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So Who is Going to do the First KE Rolla EV Conversion ?


Banjo

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I was actually looking at doing the EV conversion on my ke26, as i was half way through rebuilding the engine and thinking of going efi... there are only 2 issues, the first is do i have $30k to do the EV conversion and the second is where to put the batteries. Easiest solution is to keep the gearbox and drive train and get an adapter plate and bolt the motor in place of the engine.

I went and did the EV course online with EV Alliance and the rough ratio for a 1 tonne car is 20kwh will get you 100km of range... that is actually 4 tesla battery modules or about 7 LG Chem modules, this is about 70cm x 60cm x 30cm (and close to 160kg) when you add in the cooling plates and battery management modules and package it in a weatherproof box. Needless to say this is actually a large space that is much bigger than a fuel tank on a car. You also need to consider that you will need to engineer  the solution and speaking to my local engineer you can go about 10-15% over the original weight of the car from the factory if you want to be able to register it for the road, so when you add in the weights of DC-DC converter (so you can run the 12v system on your car like lights, aircon etc), chargers, motor, Management modules, adapter plate for motor to gearbox etc you don't have a lot of wiggle room of you only take out an old 3k motor and gas tank. 

Also the original drive train wasnt designed to take the full torque that an electric motor can put out, so often people have to upgrade the gearbox or at least the internals, and the replace the axles.  

Whilst I am still looking into the best solution as throwing time and money into an EFI conversion on an old 3k motor is good, is there something that will keep the car running longer? Personally if i can get 200km of range in a battery package about the size of a gas tank then the EV conversion will become worth while, so whilst i have time i am keeping my options open

 

Edited by wenisman
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  • 1 month later...
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Everyone talking rc conversions while I'm here doing the sums on how much ethanol could be distilled with a backyard still. 

In all seriousness the motor tech is pretty much there(brushless rc motors are no better now than 15yr ago) it's the battery size, weight and volatility. I've had one LiPo fire in 20yrs of club level offroad RC racing and I'm pedantic on battery maintenance and charging. Once I can get an EV Ute that will get me from the Mornington peninsula to Eildon and back on a charge with my 14ish foot ski boat on the back I'll be all about it. How effortless would towing be with a metric F'ton of torque at the hit of the foot operated speed controller. 🤣

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Over here we have an organization "Autolibre", that gives technical assistance and training in assembly of electric vehicles and lithium batteries, they have seminars and also bring the components to the country, and one of theirs flagship is this beautyfull KE70 liftback. It's almost all stock, it has an "AC50" engine that should give it 70hp, 108V 50 Kw for batteries that gives a top speed of 120 km/h and a range of 170 km

272735358_4668581539877691_1973654907263091802_n.thumb.jpg.fec808f288cb365dc30c440627630cad.jpg

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"That blue KE70is so cool"

Sure is !  Love how they have utilised the original engine mounts & fitted the "orange rail" that supports everything associated with the conversion.

I looked up the website for the Autolibre organisation.

Interesting read !

Came across this one on there !

image.png.a7eb47e476e66d396d385534f20bc05c.png

EV conversion car, with a wind turbine generator on the roof, to reclaim  the energy you have used  to go forward, to recharge the batteries.  Sorry !  Very low efficiency me thinks !  I'd be a bit worried about the bits of string or rope, tying it to the roof rails ?

P.S. Wouldn't like to be driving behind this car !

Cheers Banjo

 

 

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  • 6 months later...

Also very interesting, I've just read that the Ford/Mazda combine means you can fit a 2L Duratech Ecoboost motor from Ford to a J160 6-speed Altezza gearbox from the MX5...   I'm not sure if the Fiesta 3cyl Eco is part of it,or just the 4cyl motors.  Its getting very hard to find a modern motor in RWD format.

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  • 4 months later...

There are a number of people who make parts for the rwd conversion of the duratec engine as they are pretty common in caterhams and Westfield's.

 

I am seeing if I can get an electric gt ev crate motor in aus. If it is closer to a direct drop in then it may be a costly but convenient option.

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Oh I love it !   The love affair continues.  You lift the bonnet, of your EV powered car, but still has all the appearances of a worked V8.  I think it is call "holding on"; to what we stiil love & are so used to.

image.png.4ac5c8ce082b649eb84c193eba25c795.png

https://www.sparesbox.com.au/blog/electric-gt-ecrate-motor

Cheers Banjo

 

Edited by Banjo
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Yeah, I'm looking at getting the egt213. A casual 150hp should suffice

 

https://electricgt.com/shop/213-e-crate-conversion-system/

 

I am drawn to this system because it's the easiest system to install, will without going down the rabbit home of sourcing parts yourself and designing in ev system. But the costs are very high, $49k usd for the v6 equiv crate motor (313 system) is a turn off. 

 

Edited by wenisman
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  • 2 weeks later...

Lovely story about the very early (60-70 years ago) EV conversions, on the ABC website, yesterday.  Good read !

https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2023-02-04/worlds-first-electric-porsche-forgotten-history-evs-melbourne/101891670

However, it was a side story about a guy in Chinchilla, in Qld., that caught my eye.  He converted a Dato 1200 ute.  I worked for a company that had one of those once, & the ute cabin was hard to squeeze into.

We can't let the Dato communitity, be the first !  Sure there must be someone out there, considering, doing an "EV", on their Rolla.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2021-10-18/converting-classic-cars-to-electric-vehicles/100533104

Cheers Banjo

Edited by Banjo
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