July 31, 2007 by Rob.

I have sold my soul to the Dark Wizard, WaldeMart, in exchange for expelling the demon in my auxiliary battery. Under his ever watchful eye (and for $37), I transformed the demonic battery into a non-jinxed battery that is slightly smaller flooded Pb than the original.
Hopefully this will finally cure the Laura EV jinx: I had not driven the RAVolt for a week and the battery was completely shot. Of course, I only discovered that AFTER Laura asked to go for a ride.

Posted in Parts, Improvements, Storyline | 1 Comment »

July 30, 2007 by Rob.

Porsche discussing a parallel hybrid Cayenne that uses an ICE to get to 60 MPH, but can cruise using the electric motor only. It also makes it possible for them to use the platform as a plug-in.

Posted in EV News | 1 Comment »

July 29, 2007 by Rob.

Thanks to Google Reader sharing you can see what I think is interesting enough to share (but not interesting enough to post about). Note: This list is not limited to EVs and clean tech.

Posted in EV News, Storyline | 1 Comment »

July 24, 2007 by Rob.

One of EVAmerica’s design recommendations is to use a relay on the pot box that open whenever the driver gets off the gas.  This is a safety feature because the relay turns off the positive contactor which kills power to the controller.  The safety feature is supposed to provide an emergency kill for the motor & controller if the driver lets go of the gas.  Apparently, on risk with DC systems is that a controller failure results in a short sending 100% of the traction voltage to the motor.  The effect would be the same as a stuck gas pedal and could be dangerous.  Sounds great in theory.

Unfortunately, this feature fights with the controller’s hardwired high pedal lockout (HPL) safety feature.  HPL ensures that controller does not go from 0 to 100% instantly if the driver has pressed on the gas when they turn the ignition key.  Imagine that I’m in a rush and I step on the gas and then turn the key.  There is no cranking start up like an ICE: the EV can launch like a rocket from it’s parking place.  To prevent this the controller will not start if the pedal input is too high.  Wow, another great safety feature!

Now, imagine that I’m stopped on a light at a hill.  The light changes and I step on the gas pedal fast to keep from rolling backwards.  The pedal relay activates the contactor which powers up the controller which then reads the pot box and starts the motor turning.  Most of the time the car follows this script and the controller’s solid state electronics start *nearly* instantly while the two mechanical relays appear to click instantly; however, I’m pressing the gas pedal down pretty fast on a hill.  In that case, the delays are enough that the pedal is too high when the controller wakes up so it goes into HPL mode.  The car is effectively dead and rolling backwards!

Without known the cause, I’ve been using the hand brake for hill starts.  It also happens while moving if I want to accelerate quickly.  Once I put all the pieces together it was easier to avoid, but still annoying and unsafe.  I’m considering alternatives for fixing the problem including eliminating the relay on the positive contactor, adding an override switch, or using the clutch position as an override.  I can’t disable the HPL feature of the Curtis.  I’m open to suggestions - just comment to this post.

Posted in Safety, Improvements, Conversion, Planning | 1 Comment »

July 23, 2007 by Rob.

Wow…a good suggestion from YouTube: “If you haven’t already, put a bellypan, grille block, and rear wheel skirts on that thing and remove the roof rack if you don’t need it. Reducing drag can dramatically improve highway range.”

Note: I can’t find the $!*# key for the roof rack!

Posted in Improvements | 1 Comment »

July 23, 2007 by Rob.

Last week I commuted four times in the RAVolt including 2 in light rain.  Driving the EV is different and will take some explaining.  I’m getting used to the route and that helps me conserve power.  For example, I’m learning how to meter my power on the hills and where I can be lighter on the accelerator.

Posted in Daily Use, Storyline | 1 Comment »

July 18, 2007 by Rob.

Yesterday, I had a debate with a friend about when I should charge the RAVolt.  Generally, I try to charge at night because Austin Energy is more likely to be using wind power because the turbines produce more electricity at night.  I have no way of knowing if they are using wind power and it does not make any difference in the amount of $ that I pay on my bill.

I know that is idealistic to think that delaying my charging makes any difference in global CO2 levels, but that is why I built the EV at all!  My family tries to shift our general energy use (dish washer, dryer, etc) into the evening for the same reason.

Eventually, electric companies will roll out variable billing rates and we’ll have monetary incentives to support shifting our loads off-peak.  Until then, I’ll maintain my diurnal preference for evening electrons and regard it as good practice.
vs.

Posted in Green Tech, Storyline | 1 Comment »

July 17, 2007 by Rob.

I pushed the RAVolt’s envelope farther than ever today: over 25 miles including my commute, a short lunch trip, and running all over Westlake looking for a first-aid class.  There was plenty of juice for low speed cruising, but I would not want to try more 360 rush-hour driving at that level of charge.
On the ride home I saw a Zap 3-wheel electric. I wanted to wave, but they would not have know I was an electric too. It’s getting time to get some stickers and take the RAVolt out of “stealth EV” mode.

Over at Westlake High School the RAVolt was parked next too a herd of Hummers. Gasp.

Posted in Storyline | 2 Comments »

July 17, 2007 by Rob.

This national junior solar car competition is sponsored by Dell and gives high school students a chance to build and race their own solar EVs.  These are not conversions - they build the whole car.  Unlike the college level competition, it does not appear that the cars need to be street legal.

Posted in Green Tech, EV News | No Comments »

July 16, 2007 by Rob.

Today, the RAVolt handled my 14 mile hilly commute with panache!  I’m charging tonight to prepare for another day of carbon free commuting.

It was awesome to show the car off at work: everyone where has been very supportive and enthusiastic about the project.

Posted in Storyline | 2 Comments »