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Im seriously looking at building 2 different VXs in the next 5 yrs.
Once I find a rolled or badly hail damaged VX, Im going to turn that
into the concept Convert car they never made.
and #2 will be a EV VX and Ill convert it into an Electric powered
VX.
Keep your eyes out for it, it may take me 5 yrs to do it but Im confident
both can be done.
hmm, maybe Ill just do one, and make it a convert EV suv :bwgy:
I was interested in the EV idea.
Dont like the limited the range, however. I'd burn it up just getting to the trails. May try the Diesel Swap if the engine ever gives out.
The VX02 project would be fun for the budget.
Bio turbo diesel would be sweet
What do you consider the range to be on
an EV car ?
I have seen between 70 and 120 miles...
I would need at least 250 to 300 (tank of gas worth) for trips. I figure the 4WD and weight of the truck would put it down in the bottom range.
Hi, one day I would like to do this; www.switch2hydrogen.com, if they ever sell it
dibs on the roof rail caps when you chop the top!! haha j/k but i would love to see these happen!
Batteries would have to get much more efficient to make it worthwhile, otherwise the weight simply wouldn't be worth it (plus you have to figure out where to store them). I'm not sure if you'd have much luck with the 4WD and especially the TOD once converted, either.
The convertible is much more doable. Note that the VX02 has a different windshield (rake is reduced so it's more upright) as well as the obvious body changes.
-- John
Ive actually been in the process of reading a book about converting a vehicle to be EV, and 4wd cars are not that great- the 4wd transmission (friction), wide tires (friction), small cargo space and large wind profile just dont seem to help.
The one that I am seriously considering is the voltsporsche
http://www.electroauto.com/gallery/vp914.shtml
But its going to be expensive and quite a bit of work. The advantages are that its a light car, thin tires (less friction), and they are not that expensive (for the donor car).
Granted, I am still very early in the process and still learning, and you may very well have a lot more info about the conversion process than me, but from what Ive read so far, the VX just wouldnt work unless there was some MAJOR battery advancements that greatly reduced the battery weight.
Johnny Apollo is right- the batteries are the achilles heel for EV cars right now. After a conversion, the car ends up weighing MORE than when it was a gas driver.
Good luck, and hope I didnt put too much of a damper on your project, just throwing the little bit of knowledge I have about the subject in there.
so far, most have been using Metal Nickel Hydride. Lithion ion is preferred, but they have a nasty potential for fire... at least in high usage applications like a car would be. I think once they solve that problem, they will be Lithium Ion or something else new.
range depends on weight of course. The Tesla (another pretty sweet EV on the market) is supposed to be 200 miles.
Most all are 100 miles.
They are not highway cars. But perfect for getting around town.
Ill do the convert first, since it will be easier and cheaper in my opinion
and look at the EV next.
Hydrogen is already on the way out I think, its sort of a dead horse already.
Ever see that movie "Who Killed the Electric Car" ?
Its worth watching, very sad how GM got bought out by the oil companys to axe their own EV program.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Vehi-Cross-Az
guess payback is a mother.. way way back when philadelphia had trolleys all over the city GM bought them and shut em down and replaced them with their own busses
There's a lot of grassroots EV development going on - most that I've seen were converted mail delivery jeeps using Optima batteries and golf-cart motors. Joe Black got me thinking about them by referring me to Makezine and showing me some sites where the process is detailed.
-- John
that wasnt payback, that was yet Another move on GMs partQuote:
Originally Posted by etlsport
to make cars the only way to get around.
they axed their own EV program as silently as possible
watch that movie, its very informative.
I think GM did this in most major cities: I know they did it here in Los Angeles too.Quote:
Originally Posted by etlsport
Back in the early 50's , Los angeles and Long Beach, where I grew up, had a great electric trolley system that covered the whole LA basin. I am old enough to have ridden the big red Pacific Electric (PE) cars. GM paid the bribes and had the tracks pulled up. GM sold busses. End of public transet by rail in LA. Thanks GM.
Roy
Hydrogen dead???You can lease a Honda fuel cell car in L.A. now. 600 a month, and the equivalent of like 68 or 70 mpg. no emissions. Chevy is floating their hydrogen Equinox in DC this year as well. They're trying to get some infrastructure going. Iceland is the answer.(all that free geothermal electric...clean too...to produce the gas) Besides, with hydrogen we don't have to change the terminology...still goin to the gas station, to get gas. Roads will be kinda soggy thoughQuote:
Originally Posted by Vehi-Cross-Az
I rode 'em in Phila.. Alot of the tracks were still there in the early nineties. They ran the old PCC trolleys from the thirties right till the end (88 or 89) I used to ride one on the way to school. I was facinated by the things.Quote:
Originally Posted by newthings