14 year old converts VW into electric car

[n2doc]

Ashton Stark shows off the rear compartment of his grandfather’s 1972 Volkswagen, which he and his father have converted to an electric vehicle. The car is now driven by a single motorized shaft and powered by nine golf cart batteries. The Starks estimate the vehicle can travel up to 45 miles on a single charge which would cost about 10 cents in electricity.


Electric vision
Electric car has tie with past and vision for future

By Patrick McDonough
Argus Observer
Saturday, July 24, 2010 11:02 PM PDT

Ontario — After almost a year of building a fully operational electric vehicle, and after all of the study and implementation of electrical and mechanical engineering involved, one important element of the project is still missing for Ashton Stark.

That would be reaching the age where he can drive it.

Stark, who is 14 and will be a sophomore at Ontario High School in the fall, said he will be old enough for a learner’s permit in a few weeks. He said he is excited about getting behind the wheel and showing it to more of his friends.

He conceded that, in the meantime, there still are many points of enjoyment and pride associated with the car.

He said one of the main points of pride is the vehicle’s connection with the past.

http://www.argusobserver.com/articles/2010/07/25/news/us/doc4c4baada89ae8840277920.txt

[sellitman]

1. Very cool

Thanks for sharing.

[madokie]

2. Neighbor has a geo that he's converted to battery power

he uses 16-6 volt golf cart batteries and he can go 50 miles without draining the batteries below 80% capacity, in other words hes working off the top 20% of the available energy. Been driving it for two years and the batteries are still as good as new as far as he can tell.

[tinrobot]

6. Lead acid batteries are a bit different

I have an MGB with the exact same 16x6V battery configuration and the same range. I suspect he's actually stopping at around 60% discharge, and working off the top 40% which would be about right for 50 miles. The catch with lead acid is that, if you discharge a lead acid battery below 50%, you start damaging the battery. So you really only get to use the top half of your pack.

Lithium batteries, such as the ones on the Nissan Leaf, are lighter and can be discharged a lot deeper than 50%, so you get a lot more range per pound of battery. The lithium battery pack in the Leaf is actually very close to the capacity of 16 6V golf cart batteries, but the lithium batteries are lighter and can be discharged more deeply, so you get 100 mile range rather than 50 miles.

[madokie]

8. No argument from me

Can you tell me what the voltage is for that 50% as I have a yard cart I built that I'd like to not damage the batteries.

[tinrobot]

10. It's right around the rated voltage of the batttery

When 100% charged, a 12v lead acid battery is around 14.4v. The 50% point is right around 12v. Go much below that and you start damaging the battery.

Drawing power out of the battery can cause a voltage drop that brings it below 12v while loaded. This is normal. You need to measure the battery unloaded, and after the battery has rested for at least a few minutes.

[Bigmack]

14. I've been waiting for this chance...

to ask somebody who appears to know what they are talking about around batteries. I have 3 12 volt batts on my boat. One is a starter and the other two are "house" batteries for the reefer and lights and like that. Got tired of watering them when they got older. Switched to Optima batts. No problems since then. They don't self-discharge, and this will be the third year, will no loss of storage capacity.

How about Optimas in the car application.

(Optimas are pricey, but you need to be a contortionist to water the regular lead-acid batts. Gettin' too old for that shit.)

[Strelnikov_]

12. Those Geo Metros sucked as gassers

But made nice little EV conversion platforms.

Too bad the body on most deteriorated almost as quickly as the powertrain.

[madokie]

13. another of my friends had one

an he told me he never changed the oil in it for close to a 100,000 miles. When we tore it down to replace the exhaust valves the cylinder walls still looked good. After the valve job he drove it for another couple years without much trouble. I guess it was just a crap shoot if you got a good one or not.

[FredStembottom]

3. Hey!

He replaced that VW's weird, little engine with...
a weird, little engine!

The nerd appeal continues un-interrupted!

[Dont_Bogart_the_Pretzel]

4. LOL

[guardian]

5. GM should hire him

His car has a longer range per charge than the Chevy Volt, 45 mi vs. 40 mi.

[Duchess]

7. The Volt

would get much better milage if Chevy could build it to 1972 safety standards. I wonder how much weight is added by 38 years of DOT/safety standard regulation.

[madokie]

9. I think the lead acid batteries in the kids VW out weigh the added safety

Its all in the capacity of the battery pack that GM is using.

[tinrobot]

11. About 1000 pounds

An early 1990s Honda Civic weighs about 1000 pounds less than a modern Civic. This is why the 1991 CRX got over 50mpg and the new ones barely break 30mpg.

Not all of it is safety features, however. A lot of it is bigger engines, larger bodies, lusher interiors, sound damping, and all those other things that make modern cars seem so nice.