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72Cutlass
07-26-2005, 02:35 PM
Thats right, an electric pro touring cutlass. My new project. At the moment its an 84 cutlass supreme brougham sitting in my back yard half disassembled.
I know what your all thinkning. "Electric?" Well before you decide that theres no way an electric car can compete with a gas car check this out. http://acpropulsion.com/tzero_pages...performance.htm click on the pictures for videos. That should give you an idea of the kind of power i'm hoping for.
I'm plsnning on using an Azure motor. http://www.azuredynamics.com/pdf/AC...June%202005.pdf
coupled with one of their matching motor contollers.
http://www.azuredynamics.com/pdf/DM...June%202005.pdf
Not sure what batteries i'll be using I need to do a little more research into this. Lithiom ion batteries are the best but there price is alittle to much at the moment.(over $10,000 for the bank i'd need) I'll probably be using a newer advanced lead acid type.
I've got some ideas on how to regen erate some power for a longer range but I'm still working on them. It would seem to me that their should be a way to use some of the mechanical energy your producing in the wheels or drivetrain to generate soie electricity. My idea is to use a couple of large alternators, extend their shafts and couple these to the outpute of the motor. I'm thinkning this should creat amost no drag as the internal shafts are on bearings and the only ting they contact is the brushes. Just an idea at this pint but I plan on trying it.
For the moment i'm planning on a direct drive to the rear axle (no trans). thid will eliminate alot of loss over power through the drive train.
It will have all the rest of the usual pro touring features. Big brakes, Better suspension, better steering. I'll most likely be using a hydroboost unit for the brakes as I won't have a gas motor creating vaccum for the brake booster. My other option would be to run a vaccum pump but the more things you have running off the motor the more power your using up. One pully to the power steering pump will power the brakes and the steering.
THe original motor and tranny will be pulled. Gas tank will be gone as well as the exhaust system. This will be replaced by an electric motor, a battery bank, a motor controller, and a charger for the batteries.
The motor will most likely be located in the trans tunnel and will be atached to the original drive shaft.
I havent decided on suspension or steering yet. any suggestions would be appreciated. My first priority will be the electric conversion. then i'll start upgrading the other things.
Should be a fun project. Allways wanted somting a little different and I think this is it.
Feel free to ask any questions you may have. I'll do my best to answer them.
Cheers
Dave
:geezer:
A couple other electric vehicle sites.
http://www.nedra.com/
http://www.commutercars.com/
http://www.wurts.net/ElectrifiedMotorSports/ http://www.suckamps.com/

72Cutlass
07-26-2005, 02:37 PM
sorry this should have been in the project introductions section.
Could somone with the capability please move it?
Thanks
Dave

T Bell
07-28-2005, 10:11 AM
couldn't open any of the links in the message. Sounds interesting but wouldn't a smaller car be easier to make faster?

72Cutlass
07-28-2005, 05:29 PM
sorry about the link hopfully this one will work. Click on the performance link and that will take you to the videos. http://www.acpropulsion.com/tzero_pages/tzero_home.htm
The reason I picked this car was really just because I allready had it. If I had had a honda crx I would be converting that instead. I hope to eventually do conversions for people but I think I need something to get their attention. Most people think electric cars are slow and weak so making an electric pro-touring car should break some of those misconcepsions. I don't really think the car will weigh to much. Their will be at least 1200lbs of drivetrain parts removed as well as changing alot of the body parts to fiberglass. All of my fabrications will probably be done using aluminum and I'm considering doing an aluminum floorpan, dash mounts, and whatever else I can think of. The key will then be picking the right electric parts so as not to add to much of that removed weight back in.
I'm also doing some research on how I can regenerate the batteries as I'm driving. The electric motors allready have whats called "regenerative breaking" which basically turns the motor into an alternatore every time yoiu take your foot off the accelerator.
I'm also thinking of running a couple of 150 amp alternators for more regeneration. I'll allready have a pully coming off the motor for the power steering pump so i'm thinking of extending the shaft on the pump and running the alternators in line with the pump. I need to do more research on how much drag this would produce but it would seem that the only drag would be the brushes and that must be fairly minimull.
Another thing i'm researching is having some solar panels flush mounted into the body.
I would modify the fiberglass hood and trunk lid so that the panels were inset. then I could mold the panels right in smooth. When I painted the car I would mask off the panels but then clear coat over them to give them a smooth surface with the paint.
This is all still in the planning stage tho and probly wont get started till the new year.
Cheers
Dave

hotwheels
07-28-2005, 06:50 PM
that is pretty kewl lookin...........has that italian look goin on :thumbsup: