| Owner | James Wolfe | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Owner's Other EVs | 1982 Pontiac J2000 1993 Dodge TEVan 1988 Pontiac Fiero 1995 Solectria E-10 1993 Dodge TEVan Junior Dragster | ||
| Location | Glendale, Arizona United States map | ||
| | |||
| Vehicle | 1999 Dodge Caravan SE "Electric Powered Interurban Commuter" OEM production vehicle, not a conversion. | ||
| Motor | 3-Phase AC SatCon AC Induction Motor - 100 HP peak/ 75 HP continuous, oil cooled | ||
| Drivetrain | Single-speed front wheel drive transaxle (w/ drive, reverse, neutral, & park positions). | ||
| Controller | Chrysler Pentastar | ||
| Batteries | 28 Saft Nh12.1, 12.00 Volt, Nickel-Metal Hydride 93 Ahr, weighing 18.8 Kg each and water cooled. | ||
| System Voltage | 336 Volts | ||
| Charger | LM 14.4 Off-board Lockheed Martin Conductive Level II or III built exclusively for the EPIC and uses an ODU connector at the vehicle. Level II: 208/240 volt, single phase, 10KW Max @ 400V (4-5 hours 0 to 100%) Level III: 208 volt, 3-phase, 14.4KW Max @ 400V, (approx. 2 miles per minute of charge time) | ||
| Heater | Heat Pump and PTC 3-stage Ceramic | ||
| DC/DC Converter | None, uses a standard group 27 lead acid battery that is maintained by the traction pack. When idle, the system checks the 12V battery every 1/2 hour and if below 12.3 Volts tops it up. When in run mode the system emulates the alternator profile. | ||
| Instrumentation | Battery Temp, Battery state of Charge, power% guage that reads like an analog ammeter from 0 to 100%, Power remaining, Power limit warning lite | ||
| Top Speed | 80 MPH (128 KPH) Programmed limit. | ||
| Acceleration | 0 to 50 in 12.3 seconds | ||
| Range | 60 Miles (96 Kilometers) EV America tested anywhere from 60 to 113 miles. A single data point: After driving 43.8 miles at freeway speeds and when beginning a recharge, the charger stated, "The ev is 46% charged". (Yes, it talks) | ||
| Watt Hours/Mile | 250 to 750 when measured at the wall. The 750 figure is with the heat pump running while charging and for some time after charging is complete. | ||
| EV Miles |
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| Seating Capacity | 5 adults, 3rd seat mounting and seat belts are present, if the seat was installed, would provide seating for 7 adults. | ||
| Curb Weight | 4,875 Pounds (2,215 Kilograms) GVWR 5800 Lbs/2631 Kg (925 lbs payload) | ||
| Tires | Goodyear Integra P205/75R15 inflated to rated 44 lbs (door sticker shows 50 lbs with original Goodyear Milleniums) | ||
| Conversion Time | OEM production vehicle, not a conversion | ||
| Conversion Cost | From the auction flyer: "The Acquisition value shown represents the original price paid by the government for the item(s) listed. ($25,270) This data is provided by the government and should be considered only as reference of the original purchase price for this item(s)." | ||
| Additional Features | AM/FM Stereo Radio w/ Cassette Tape Tilt Steering Wheel Electric Air Conditioning/Heat Pump, and Electric Heater/Defroster with Side Window Demisters Driver & Front Passenger Air Bags Solar Glass ahead of B-pillars; Solar Privacy Glass behind Halogen Headlights Intermittent Windshield Wipers Heated Backlight Electric Wiper De-Icer Power Steering Power Brakes Front Wheel Disc Brakes Anti-Lock Brakes Regenerative Braking Power Door Locks, (but manual windows) BEMS - Battery Energy Management System (tracks I/O of each battery for the life of the vehicle) | ||
| Prior owner purchased this vehicle from a Government surplus auction. The EPIC was used on a military base and sold as surplus property in 2006. It sat in a warehouse until I purchased it on 02-24-2014. It was first titled in Arizona on the morning that I purchased it using the FA97 form provided by the government. I have two of the Lockheed Martin 14.4 Kw "Blue Box" chargers for the vehicle both of which are fully functional. 02-28-2014: dropped the single 1200+ lb battery tray and began testing and reconditioning of the NiMh batteries. They are sitting at "0.44V to 0.01V" at this time. 04-04-2014: At 6:30 AM it came to life when the charger announced that it was beginning a complete charge 04-05-2014: There are a few more miles on the odometer as we check for "all systems go." 04-12-2014: Attempting to locate an early version of the DRB-III diagnostic tool and the PCMCIA card for it that has the software for the EPIC. 05-10-2014: 7032 miles By comparison this thing is a Model S and the TEVan is a forklift. Took it to the local Saturday "Cruise Night" and got a lot of attention from other Gearheads. (No-one had ever heard of it.) 05-12-2014: Range tested to 76 miles and still above 1/4 mark after three complete 0-full 5 hr charges and a dozen topping-up charges. Topping-up is necessary because the ONLY charger for this vehicle within 400 miles is at my house. 05-24-2014: 1/2 price day at Ecology auto parts. I bought the 3rd seat for the EPIC for less than $20. Now six of my Grandkids get to ride in the EPIC during the parades. (Turned 7450 miles on the way home..) 05-26-2014: Found that after the charger announced, "The EV is 100% charged", the heat pump continued to run for more than an hour. In the morning I found that it was 18% more Kwhrs than what went into the pack. My meter at the wall shows what was used for the charger, heat pump and coolant pump. The charger announces the Ahrs into the pack only. 10-08-2014: 8050 miles | |||
1999 Dodge EPIC
“EPIC”
Last Updated 05-10-2016
Copyright © 1997-2024 by Mike Chancey