009 - EV Conversion 101 video 9 - First Test Drive

[my73737373]

What is the rage on that car?

[BenjaminNelson]

@my73737373

50 miles.



[tappakeggaday1]

i was noticing how low the back end sits while driving,I didn't know if this was due to the added extra battery weight but was there some way of adding a lift kit to help bring the body more up off the tires?would be great if there was some way to mount a solar panel on top to help charge the batteries while the car was not in motion

[BenjaminNelson]

@tappakeggaday1 I don't think Tom ever modified the rear suspension. There are various after-market springs and airbags to change that though.

As for solar panels, those are best on the roof of a garage. An electric car uses much more energy than a few small panels on the car could provide.

[djVinnyBricks]

@tappakeggaday1 No need for custom springs as mentioned in the vid, rear springs from a 2000+ (2nd gen) Neon will fit the 95-99 struts and will give more ride height. Just an FYI.

[tappakeggaday1]

@djVinnyBricks thanks,I try to learn as much as I can from watching these videos, are you also a designer?I would like to talk to a mechanic about an assist idea I have using parts that are already on the market and modifying them. PM me if you are and I will discuss the idea with you as a friend of mine thought it was a good idea

[krzintegraboi]

so did you figure out the range??

[BenjaminNelson]

@krzintegraboi

Tom has gone up to 50 miles on a charge in this car.

Keep in mind that he lives in the city and can get to almost ANYWHERE with that 50 miles.

[krzintegraboi]

@BenjaminNelson im trying to see how long the battiers will tak a charge because i want to convert my integra but i need to know what the get and probably the total cost i drive 15 miles to work but most of the time i can drive 85 miles a day.

[justmesujoy]

You said that the electric motor weighs about 150 lbs so how much does the engine weigh? Could you also give me the weight of the entire drive train, differential axles etc? Rough estimates would be more than enough. Why not just set a couple of geared motors to the real wheels rather than play with the entire drivetrain? You are good enough to make your own circuits so balancing for turns like the differential shouldn't be a problem. One more thing how much did this project cost and save you?

[glasshopper77]

This is great! I had a feeling this was in Wisconsin. I grew up in Sheboygan, where are you guys from?

Seems as though there are alot of interesting things going on in Wisconsin whether it being windpower, hydro, or solar. And now EVs...

Keep up the good work and Go Wisconsin!

[BenjaminNelson]

The Milwaukee Electric Car Club meets regularly, on the first and third Sunday of the month.

Please message me directly if you would like more information.

[JuanHHO]

Congratulations! neon is a good car, with attractive lines, I'm equally interested in converting my 2000 dodge neon electric, from Mexico City.

[randytooth]

Too much weight on the rear axle. Even with custom springs, it a dangerous ride.

[bronxboyXXX]

Not really. Neons handle like sports cars & are very famous for it. So even with all that weight its likely no more dangerous than your average American Buick century.

[randytooth]

Neon curb weight is 2384.8 lbs, Gross weight is 3456.2 lbs. So U have about 1000 lbs to play with. That means about 500lbs per axle. That traction pack probably weighs over 1000lbs. Is it really wise to place a 1/2 ton over an axle design to only handle half that?

[wks1978]

Any plans to uprate the rear suspension to compensate for the extra load of the batteries?

[BenjaminNelson]

Yeah, just today Tom told me how one of the next things he needs to do is to boost the suspension. He may go with some custom rear springs.

[el22dearg]

good to hear from you. Great work!!

[DHMIII]

Excellent!! Congratulations!

[isegoria1]

Sweet to see it finally up and running

[afdhalatifftan92]

Damn it!! I'm Jealous!!

[BenjaminNelson]

I apologize in advance for not having a tripod with me!

I only had the one camera with, and this was too good to miss!

[bronxboyXXX]

NP. I have basicly the same exact car. a 98 Chrysler Neon CS and was thinking of doing the same thing. So this was extremely interesting to me. What kind of range are you getting?

[BenjaminNelson]

Tom is in the city, so while he has been doing some test driving on the car, he has NOT gone on any long trips yet, so we don't have a hard number for range yet.