Search results

Hi Kurt, Can you post the basic specs for the battery system and inverter, please? My brother wants to build a small off-grid system for emergencies, and to charge one of their EV's.

An alternate to a hand operated regen control would be a third pedal for your left foot. It could be separated a bit from the brake pedal, and you can use your left foot for something (now then we don't need a clutch pedal), and you don't have to change what your right foot does, and nothing...

The battery is warmed up by charging it - and it warms as you using it, so, the ambient temperature is not the same as battery temperature. Also, the cold weather package has a battery heater included, so warming the battery will happen one way or another. The heater and the defroster are by...

If you use the heater and/or the defroster, then your range will be less than in warm weather. Sometimes a lot less using both the heater and the defroster can use as much energy as moving the car.

Quick side note: the Smart Electric Drive has an option ($190) for paddles behind the steering wheel, that let you toggle between no regen, normal regen, and maximum regen. That's a no-brainer. Oh, and the lease is $2K down and $139/month for the base Smart ED. Heated seats are the other...

Maybe the B mode has the limited power setting like the Eco mode?

The system in the picture I posted was originally going to be leased, but the "line" was over 100 homes, so they decided to buy it. It cost about $27K, while the lease deal they had was about $1,400 down and ~$58/month for 20 years for their electricity. They were paying ~$70 to $180 per...

Here's my brother's house:

Ah, the long tailpipe argument... Even at 100% coal generated electricity, that puts an EV on par with an ~80MPG gasoline car. Also, gasoline does not appear out of thin air, either. A lot of energy goes into finding oil fields, test drilling (the BP oil spew was a test drill), extraction...

There is that... Belly pans and smooth wheel covers don't protrude from the car; and shorter Kamm back panels are going to have benefits. The best way to see if an aero mod is helping is to learn how your car coasts on familiar roads. Remembering that air temperature has a strong effect -...

It is hard to measure this quickly, and I think that either you keep track of charges (this is why a meter in an ESVE would be awesome) or you do a coastdown test. This requires at least 3 coasts in opposite directions (6 in total) and you can use a video camera to record the speed over the 70...

The water got in the charger in the rain - nothing more that that. It is supposed to be waterproof, but it is not. The dealer/Mitsubishi will be replacing it under warranty. It cost them over $1500, by the way! Which is crazy expensive. I think my Dad is drifting out of his driveway - it is...

Okay, update: the charger is almost certainly not working, but the car is now operating correctly. The charger has water inside it - you can see moisture on the inside of the lights, and water is dripping out through the 8 Torx screws on the bottom... We're off to see about getting it...

Hi, My Dad's stock portable charger is not working at all. It is the new 12A/8A unit they got to replace the original 8A unit that my Dad broke by driving away with it still plugged in; and this one has the latch broken. When we plug it in, it doesn't light up at all, and the GFI breaker is...

There is also a very good American electric bus company, that has fast charging: http://www.proterra.com/ http://gigaom2.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/proterra-fastchargeproto3qfss6.gif

Extending the roof line is good because it then has a crisp edge and forms part of a "cavity". But if it extends too far, it works against you because instead of getting things closer to the template, it might be adding turbulence. Maybe you can tuft test it? If you tape some 6"-8" lengths of...

I think one of the airbags on my brother's i MiEV went bad recently, and it was replaced under warranty.

I used the Large Thumbnail link provided for Messageboards. Is this curved downward at the back? That is the key thing for improving the aero. And the sides need to be angled in, as well. Having it this long may or may not be better than a shorter piece - have you noticed an improvement?

I think you need to use the oil that the gear set is designed for. This *might* make a tiny (<1%) or it could ruin the unit. A single aero mod would save you 10-15%.

Thanks for this thread! It is pretty much what I had been looking for.