| Owner | Roger White | ||||||||
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| Location | Livermore, California United States map | ||||||||
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| Vehicle | 1986 Pontiac Fiero GT | ||||||||
| Motor | ABM 4 DGF132Md-4 3-Phase AC Semi-custom low voltage AC motor from ABM Greiffenberger used in the forklift industry. Bought from ABM Drives Inc. in Ohio, ABM P/N 191.635.000. With the 102V lithium pack and a 650A controller, each motor will put out about 58 Hp, with a peak torque around 120 ft-lbs each. With the 84V lead acid battery and 550A controller, each motor will put out about 45Hp. Peak torque is about 110 ft-lbs each. Max rpm is about 6000rpm. | ||||||||
| Drivetrain | Mid engine, Dual AC electric motors belted together and connected to a clutch and the original 5 speed transmission. | ||||||||
| Controller | Curtis 1238-7601 72-96V 650A 3 phase AC induction motor controller. One is used for each motor. | ||||||||
| Batteries | 64 CALB/Skyenergy SE100AHA, 3.20 Volt, Lithium Iron Phosphate Arranged 32S2P. Using centralized mini BMS from Clean Power Auto. | ||||||||
| System Voltage | 102 Volts | ||||||||
| Charger | Manzanita Micro PFC-30 Universal input 30A in, 40A out | ||||||||
| Heater | DBK HR series PTC heater (bought from KTA). Works okay with the air being recirculated. Pulls between 1.0 - 1.5kW depending on the fan speed. | ||||||||
| DC/DC Converter | Curtis 1400E 72/96-1211 22A output | ||||||||
| Instrumentation | Speedometer Tachometer Main battery voltmeter 12V battery voltmeter Motor/Controller temperature Battery state of charge gauge Shift light (programmable) Check Engine light for fault codes All the instrumentation is OEM and driven through an opto-isolator by the Curtis 1238R- 7601 controller. | ||||||||
| Top Speed | 120 MPH (193 KPH) Not yet tested. Highest speed run so far is 90 mph and it was still accelerating pretty quickly. The simulation shows a top speed around 120 mph. | ||||||||
| Acceleration | Measured data with lithium pack (1 cell removed from each pack for NEDRA voltage class): 0-60 mph <8.0 sec (measured at 30% SOC with two adults) Set NEDRA SC/G record on 7-Jun-13: 1/8th mile: 10.063 sec @ 68.904 mph 1/4th mile: 15.766 sec @ 86.401 mph Measured data with lead acid pack: 0-60 mph in about 11 sec Will do a modest burnout in first gear. NEDRA SC/G record set on 17-Nov-07 with both battery packs in. I ran 4 runs with no charging (the fouth was just as quick as the first) and still could run over 20 miles afterwards. 1/8th mile: 11.409 sec @ 59.824 mph 1/4th mile: 18.028 sec @ 74.269 mph | ||||||||
| Range | 50 Miles (80 Kilometers) Estimated with lithium pack: ~40 miles on the freeway ~60 miles around town Measured with the lead acid pack: ~25 miles on the freeway ~45 miles around town | ||||||||
| Watt Hours/Mile | 370 Wh/Mile Measured at the wall for normal driving at 60 mph including full accelerations. | ||||||||
| EV Miles |
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| Seating Capacity | 2 adults | ||||||||
| Curb Weight | 3,180 Pounds (1,445 Kilograms) Estimated Weight with Lithium pack: Total 3180 lbs, Front 1370 lbs, Rear 1810 lbs, about 440 lbs over the original weight. Measured Weight with Lead Acid pack: Total 3780 lbs, Front 1670 lbs, Rear 2110 lbs, Same 44%/56% weight distribution as original but about 1000 lbs heavier. | ||||||||
| Tires | Continental ProContact EcoPlus 205/60R15 | ||||||||
| Conversion Time | About 600 hours | ||||||||
| Conversion Cost | Total around $21k. Motors $1k each. Batteries + BMS $9k Donor car $4k Controllers $1k each Charger $2k Suspension and brake upgrades $1k Wiring and misc. parts $1k Note this cost is only for the car in its present configuration. This does not count money spent on the previous lead acid battery pack. | ||||||||
| Additional Features | The brake pedal controls regen braking and blends it with the mechanical brakes. A switch on the clutch disables the regen braking so it is easy to shift when the clutch is pressed. For safety, a separate start button was added that must be pressed after the keyswitch is turned on (and the driver can not be on the throttle). For fun, a high performance switch was added to switch between normal driving mode and a more aggressive drag race mode. | ||||||||
| This car was built using 84V AC forklift motors and controllers which are cheaper than some other AC options. I got this on the road for the first time in August 2007. Since then I have had to improve the motor mounts after the motors ripped themselves loose and replace the battery they damaged. I am slowly working on the rest of it, but driving it as I go. I had some problems with the Odyssey 2150 batteries. I vented one when running around 1400A from one pack repeatedly for relatively short cycles (~30seconds) with short rests (~30 seconds). I also damaged one due to charging imbalances. I installed Rudman regulators on the front pack and the powercheq dc/dc balancers on the rear pack and have had no problems since. Update January 2012: I have blown the transmission for the second time. It is clear I need a stronger transmission. In the process of finding one. Update August 2012: I put in the Getrag 5 speed in May and it has worked fine so far. My lead acid pack wore out and I upgraded to CALB SE100AHA cells and changed the controllers to the 1238-7601 model at 157,710 miles. Update March 2023: The CALB batteries have survived lots of abuse, but finally have died. This car was lots of fun, but no longer meets my needs (kids to pick up from school), so I will probably put it up for sale rather than buying new batteries. | |||||||||
1986 Pontiac Fiero GT
Last Updated 03-30-2023
Copyright © 1997-2024 by Mike Chancey