Major Set Back! ;-(

Posted with LifeCast

Cold Weather

It has turned chilly here in Portland, with nighttime temps in the 40's, and that turns out to mean that my batteries don't charge as well as they used to. My range is down to 30 miles now. I did go 30miles the other day with some 55 mph stretches and two adults and 150 pounds of equipment for work. When I got back I was pretty sluggish accelerating from stop lights and my battery back read 148V. (144V should be the lowest I could go)

To get back to normal battery behavior I am going to need to heat the batteries with some sort of electric blanket or wiring, or wait till spring. From asking questions on the EVDL.org forum, I need to keep the pack near 70 degrees, and my rear pack isn't well insulated.

Back on the road!

Jim Husted from Hi-Torque Electric delivered my new 9 inch motor in person! It weighs almost twice my old motor, so it was a bit difficult to put in. Last time all we did was to put the motor on a floor jack and put it in place. This time it required a transmission jack adapter, which held the motor securely. It too three attempts over two days to get it in place, but it worked and I am back on the road.

AS Jim told me, I am really getting a lot more power. 0-30 mph doesn't feel slow any more and I have noticed a distinct difference on small hills in the neighborhood that used to give me trouble. I haven't opened her up yet, I really am in the city, so I haven't gotten above 40 mph in 3rd yet. I'll keep updating when I see how 4th feels, I'm sure higheays are no longer out of the question.

A good 9 inch motor is what the bus needs, my old D&D 6.7 inch just couldn't handle it. I don't know about range, but in the limited driving I've done so far I don't think my range has suffered at all. A goof 40 mile trip should test that.

For now I'm just enjoying passing the gas stations again.

New Engine almost done!

Here are some pics that Jim snet me, showing my new Yellow motor! 9 inches this time. It should be doen this week, then i can pick it up and get back on the road. Jim sure makes a pretty motor.

Jim Husted From Hi-Torque Electric

I got a chance to Meet Jim Husted from Hi-Torque Electric. Jim rebuilds electric motors for EV use, and I'm happy to be able to give my old blown motor to him to recycle into someone's EV in the future. Jim is going to work with me to get a 9or 11 inch motor for the bus. I'm sure this photo I took of Jim will be a popular in the EV forum circles 8^) The photo is Jim with the "kill" for the day my 6.7 inch D&D motor.

Thanks Jim

Melt Down

Well, I haven't written as much lately, because things have been going pretty well. Saturday wasn't a good day for my EV. This is a bit hard to explain to those without an electric car, but the motors are really different. In an EV there is nothing to slow you down when you are in gear, and I was in 1st gear at the top of a hill and I started to coast down, and after 30 mph I heard a small explosion in the rear, and my engine had blown to bits. I had the radio on and wasn't paying attention to the engine noise, and at 7-8 k RPM's the engine just went BOOM! It was my own fault and I'm really bummed out, but I won't be using 1st gear again when I get a new motor. You can see from the pictures that the guts are pretty much a mass of chunks or random copper pieces.

Photo Booth Bus!

We did it! I drove my VW-EV to Sauvie's Island for a weddign on Saturday at Kruger's Farm, and set it up as the photobooth. The guests came in through a curtain where the sliding door is and sat in the back seat. We got some amazing shots.