.

Look up E-ride. My brother has one needing batteries. Has topper. I can get a picture. I believe it has a title.

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This is a nice truck. Kind of like a Moke truck. Has title, no battery. 72v.
$5,000 I may buy it if I sell SueZ-Q

9

eLXD is not gone! It’s still going, and is still my daily work truck! But it needs an upgrade.

I don’t read every post, but i read enough to know this forum is all about improving the batteries and surpassing the speed limits. That’s why i’m here! I guess i should be more specific. Is the “magic magnet” still the way to go for going past the speed governor for a 2011 eLXD, or is there some better way? If the former, who is selling the “Magic Magnet” these days? Is the magic magnet on its own a waste of money until i get better batteries, since the poor thing is working hard to get up to 22mph?

The eLXD has surprised me with its handling even with the roof rack loaded with lumber. That said, i would probably still stay well below 22 on sharp turns, especially if i’m taking out a bunch of low-lying lead and swapping it for lithium.

I think 35mph is enough. I mean, it isn’t enough, but i doubt i have enough money to do the major modifications… though i am curious about what those modifications might be. Feel free to direct me towards a previous post, if this has already been detailed elsewhere on this forum. People will still whizz past me on the “35mph” highway but that’s their problem. If i’m going 22, it’s my problem.

When you say the 7.5kwh is giving 30miles+, which kind of GEM is that in? Most of you guys run E2s and E4s, right? Also, it seems most of you guys live in places without winter. My eLXD has a cabin heater, but i don’t use it. I can’t afford the milage drop, so i just put on a coat. But my range is still terrible in winter. I know all batteries do worse in the cold, but can the lithiums handle cold at least better than the leaded batteries?

All that is to say, i’m glad “The Goliath” battery is still around, though it still might be too much money for me. Are there any offerings between the 7.5kwh and the 24kwh? Are there any different considerations because i have an eLXD and have more than enough space for large batteries and am only limited by budget?

Re: generic batteries, i laughed out loud when i saw this one on eBay that is literally called a BS battery:

Somebody forgot to run that one by their English translator.

10

That is an awesome truck, but i imagine it would be even harder to get parts than a GEM. Also, i doubt “Miles Automotive” has the impressive braintrust backing it like GEM Forum.

1 Like
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Run away. It’s an exact example of a bad choice. Imho

12

@CarpenterPete
Battery is only part of your battle.

For the speed you want, you may to go to an AC motor and new controller. I don’t think your AMD black motor will spin much above 6500.

Or you have to chamge diffs to the 12.x:1 from the eL. This will get you more range and speed, but less hauling capacity.

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13

Today i was driving around, thinking about battery replacement and heard a sudden CLUNK. The steering went all loosey-goosey so i pulled over to take a look and saw the front passenger side wheel tilted a few degrees off of plumb. I crawled it a mile home at 5mph with this horrible grinding noise intermittently coming from the front end somewhere. I got out and looked underneath about five times but couldn’t see anything out of place except for the tilted wheel. I left the car at home and stole my wife’s van so i could keep working. Errrrrrrrg. There goes a nice chunk of my battery budget.

Guess i’ll start a new thread for this now. :sob:

14

What year is your elxd ?

15

Get a jack under the front end and get the weight off it. Then grab that wheel and give it a wobbly-wobble. I bet whatever it is will reveal itself.

Pay special attention to ball joints. Make sure the a-arms are not cracked.
Maybe there is something going on with the bearing assembly?

16

It is a 2011.

Getting to 20 characters

17

I will definitely get the thing jacked up and my ass underneath as soon as i have a moment… would be nice if i had road to crawl on rather than hard-packed ice. I need a garage. Or maybe an E-transit with a warranty. :confused:

18

I have a patented, copyrighted, trademarked and certified organic 4 step program for repairing gems like your elxd.

Ask me how.

19

Sorry, it’s a 2011. One of the good ones.

20

The CV axle/Half shaft sheared off right at the castle nut. Why? Some bobo (me) cross-threaded one of the screws that holds the brake caliper on, making the whole wheel spin just a tiny bit off-kilter for six months or so until it finally snapped on the coldest day of the year. Yikes. What a moron. I should stick to wood.