I have owned this car for about a year now and finally decided to join a Mazda forum. I recently finished converting it into an EV.

May I present: The Elecrtric Booger.



Motor: Prestolite forklift DC motor
Batteries: 12 X 12V 92aH AGM
Voltage: 72V
Controller 1: Alltrax 7245 (Armature)
Controller 2: Kelly 72100 (Field)
Chargers: 6 X 12V eCIty 240W PWM
Heater: blow dryer heater coils
Top speed: 90 km/h
Range: 30 km
Acceleration: sort of almost adequate....

 

That's Frickin Neat, Booger. Fellow Canuck!
I guess you won't be gettin any "too lean" codes!

 

This is very nice!
Question: how far can you go with the heat on?
I always wondered about the MPG equivalents they trumpet about EV's. the numbers they tout don't account for heat and A/C. So i wondered if for cabin heat a version of these infrared space heaters would work, maybe in connection with a seat and steering wheel heater.

A/C is another issue.

 

My heater is nothing spectacular. Here on the west coast it doesn't get too cold - around 0C/32F. So I have 675W worth of heat to keep my windshield from fogging up and a toque to keep me warm! It doesn't affect my range too much. Since my commute is only 6.5km/4mi to work, I preheat with a 120V space heater on a timer. It's nice and toasty when I get in.

EPA's MPG equivalents are based on the fact that a gallon of gasoline contains 33kWh of energy. In winter, my Electric Booger uses right around 484kWh/mi (70mpge), 583kWh/mi (58mpge) if you include my preheating. However, I preheated when it had a gas engine, so I go with the first measurement. I measure power consumption at the plug with a Kill-A-Watt.

My power costs $0.11/kWh, which is the equivalent to $3.63/gallon. My EV is a very inefficient EV in comparison to the Leaf, Volt, Focus Electric, etc. This is because in cold weather, lead acid batteries do not do a spectacular job of converting energy. But even at the equivalent of 70mpg at $3.63/gallon, I am doing pretty good.

As for A/C, the Electric Booger didn't have A/C to begin with.

I can go on and on about efficiency, but in the end, I didn't convert my MX-3 to save money. Heck - I put nearly $4K into it which I will likely never get back. The reason I did it is because I have always wanted to convert a car to electric. I wanted a cool project - a way to resurrect and old beater MX-3. And I ended up with something useful in the end!

 

Thanks mechman600! I think it was a worth while project.

As far as conserving energy the issue is approached rather irrationally. I think liquid fuels should be used for transportation needs. I also think that getting to about 35 mpg average for a midsize family car may be a reasonable and achievable goal. But that's about it. There is something called the law of diminishing return.

A lot more energy is used and wasted in the HVAC systems of buildings, both large and residential buildings. Applying improved technology in buildings has a much greater return for the effort. And that will stretch the resources of liquid fuels for transportation. However the automotive industry is a much easier target for politics than the construction industry....

Again, I really like your project and I will look into the links you provided soon.

 

That's a lot of batteries!

 

I bet UseYourNoggin is red with envy!

 

I mostly agree with you.

There are a lot of EV proponents who will argue until they are blue in the face about our oil running out and our CO2 emissions killing the planet but I really have my doubts about those things. They were talking about running out of oil 25 years ago and here we are today with no sign of the end.

I converted my MX-3 because I love electric cars, not because I am a tree hugger. Electric cars are very very fun to drive. It is impossible to explain and must be experienced to be understood.

In my opinion 35 mpg for a mid size sedan is not good enough. That's only 40% better than where we were 15 years ago. It really ticks me off that only now Manufacturers are concentrating on fuel economy, and only because EPA has reinstated the CAFE rules (after they were suspended by Mr. Bush for a time). Considering the average car's internal combustion engine is only 25% efficient at converting the available energy in gasoline into actual energy, we have a long way to go. The SkyActive stuff is starting to change that, but only in very small steps.

I honestly believe that plug in hybrids are the real answer. An electric car for the first 20 miles and a gasoline car after that. But again, back to the return on investment argument: PHEVs cost a LOT of money.

I never thought about HVAC. Thanks for pointing that out.

 

Can't anyone make an electric car with a portable generator to supply it electricity? A very small gas engine should be able to do this with 2-3 alternators, supplying electricity 100% of time!
The gas engine needs to be real small though!

 

That's really great. I wish I could have one. I'm really a fan of electric cars and because of that I do a lot research about it. Well, electric car is not new, however previous technology limitations had rendered the electric car impractical. Battery technology has come a long way in the last few years making the electric car more practical. Now with a government backing we could see more and more electric cars on the road. Besides, there are severe safety concerns with the current lithium-ion batteries that are used in electric and hybrid vehicles. However, a research firm claims that it has discovered a way to make a better battery that can create a longer driving range by utilizing a solid electrolyte instead of a liquid one.