OwnerDaniel Monroe
LocationMadison, Indiana United States map
Email email image
Vehicle1990 GMC S-15
No power windows or AC
MotorAdvanced DC FB-4001A Series Wound DC
9.1 inch
for up to 144 Volt systems
dual shaft
Drivetrain5 speed manual clutchless transmission
ControllerCurtis 500 Amp
Batteries20 Interstate Workaholic, 6.00 Volt, Lead-Acid, Flooded
230 Amp-hours
System Voltage120 Volts
ChargerLester
220 AC to 120 DC
HeaterResistance coil heater; works poorly
DC/DC Converter
120 Volt DC to 12 Volt DC
InstrumentationSummit tachometer
Curtis fuel guage
Ammeter
Volt meter
Top Speed74 MPH (119 KPH)
Ascends readily to 50-60 mph; driving like I stole it pulls over 400 amps!
Acceleration0-35 mph: 1st gear
35-50 mph: 2nd gear
50-63 mph 3rd gear
63 mph + 4th gear
Range40 Miles (64 Kilometers)
This is the approximate range on fairly hilly terrain.
EV Miles
Start:157,000 Miles (252,613 Kilometers)
Current:173,500 Miles (279,161 Kilometers)
Total:16,500 Miles (26,548 Kilometers)
 
    As of 3/15/2007
Seating Capacity2 adults and one eight year old Will
Curb Weight4,200 Pounds (1,909 Kilograms)
Added considerable steel to contain batteries and extra suspension. 1500 pounds of traction batteries.
TiresBridgestone 6 ply
Conversion Time6 months
Conversion CostI have $17,000 invested in the vehicle
Additional FeaturesWelded battery carriage beneath bed...bed goes up on 150 pound struts. Separate 12 Volt battery runs the auxillary functions. NAPA battery jug is a great help for topping all 60 cells accurately with distilled water. Future projects include charging completely with solar panels on our roof and extending range indefinitely with a biodiesel powered generator pulled behind the truck on a 2 wheel platform. Looking into adding regenerative braking and upgrading to a 144 Volt system.
I have a 36 mile daily commute. Acceleration and top speed became sluggish during February of 2006. I put in an identical set of batteries at 10,000 miles of service and used the old batteries to receive daily production from our 3 KW photovoltaic system on our home. I intend to use KTA battery warmer pads this coming winter to more similate summertime performance. Adding the tachometer was a great help knowing to what extent I could safely push motor speed. Verlin Jones and I had a great time putting this conversion together. Bob Batson of EVA was terrific in supplying components and timely advice. Many thanks to Robert Craig and Scott Harless for help on this webpage.

code by jerry