Adapting a Canadian Electric Vehicles adapter to our Canadian electric vehicle, oh and batteries.
I guess if you want to be technical they are cells, not batteries. We are however building our own in house custom battery module. Two of them actually, comprised of 1600 used 18650 cells each. Needing a non conductive battery box, and having a master carpenter on hand, we opted to use plywood. The master plan calls for 2 plywood boxes filling the space between the diveshaft and the frame under the floor of the car. Each box will have 40 rows in parallel of 20 cells in series going both directions with a plate across the rear end of the box to join both together ( don't worry there are photos in the gallery to clarify ). The result should be a pack containing 3200 cells with a capacity of approximately 24 KWh which should yeild a range near 80 miles. Of course we are nestled in the mountains here and I suspect my cells will test a little below their rated capacity so the actual ange will be less. That said, the typical intended trip between locations where we can charge is only about 35 miles. Range anxiety need not apply. As of today we have about 400 cells finished and installed in the prototype box and ready to go. It is a slow process, and whole other topic so I'll address it later. The other big news for today is that the motor mounts are complete. I have a Competition Engineering mid plate sandwiched in between the Camaro T-5 transmission and Canadian Electric Vehicles adapter pictured above. I carved up a used front differential mount from a late model GM 4x4 and used the big rubber bushings and the steel they fit into. I welded said steel bushing mounts into the mid plate and then made 4 ears to weld to the frame on either side of the bushings so that a large 1/2" bolt can pass thru on each side. I believe this will be sufficient as this is all the mounting a motor such as this gets in an old VW the application, but if I feel the need I can always build mounts on the front crossmember to support the forward end of the motor. At this point all the major fabrication is done and the body is nearly ready to go back on. We did get the brake lines installed as far as the adjustable proportioning valve for the rear brakes which, is located just below the firewall, so all the hook ups to the master cylinders should be easy once the body is back on the frame. Batteries are really the only remaining obstacle and are ths week's main focus.
Details to come.
Chris
