Conversion of a smaller car than my 914

[L. Chris Hager]

I've been putting off doing my 914 conversion, partly because the internal-combustion motor is still hanging in there.  Now it appears that I might put it off a while longer and do a 'first take' at conversion on my recently acquired little 1959 Berkeley, a tiny English 2-seater (and one of the few cars to autocross as well as the 914).  Berks came with a 328 cc motorcycle motor (mounted forward of the front axles), making only about 20 hp., but it weighed in at about 680 pounds (add gas and the driver-- and maybe a passenger)!  It would probably do well as an electric, as weight is the enemy of ev's.  SO: I'm looking for advice from anyone who has done a conversion that might give a hint as to what motor, voltage, and controller combination might be good.  Maybe from someone who's done a motorcycle conversion.. With the original motor and gas tank out, it weighs about 600 lb, about the same as larger motorcycles. I would probably use lithium cells similar to Thundersky-- anything to avoid the weight of lead-acids.   IF it were yours, what motor/controller combination would YOU chose?  Chris, near DC

[Mark Brems]

With a  car so small and light, the AC50 might be overkill. The AC35 with a smaller pack might be
right, since you will have less space for batteries, and I assume you won't be using it for anything
more than around-town. I used the CALB 180ah cells, but you might go with 100-120ah cells if long
range isn't an issue. The less amp hours, the smaller the cell.

I pulled up a google image - That's a sweet little ride:
http://www.sportscardigest.com/wp-content/uploads/735_Berkeley_1959_S-E492_Roadster_74_900.jpg

Reminds me of this electric Bugeye Sprite:
https://sites.google.com/site/fredbehningsebugeye/build-progress/01-06-12-2011-charging-inlet-port

Cheers,
McB

On Thu, Aug 16, 2012 at 12:52 PM, L. Chris Hager <carolus...@yahoo.com> wrote:

I've been putting off doing my 914 conversion, partly because the internal-combustion motor is still hanging in there.  Now it appears that I might put it off a while longer and do a 'first take' at conversion on my recently acquired little 1959 Berkeley, a tiny English 2-seater (and one of the few cars to autocross as well as the 914).  Berks came with a 328 cc motorcycle motor (mounted forward of the front axles), making only about 20 hp., but it weighed in at about 680 pounds (add gas and the driver-- and maybe a passenger)!  It would probably do well as an electric, as weight is the enemy of ev's.  SO: I'm looking for advice from anyone who has done a conversion that might give a hint as to what motor, voltage, and controller combination might be good.  Maybe from someone who's done a motorcycle conversion.. With the original motor and gas tank out, it weighs about 600 lb, about the same as larger motorcycles. I would probably use lithium cells similar to Thundersky-- anything to avoid the weight of lead-acids.   IF it were yours, what motor/controller combination would YOU chose?  Chris, near DC

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "914ev" group.
To post to this group, send email to 91...@googlegroups.com.
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to 914ev+un...@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/914ev?hl=en.

[Michael Brown]

Fred's Sprite is for sale, and that's me in the top picture!

https://sites.google.com/site/fredbehningsebugeye/build-progress/01-time-to-move-on 

--

Mike Brown

"There has never been a war over electricity and there never will be." -- Paul Scott, Founding member of Plug In America.

[Peter Thompson]

Always nice to have extra power, so I'd stick with the AC50.  If space is a concern, and if you are only driving around town, you might want to talk to HPEVS - they also sell a transaxle that mates with the AC50.  A coworker of mine has a Kewet with that combo.  She's able to get up to 65mph, and can burn rubber if driven aggressively.  :)

Cheers, Peter