OwnerJoe DiPietro
Owner's Other EV1961 Sunbeam Alpine
LocationGainesville, Florida United States map
Email email image
Vehicle1996 Pontiac Sunfire
MotorWarfield Warp-9 Series Wound DC
Drivetrain5-speed manual transmission, no clutch or flywheel.
We rarely shift. In day-to-day driving, 0 to 50mph, we only use third gear and reverse.
ControllerCurtis 1231C/7701
120 Volts DC at 550 Amps.
Batteries10 US Battery US 12V XC, 12.00 Volt, Lead-Acid, Flooded
155 Amp-hour deep cycle "scrubber" batteries.
All battery connections use 2/0 welding cable with crimped-on ends.
System Voltage120 Volts
ChargerKelly HWC4-120-10A
Kelly charger. 10-Amp charge, plugs into 110VAC.
HeaterWe have not found the need for one in Florida. However, the heater core is still there and a hot-water system would be easy to install.
DC/DC ConverterIota DLS-45
The DC-to-DC converter charges a 35 Amp-hour 12-Volt battery. This runs the car's 12 Volt system. The converter gets it power from the 120-Volt main battery pack. This means that only the main charger is needed to recharge the car.
InstrumentationAnalog Ammeter and digital Voltmeter built into the original instrument cluster.
Top Speed75 MPH (120 KPH)
I've never exceeded 70 mph, but the car was not topped out.
Update: Yeah, it will do 75 without any problems!
AccelerationVery Good. Best time in the 60-foot standing start acceleration test at the 2009 Battery Beach Burnout was 2.755 seconds.
By comparison, the $110,000 Testa did 2.25 seconds at the same event!
Range45 Miles (72 Kilometers)
Mixed around-town and highway driving (up to 65mph) gives me 35-miles of driving to 60% DOD.

During a recent trip I drove 50-to-60mph continuously. I reached ~80% DOD at 41 miles.

Update: If the temperature drops much below 25 (Fahrenheit) the range drops to 20 miles!
Watt Hours/Mile200 Wh/Mile
Smooth level ground, driver but no passengers. Approximately 75-Amps at 120-Volts for 45mph.
OTOH, measured from the wall-socket I average about 550 Whr/mile.
EV Miles
Start:157,463 Miles (253,357 Kilometers)
Current:164,081 Miles (264,006 Kilometers)
Total:6,618 Miles (10,648 Kilometers)
 
    As of 1/6/2011
Seating Capacity4 adults, 5 if they are good friends.
Curb Weight3,350 Pounds (1,522 Kilograms)
TiresNew set of four low-rolling-resistance 185-65 R15
Conversion Time180 Hours
Conversion CostSouthern Electric Cars can do the same conversion for you for about $18,000.
Additional FeaturesAir Conditioning.
Power Steering.
Power brakes with ABS.
"Show-and-Shine" Award Winner at the Battery Beach Burnout, 2009.

First Test Drive: WebPage


code by jerry