U Drive
OwnerJonathan Dodge
LocationMeridian, Idaho United States map
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Vehicle1974 Porsche 914
MotorKostov Series Wound DC
(Monster) motor, 30 HP continuous, 200 foot-pounds. Torque
DrivetrainOriginal 5 speed transmission with clutch
ControllerAuburn Scientific PWC1200-192 Griz-Burger
Batteries16 Trojan 27TMH, 12.00 Volt, Lead-Acid, Flooded
System Voltage192 Volts
ChargerRussco
240 VAC in, set up for 192 volt battery pack, delivers 13 Amps to the batteries
HeaterCeramic core element heater sandwiched between home-made fiberglass boxes that duct hoses connect to. The original air blower forces air through the heater element and to the original heater system hot air inputs.
DC/DC ConverterTodd PC-30HV
30 Amp output
Instrumentation1000 Amp E-meter.
Top Speedunknown. Faster than the speed limit for sure
Range50 Miles (80 Kilometers)
(about)
Seating CapacitySeats two plus a small child.
Curb Weight0
unknown, probably 800 pounds heavier than stock
Tires165SR15 by Firestone. Got them almost new off; an old VW Beetle. Will replace with 155-15 LRR tires once these wear out.
I don't know if the top can be stored in the rear trunk anymore since I used the latch clearance holes to route cables and cooling tubes.

I hid a VW oil cooler radiator and an RV water pump in the engine bay lid. Flexible tubing connects these to the base of the liquid cooled controller. The water pump is obnoxious at 12 volts, so I installed a small DC-DC converter to drop the pump supply voltage to 5 volts, So the car is quiet at a stop.

The performance is very nice, certainly faster than as original. The Kostov makes a whining noise, distinctively EVish. Not very loud.

Very reliable car so far.

code by jerry