Amazon conversion to Electric

[Underdrive]

Originally Posted by Burdekin

Electric cars don’t pollute at source is their advantage, so cities have cleaner air. Could we grow enough to fuel transport and also feed the world? How carbon neutral is that?

Agreed on the localised pollution. I'm not well enough informed about the methods of biofuel production to comment, but some big companies are putting a lot of money into it's research. I think some of the research is based around algae rather than field crops.

[Burdekin]

Originally Posted by Underdrive

Agreed on the localised pollution. I'm not well enough informed about the methods of biofuel production to comment, but some big companies are putting a lot of money into it's research. I think some of the research is based around algae rather than field crops.

Hydrogen, synthetic fuels, electric etc there's plenty going on but not sure any really will stop greenshouse gases when we make over 60million new cars a year and there is something like 1.4billion already. About 17 tonnes of CO2 is produced making a Mondeo and the average car produces about 4.6 tonnes per year. So we produce about 1billion tonnes of CO2 a year just from making new cars (using the numbers above) and 6.5billion tonnes running them. Electric cars over their life do produce about 20% less CO2 but even so I can't see it being a game changer to CO2 produced when we just keep making more new cars. Electric cars will make city air cleaner and roads quieter though so that at least is a good thing.

Just think of all the CO2 produced if there is a big push to replace the 1.4billion cars with new cars, whatever fuel they use. Run a Amazon and save the planet. Convert it to electric and save it a wee bit more. :-)

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by Underdrive

Potentially controversial prediction: in a few years time electric vehicles will become a novelty and a commercial white elephant. Manufacturers will continue with the latest versions of I.C.E. using biofuels. Not entirely my own prediction but partially borrowed from Ross Brawn (F1) who knows a few things

I strongly suspect you're right - i've never bought in to the idea of BEVs being the answer, despite the clean emissions (or lack of emissions?) by the end user. Also there's an intersting report by the Natural History Museum that basically says we'll plunder the earth for various things building the BEVs and still not have enough!

https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/news/...use-goals.html

Originally Posted by Burdekin

Electric cars don’t pollute at source is their advantage, so cities have cleaner air. Could we grow enough to fuel transport and also feed the world? How carbon neutral is that?

The other big advantage of growing fuel is while growing those plants take CO from the air and convert it back to oxygen. Between bio and synthetic fuels, we would probably have enough to fuel everything and cleaner emissions. Not to be forgotten is LPG conversions for petrol cars, much lower emissions plus a whole host of other advantages.

Originally Posted by whitep

I personally am simply looking for something equivalent to my Renault Zoe. It is 89hp and does about 100 miles depending on season. In summer its more in winter its less.

On one of the EV forums lots of people seem to think because I am converting I should be slicing and dicing the car. Putting 200kg of batteries and 300hp motors. Losing the back seat etc. Or taking a smashed Nissan Leaf and putting it in the Amazon.

THAT IS NOT MY AIM!

I want to take an almost stock classic car. Restore her. Keep her as original as possible, but with an electric motor. The 1.8 engine was about 86hp, so the gearbox and running gear can stay. I hope to hide 3 battery cells in the back and 2 in the front. A 75hp(ish) motor on the gearbox. All the other electronics in the front. This should keep the corner weight similar to stock. Perhaps a little heavier.

I don't want to effectively take a pre existing car and put the Amazon body on it. Its lots of work and I might as well buy and drive a pre existing car. I want it to be different. A daily commuter. And simple.

Granted I will add mod cons. Maybe a LCD dash because the stock one will have lots of unused bits in the electric car. Also a stereo, Aux port, USB ports etc. Maybe proximity sensors, I dont know yet.

Are you sure that few batteries will be enough? The inrush current of any motor on start-up is considerable (at least 10x FLC, in some cases up to 100x FLC) and that may just destroy a small number of batteries relatively quickly.

As for weight distribution, i would aim to get the weight in the engine bay the same/similar to what it was before removing the engine and gearbox. There's a fair bit of space to mount some battery packs in the trans tunnel where the gearbox was. Retain the gear lever to give you forwards and reverse though.
If the weight of what you're adding exceeds that of the original engine/box, try and distribute it equally across the four corners of the car to maintain the original handling characteristics.

As for what speed the propshaft turns at, the same as the engine in 4th gear. A rough guide would be 20mph/1000rpm in 4th (70mph = 3500rpm), your Amazon may be lower geared due to a lower diff and need ~4000rpm for 70mph or perhaps it had overdrive so 70mph would be neaer 3000rpm, either way the propshaft is going to be turning at 3-4000 rpm depending on the diff ratio.

If memory serves, the torque of a B18 is ~80lbft, in first gear you have a reduction of ~3:1 (exact figure will depend on the gearbox) so arguably the torque delivered to the propshaft in 1st will be ~240lbft under hard acceleration. That is ~320Nm if you're using the new-fangled metric measurements. If the motor you've chosen (3-phase i hope!) is capable of that sort of torque or above you won't need a gearbox. More weight and space for extra batteries!

With the original dashboard, if memory serves the Amazons had a speedo, temp and fuel guages and a few basic warning lights. You've expressed a desire to maintain the orignal car so i would think this extends to the instruments - the speedo is mechanical so will use no power, the fuel guage could be reconfigured as a battery voltage indicator and the temp guage could at a push be used to indicate the state of the cooling fluid for the motors, controllers etc which possibly could be fed through a heater matrix - after all you won't want to be cold with misty screens etc!

For the headlights, the originals were 7" sealed beams, there are widely available 7" round LED headlamps, an electronic flasher relay and four LED amber indicator bulbs, red tail/stop bulbs etc will complete the LED lighting conversion at much lower current needs so the original switchgear can be used, most is plug'n'play and available from :

https://www.classiccarleds.co.uk/

They do semi-sealed LED conversions but you may want to go for a dedicated LED headlight unit :

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LED-Headl...4/133655739290

Please note i have picked that one at random, you need to satisfy yourself it provides Left Hand Dip (LHD) as required by UK Law for Right Hand Drive vehicles but it appears to have the necessary accreditation. Granted it's listed for Land-Rovers but they only ued the same sealed beam units originally.

Following this with interest now..............

[KokopelliUK]

Originally Posted by rangerovering

Do you still need the gearbox? Not just connect direct to the propshaft essentially?

Apparently yes: I've not yet come across a conversion to suit my 1800S, but www.electricmgmidget.com will give you a pretty good description of what's involved, in general terms, for just about any front-engine, rear wheel drive car.
I also came across www.evalbum.com/type/VOLV , which lists about a dozen Volvo conversions, so far - tho this site seems to be off-line at the moment (I hope it'll come back!)

[Bracpan]

Originally Posted by csm22

This looks like a viable solution: https://apple.news/AX10XYjB-Qg2Hejbyi_k-zg

I agree if someone made smaller / lighter version of that say 100 to 150bhp in the UK then I think many classic car owners would consider it.
Especially if no cutting of the original car was needed.
Also sell it all in kit form with a different amount of batteries for a given distance. These can be placed over the motor and in place of the fuel tank.
An Amazon (or many other classics ) with say 150 bhp and 100 miles range or even a 100bhp and 150+ mile range would be of interest to many if the price of fuel keeps rising and this E10 rubbish or worse arrives.
As the price of batteries drops i think its a viable option for the future
But always keep the old ICE engine for the car stowed away so keeping the original car complete if you ever sell it.

[Bracpan]

https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/3...d-uk-companies

some interesting companies to look up...