DESIGNING A N ELECTRIC VEHICLE CONVERSION

Bradley C. Keoun
Solar Car Corporation
1300 Lake Washington Road
Melbourne, FL 32935
(407) 254-2997

INTRODUCTION a n electric vehicle conversion will include:

National efforts to improve air quality in
heaviiy populated urban communities- by
reducing vehicular tailpipe emissions - have
rekindled interest in the development of
electric vehicle technology and infrastructure.
Electric vehicles make ideal urban-commuter
vehicles, for driving t o and from, and within a
city. However, electric vehicles are currently
manufactured only in low volumes, and
consequently the price of most commercially
available electric vehicles re ma ins high.
removal of internal combustion engine and
related parts, choice of electric vehicle
components, installation of electric vehicle
components, and integration of electric
vehicle accessory systems. For practical
purposes, this paper will limit consideration
of EV components currently available at a
cost that reflects high-volume production. A
block diagram of the components in an
electric vehicle is given in Figure 1 .

As an alternative t o purchasing a new

electric vehicle, it is now possible for a
lm
private individual or organization t o build an U

electric vehicle w i t h ease - and a t low cost -

w i t h reliable, off-the-shelf electric vehicle
components.

Designing an electric vehicle presents a

formidable engineering challenge: the Figure 1. Electric Vehicle Component Block
integration of various aspects of vehicle Diagram.
design-suspension, body, drivetrain, fuel
system, electrical systems, and climate
control-cain be time-consuming and costly. REMOVAL OF lNTERNAL COMBUSTION
ENGINE AND RELATED PARTS
It is possible, however, to build an electric
ve hic I e by 'I conve rting 'I a gas o Iine- pow e red The following parts will be removed from the
vehicle-thejt is, replacing the internal original gasoline-powered vehicle: internal
combustion engine in an existing gasoline- combustion engine, starter, alternator, power
powered vehicle w i t h an electric drivetrain. steering pump, air conditioner compressor,
This process is called, appropriately, "electric radiator, heater core, fuel lines, fuel tank,
vehicle conversion," and has become popular exhaust pipe, catalytic converter, exhaust tail
in recent years among hobbyists, schools, pipe, and muffler. The following parts will be
and clean-air enthusiasts, as a means of retained in the electric vehicle conversion:
providing an immediate solution to clean-air transmission and rearward drivetrain; brake
transportation. Many of the commercial cylinder and reservoir; condenser and
electric vehicles sold in this country today evaporator(if air conditioning is desired on
are in fact electric vehicle conversions. finished conversion); steering and front end
linkage; and existing electrical harness.
This paper addresses the design
considerations involved in the conversion of a
gasoline-powered vehicle to electric.
Discussion of the various design elements in
303
CHOKE OF TYPE OF BATTERIES
Given the current market, lead-acid is the
only viable battery technology for electric
vehicle conversion. The following is a list of
criteria to use in selecting an electric vehicle
battery:
1, Voltage. Batteries are available in both 6V
and 12V units. Most standard, wet-cell,
golf cart batteries are 6V units. Most
sealed batteries are 12V units.
2. Amg-hour rating. The capacity of a
battery is rated in amp-hours. This rating
must be specified w i t h a given discharge
rate.
3. Discharge rate. The discharge rate of a
battery is the minimum length of time
during which the battery must be
discharged in order to meet the specified
amp-hour rating. For example, a 12V
sealed lead-acid battery w i t h a 93 amp-
hour rating at a 2 4 hour discharge rate
will produce, 93Ahr/24hr= 3.875A, for a
minimum of 2 4 hours.
4, Watt-hour rating. The watt-hour rating is
a true indication of the energy capacity of
a battery, Like the amp-hour rating, this
rating must be specified w i t h a discharge
rate. The watt-hour rating of a battery is
the amp-hour rating multiplied by the
specified voltage of the battery. For
example, assume a 6V battery has a
197Ahr rating a t a 5 hour discharge rate,
and a 12V battery has a 105Ahr rating a t
a 5 hour discharge rate. The watt-hour
rating of the 6 V battery is therefore
(197Ahr)(6V)= 1 182Whr, and the w a t t -
hour rating of the 12V battery is
(1OEiAhr)(12V) = 1260Whr. In this
example, the 12V battery has more total
energy capacity than the 6V battery.
5 . Energy density. Energy density is the
energy capacity of the battery, in w a t t -
hours, divided by the weight of the
battery, in kilograms. This is a critical
factor in selecting an electric vehicle
battery-the amount of energy a battery
carries per unit weight.
6. Cycle-life. Cycle-life is the number of
times a battery can be fully discharged
before replacement. However, in most
real applications, a lead-acid battery will
exceed its specified cycle-life, since the
battery will not be fully discharged every
304
time it is used. For example, a battery
w i t h a 5 0 0 cycle-life may last as many as
1000 cycles, if it is only discharged 20%
a t each use. For this reason, a 500 cycle-
life electric vehicle battery may last as
many as 5 years.
Today, most electric vehicle conversions use
standard 6V wet-cell golf cart batteries-
available in a wide range of sizes. Sealed
lead-acid 12V batteries, however, have
become popular in recent months as an
improved battery for electric vehicle
conversions. Advantages of sealed batteries
include zero maintenance requirements, no
hydrogen gassing during charging, and spill-
proof, leak-proof construction. A sealed,
maintenance-free battery is shown in Figure
L.
Figure 2. A sealed, maintenance-free 12V
lead-acid battery.
NUMBER OF BATTERIES
The number of batteries in an electric vehicle
conversion will depend on the voltage of the
battery type to be used, the size of the
battery type t o be used, the desired nominal
system voltage, and the size of vehicle in
which the batteries will be installed. In
general, a greater system voltage will result
in increased performance, whereas a greater
watt-hour capacity will result in increased
vehicle driving range.
In order t o achieve the desired nominal
system voltage, the vehicle must be large
enough t o carry the required number of
batteries. For example, assume that a
subcompact car is t o be converted t o
electric, and that performance is the chief
design objective. In order t o get maximum
performance on this particular conversion, a
120V system is desired. The subcompact
vehicle is not large enough to fit 2 0 6 V
batteries. In this case, 1 0 1 2 V batteries
linked in a series configuration will give the
desired norninal system voltage.
On the other hand, if vehicle driving range is
the chief design objective, a different set of
design parameters must be considered.
Assume that the same subcompact car is
large enough t o contain 1 6 6 V batteries. This
condition 2;uggests using 1 6 6 V batteries
linked in a series configuration for a nominal
system vohage of 96V, or 1 6 12V batteries
in a series-parallel configuration(two strings
of 8 1 2 V batteries in parallel). In either case,
the increased number of batteries will result
in a greater total watt-hour capacity-for an
increase in vehicle driving range.
It is imporiant to remember that each lead-
acid electric vehicle battery weighs 50-601bs.
Thus, the number of batteries in an electric
vehicle conversion will have a significant
effect on the total system efficiency. A t a
certain "saturation" point, simply installing
additional batteries will not effect a
corresponding increase in vehicle driving
range.
CHOICE OF::ELECTRIC DRIVETRAIN
A number of manufacturers offer a range of
affordable DC * series-wound motors,
specifically designed for electric vehicles.
Although AC induction motors and DC
brushless rinotors are currently used in some
electric vehicle conversions, only DC series-
wound motors are available at a cost that
reflects high-volume production.
The torque-speed curve of a DC series-
wound motor is ideal for vehicular
application:;. However, the current required
t o produce high torque at low speed exceeds
the limits of currently available, off-the-shelf
electronic controllers for DC series-wound
motors. Thus, though a 9.1" diameter,
1431b. DC series-wound motor may have a
rated maximum stall torque at 1 2 0 V of 9 6 5
ft.-lbs., the motor will require 2 8 6 5 A t Q
actually achieve the rated stall torque. The
maximum current limit of off-the-shelf
electronic controllers available today is
550A, at 144V. Stall torque, therefore, is not
305
a useful indicator of the performance
capabilities of a DC series-wound electric
motor in an electric vehicle conversion.
For general purposes, it is useful t o refer t o
the size of an electric motor by referring t o
its continuous rated horsepower at a specific
voltage. A DC series-wound motors,
however, can be used a t voltages other than
its rated voltage. Note that the continuous
horsepower output of a DC series-wound
motor will increase with voltage.
c
Figure 3. A DC series-wound motor for
electric vehicle applications.
Motor efficiency increases w i t h motor
voltage and diameter. High-efficiency DC
series-wound motors are available for electric
vehicle applications. One currently available
DC series-wound motor has a 9.1 I' diameter,
and achieves efficiency as high as 91%
when operated at 144V.
The simplest w a y to select an electric motor
is to estimate the weight of the finished
conversion, including batteries, and then t o
select a motor based on an electric vehicle
motor application guideline supplied by the
electric vehicle motor manufacturer. These
guidelines should give a general estimate of
performance for a given electric vehicle
conversion, powered by a given motor. See
Table 1.
Table 1 . Electric Vehicle Motor Application
Guide.
The type of off-the-shelf electronic controller
most commonly used with series-wound
motors in electric vehicle conversions uses
MOSFET technology, using a pulse-width
moduI at ed , vo It a ge 'I c hoppe r " s c heme.
The output of the electronic controller in a
typical electric vehicle installation
determined by an auxiliary input signal, fed
t h ro ug h a 0- 5 k o h m " t hrott Ie 'I pote nt io m et e r ,
which is connected t o the accelerator pedal
of the original gas-powered vehicle. For a
vehicle w i t h a 1 2 0 V nominal system voltage,
the input voltage t o the electric motor wlll be
6OV if the accelerator pedal is half-
depressed, or 12OV if the accelerator pedal
is fully depressed. In either case, the
maximum current provided to the electric
motor will be limited t o 400A. An electronic
controller is shown in Figure 4.
Figure 4. A 1 2 0 V , 400A electronic controller.
The electronic controllers currently used in
electric vehicles are rated at 2 minute, 5
minute, and one hour ratings. These ratings
specify the amount of current the controller
will handle for the given time period. For
example, a controller w i t h a 2 minute rating
of 4 0 0 A will handle 400A for 2 minutes. The
same controller may handle 750A for
continuous operation during one hour.
For a complete electric drivetrain for an
electric vehicle conversion, match controller
ratings t o rated motor current requirements,
so that the power draw of the motor in a
given operating state will not exceed the
current capacity of the motor controller. For
example, a motor operating a t 1 2 0 V may
draw 4OOA during heavy acceleration but
only 1 3 5 A during continuous operation at
6200rpm. A n off-the-shelf 1 2 0 V electronic
controller w i t h a 2 minute rating of 4 0 0 A and
a 1 hour rating of 1 5 0 A will be adequate for
this motor.
INSTALLATION OF ELECTRIC DRIVETRAIN
In order t o keep the motor within a specific
operating range, and t o simplify the electric
is vehicle conversion process, the existing
transmission-including clutch, flywheel, and
pressure plate from the original gas-powered
vehicle - is retained.
The DC series-wound electric motor is
coupled t o the existing transmission using an
"adaptel, plate." One side of the adapter
plate matches the shape, mounting holes,
and alignment pins of the bell housing of the
original transmission; the other side of the
adapter plate matches the shape and
mounting holes of the electric motor.
Because improper mounting of the electric
motor will result in excessive wear t o both
electric motor and the transmission, the
adapter plate must be machined according t o
precision specifications. Ready-made adapter
plates for an extensive portfolio of vehicles
may be available from electric vehicle
component suppliers.
The main shaft of the electric motor is
coupled t o the flywheel of the transmission
using a "hub assembly." The hub assembly
slides onto the keyed shaft of the electric
motor, and mounts to the flywheel of the
original transmission. The flywheel should be
balanced t o enhance the smooth, vibration-
free operation of the electric drivetrain, and
may be lightened t o further improve total
system performance and efficiency. The
starter ring is not necessary i n an electric
drivetrain, and may be removed from the
flywheel prior t o installation.
A n automatic transmission will result in
additional system inefficiencies. However, if
an automatic transmission is t o be used, the
automatic transmission should be rebuilt t o
reflect the optimum operating range of the
DC series-wound electric motor. For
example, if the most efficient operating range
of the electric motor falls around 4500rpm,
the automatic transmission should be rebuilt
t o shift at a reasonably higher motor speed-
say, a t 5000rpm.
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INTEGRATION OF 12V ACCESSORY
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The light:;, turn signals, wipers, stereo,
power loclks, power windows, etc., will be
powered b y a 12V power supply. The
existing 12V starter battery may be retained
as a power source for these accessories.
Since removal of the internal combustion
engine requires removal of the belt-driven
alternator, a separate system is required in
an electric vehicle conversion in order to
keep the 12V accessory battery charged.
This system is provided w i t h an additional
electric component-the DC/DC converter.
The DC/DC converter has a high-voltage
input, w i t h a 12V output, and is thus used t o
charge tho 12V accessory battery using a
high-voltage input from the main battery
pack.
INTEGRATION OF POWER BRAKE SYSTEM
On a gasoline-powered car, the source of
vacuum for the power brake system is intake
manifold on the internal combustion engine.
In an electric vehicle conversion, an auxiliary
vacuum pump and vacuum reservoir must be
supplied in order t o retain a power brake
system. The vacuum pump is powered b y a
small, off-the-shelf 12V electric motor. A n
electric switch 'senses pressure in the
vacuum reservoir, and turns the vacuum
pump on and off as needed.
INTEGRATION OF POWER STEERING
SYSTEM
For vehicles w i t h power steering, removal of
the internal combustion engine necessitates
the removal of the belt-driven power steering
pump. On an electric vehicle conversion,
power steering can be handled in t w o ways:
exchanging the existing power steering
system for a manual steering system, or
modifying the existing power steering system
t o work in the converted vehicle. If power
steering is retained, the power steering pump
may be belt-driven off the accessory shaft of
the DC series-wound motor, or powered b y a
separate, high-efficiency pump motor.
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INTEGRATION OF CLIMATE CONTROL
SYSTEM
For vehicles w i t h air conditioning, removal of
the internal combustion engine necessitates
the removal of the belt-driven air conditioner
compressor. Air conditioning may be
removed, or modified t o function in the
converted electric vehicle. In the modified
system, the air conditioner compressor is
either belt-driven off the tailshaft of the DC
series-wound motor, or powered by a
separate, high-efficiency compressor motor.
The stock condenser and evaporator from the
original vehicle are used in the modified
system .
Heating is provided by a resistive solid-state
heating element, powered by the main
battery pack. Using a relay and spark
capacitor, the heating element may be
switched on and off from the interior of the
vehicle, using existing heater controls.
MODIFICATIONS TO INSTRUMENT PANEL
The fuel level, engine temperature, and oil
pressure gauges are not used in an electric
vehicle conversion.
Several additional gauges are necessary t o
monitor electric vehicle operating conditions.
A n electric "fuel" guage displays the state-
of-charge of the main battery pack, and an
ammeter displays instantaneous current flow.
A tachometer is installed t o monitor electric
motor operating rpm.
Figure 5. A completed Ford Festiva
conversion.
Figure 6. A completed Chevy S-10 pickup
truck conversion.

Using existing, off-the-shelf technology,

converting a gasoline-powered vehicle to
electric can be a simple and successful
project. A sleek, professional electric vehicle
conversion will provide satisfying,
economical, and environmentally-friendly
trans portation.

REFERENCES

Wong, Jo Yung, Theory of Ground Vehicles.

(New York: John Wiley & Sons, I' 9 7 8 )

yres, Robert, and McKenna, Richard,

Alternatives to * the Internal Combustion
Engine. (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University
Press, 1972)

Solar Car Corporation, Chevy S-IO Pickup

Conversion Manual. (Melbourne, FL: Solar
Car Corporation, 1992)

Brant, Bob, Build Your Own Electric Vehicle.

(Blue Ridge Summit, PA: 1 9 9 4 )

Advanced DC Motors, Inc., Product

Information Brochure. (Syracuse, NY)

308