| Owner | Paul Koch | ||||||
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| Location | Gawler, South Australia Australia map | ||||||
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| Vehicle | 1989 Subaru Sherpa/ Fiori A two seat van. Orginally came with an 800 cc motor and used primarily for urban deliveries. It was bought as an almost completed project with lead acid batteries. The batteries were upgraded to lithium, giving greater range and power. A great commuter car now | ||||||
| Motor | Advanced DC Series Wound DC | ||||||
| Drivetrain | Retained the orginal gear box and clutch. | ||||||
| Controller | Curtis | ||||||
| Batteries | 32, 3.20 Volt, Lithium Iron Phosphate Orginally the conversion had lead acid. One of the cells failed so it was decided that lithium, at the price, lifespan and the extra performace was the best option. Once in, this proved to be the case. | ||||||
| System Voltage | 96 Volts | ||||||
| Charger | A TCCH 1.5 kW charger | ||||||
| Heater | Ceramic fan element for the demister. You need an extra jumper when it gets cold. | ||||||
| Instrumentation | 12 volt volt meter for the axillary battery. An amp meter, and expaned range volt meters for the traction batteries. Also an e-xpert pro. A fantastic set up, provides confidence and takes any anxiousness out of equation. | ||||||
| Top Speed | 60 MPH (96 KPH) The car sits comfortabily on 80 km/hour, will go up to 100 km/ hour if needed. As we use it mainly as an urban runaround it sits on 50 km/h most of the time | ||||||
| Acceleration | Pretty good for a litte car. Gets off the lights sharpish. | ||||||
| Range | 60 Miles (96 Kilometers) The range is just over 100 kilometres. This is more that enough for our usual daily needs. In fact our other car (petrol) barely gets a run now. But at the end of the day, no tears shed about that. | ||||||
| Watt Hours/Mile | 110 Wh/km | ||||||
| EV Miles |
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| Seating Capacity | 2 adults | ||||||
| Curb Weight | 1,587 Pounds (721 Kilograms) The car started at 580kg kg with the ICE, but with the batteries, now up to the 720kg, well within the GVM. It turned out to be a very light car. Also, by changing over to lithium, from lead acid, we reduced the overall weight by around 90 kilograms. This helps with the performamce etc | ||||||
| Tires | 145/70R12S A very narrow tyre, but does the job. | ||||||
| Conversion Time | Around one and a half years. When we bought the vehicle, it was very neat and tidy and almost complete. But the need to upgrade to lithium meant a lot of re-engineering and time spent soucing materials, finalsing reports etc. Now it finished it's all fine. | ||||||
| Conversion Cost | aorund $11,500 (Australian) | ||||||
| Additional Features | A safety interlock system. This system provides a 'safe' starting sequence. A radio. A fan positioned to push air into the wiring end of the motor. It kicks in at 40 degrees Celsius and works a treat. Just the ticket for hot Australian conditions. | ||||||
| A great project and a fantastic result. I started out about a year and a half ago knowing very little about EVs. I joined the Adelaide Branch of the AEVA who have supported us through the whole conversion. Thanks to Rod, Edward, Bruce, Eric, Marianne, Trevor, Ray (who did the original conversion), Rory (our son) and all the others who provided help. It's just fantastic, I'm a real convert to EVs and wonder why more people don't take up the challenge. Intrerestingly, although starting from a very low base, I can hold a conversation about EVs and to the untrained ear sound like I know what I'm talking about. In most cases I talk about the benefits and fun of an EV. So now, living the dream with an EV grin! | |||||||
1989 Subaru Sherpa
Last Updated 12-20-2012
Copyright © 1997-2024 by Mike Chancey