#6) Project ForkenSwift electric car: LED battery gauge

[jeepers2655]

how many batteries does a fork lift have?......use those ? or are they too heavy?.....they seem to work on a lift truck?

[wuiloby]

Nice device for my car, thanks....

[aleon1018]

So easy, even a Canadian can do it ! lol

[ubergnar2808]

very cool

[beatsanz]

congratulations!!!!!

how do you do with brakes and stopping since ya dont have booster

[ForkenSwiftDotCom]

The brakes were upgraded: the larger rotors, calipers and pads from the 4-cylinder version of this car were installed.

They take more effort to press, but they work fine.

[WorldStove]

too cool for words

[drdhdmd]

Your display is very similar to mine. I just put mine in a nice box. ;-)

Your music and video are very nice.

[r3di2watch]

I wonder if you can get some kind of computer or micro-controller to average the voltage over time and give you a simple readout on the battery.

Battery #1 seems to be going too high as well as too low, so it has a bad cell and the electrons are saturating the plates on the other cells.

Are you going to match your cells for increased range?

[ForkenSwiftDotCom]

It can certainly be refined, but what you see is what you get with this car! The used batteries shown in this clip have since been replaced with slightly less-used ones, so the pack is more evenly balanced now; better for range and individual battery health.

[sixmagpies]

It is only YOU chaps who will, eventually, manage to shame the cynical establishment ('OIL Co', GMC.etc ..and 'their' Government.) into offering appropriate products at a sensible cost ..... a technology which YOU have proven is quite possible as it's already here. Keep fighting the good fight.

"Evil prevails when good men do nothing". Well done ... gentlemen.

[rffmedia]

Very nice! I'm looking at doing a DIY EV. 1994 Dodge Shadow but it has an automatic transmission. Perhaps I can find a motor with 2 um... outputs ... and have some power continuously drawn to avoid transmission problems. Or just go slowly when approaching intersections.

I found a controller on eBay for US$138 shipped, hopefully they're similarly priced in a few months. Same one that you use actually.

[rffmedia]

And I'm looking at motors, but nothing is really reasonable in cost. Perhaps I'll visit a local scrap metal dealer and tell them to give me a call if anyone contacts them to get rid of any old electric forklifts...

Also, did you have any problems with the MTO? This vehicle is not currently registered (expired valtag on the plate) and it's under someone else, so should I have them transfer it to me then register it as an EV, or do it at the same time as the transfer?

[videostoyou]

leaving the batteries directly on the ground doesn't help with keeping them charged up. It will drain them, as the ground acts as a "Ground"!

[drdhdmd]

That is a very old "wive's tale". It is just not true.

[suisam]

lol sounds like a mythbusters job

[EcoModderDOTcom]

FYI, James, the designer of the LED gauge in this video has just posted instructions for building them at evconvert -dot- com.

I don't think YouTube will let me post the link, so you'll have to decipher this:

evconvert-dot-com/article/led-­bargraph-battery-monitor-part-­2

[hsigamj]

TALK forget the dumb music say something !!!!!

[lcalarea47]

Hi great idea .. Whats cost for one unit for 10 -11 batteries .. lonnie

[MPaulHolmes]

The LED drivers are about $3 each. You need 1 per battery. Also, you need several resistors, and a couple variable resistors, and a capacitor or 2, and like 10 LEDs per battery. Getting them in bulk is pretty cheap, and the total cost is like $30-$50 or something like that. I bought the huge collection of resistors of just about every type on Ebay for $12 (from China).

[PappyDan]

why 6 volt and not 12 volt?

[MPaulHolmes]

The 12v batteries (deep cycle) don't last very long in EV applications. But you can put 12v in buddy pairs, but then it's like 6v! Golf cart 6v batteries are made to put out more current. Plus, they were free!

[pi3573]

hi great job, i have a suzuki swift. do you think the same parts will work for it?

[xINJUNx]

very impressive especially the budget,could u please tell me more about the motor,single phase?,3 phase,voltage,hp,what is top speed and top distance on a single charge,tia

[ForkenSwiftDotCom]

Thanks. Google "1993 Geo Metro ForkenSwift" and go to the top result for more info.

[ftmyers]

very cool did you make it or buy it.

Where can I find one?

[ForkenSwiftDotCom]

Click the "more info" link above and to the right.  Link to the schematic.

[Unclebarr]

I am in naples are you in ftmyers florida?

If so I am also way interested in getting or building an electric car.

[tsport100]

Most PICs with ADC have 7 x A/D converters that can measure 7 voltages and display them numerically on what-ever display you want, LED / LCD. Could also data-log. The circuit would require so few components the display PCB would be the largest part.

Just my $0.10 worth.

[ghpk]

you can also use a Numerical LED display to show you the Output volt, but having color option would be much easy to identify the battery state.

Anyway it looks great.

[spootyrat]

Forkenswift is AWESOME! Seriously, your work on, and documentation/sharing of this project is just tremendous. I was thinking about maybe converting a minimalist late 80's Jeep wrangler? (C:

[cant7think7clearly]

That's so Star Trek! I love it!

[ForkenSwiftDotCom]

Thanks Gav. Incredibly useful too.

[nrwhd]

you should change the bottom LED's to red.

[CorvetteKillingDSM]

Nice, can't wait till I get to start mine :-)

[crazyqaz]

Nice to see the ForkenSwift is still being updated

[kickflipjr]

Ha, remades me of an equalizer.

That will really help you out!

[ForkenSwiftDotCom]

I thought it looked like an equalizer too. Ideally it would look like a line straight across rather than peaks & valleys. That would mean the batteries were more balanced (equal capacity)

Since adding the LED gauge, I've swapped out the three weakest batteries, and it's given the car a few more km of range.

[ForkenSwiftDotCom]

Note: a parts list and schematic for this montitor is available. I've posted the link on the web site: forkenswift -dot- com .

[EVCarolina]

Yes, VERY Cool. Thanks to Fred U at the Xebra Group for posting the link to this video.

[marsL001]

very nicely done dude,

looks good

5stars

[ForkenSwiftDotCom]

Thanks for the comments. It is a funky light show.

[lpgas1]

g'day again from down under! my holden barina/swift is coming along just nicely. i hope that it ends up very close to what you have, i got hold of a 850amp 48v controller and some kick ass batteries the other day. just wondering what amps your controller is mate?

keep it up. i love it!

[ForkenSwiftDotCom]

G'day! Wow - 850A is massive. This one was recently upgraded to a 400A / 48v controller. What type of batteries did you get? The reason I ask: subjecting golf cart batteries even to 400 amps for more than a few seconds is very hard on them and will shorten their "natural" life (they're rated to deliver about 70A normally). Have you got a web site yet?

[lpgas1]

nah sorry now web site, just my video's on here. the batteries i got are 250amp/h 145rc @75amps 6 volt. and apparently they can handle very sort sharp bursts of this current? =] they use them in golf cart racing! i get a new camera next week and i'll post some better videos of all my stuff then!

cheers mate

[ForkenSwiftDotCom]

Racing batteries! Sounds like fun. Heading over the check your vids now...

[landongendur]

Whoa, funky light show! What a cool and useful device.

[melsoftm]

Clever!! Love the idea, glad that you are constantly upgrading your ev!